Softwr

APIs · head to head

Enable Banking vs Lithic

Enable Banking logo

Enable Banking

APIs

European bank API aggregation with a free restricted production tier for your own accounts

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lithic logo

Lithic

APIs

API-first card issuing platform with direct Visa, Mastercard and Amex network connections

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Enable Banking has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Enable Banking production pricing is quoted per connected account and call volume with no published rate card, so a free proof of concept gives you no idea of cost at scale.; Lithic pricing is entirely undisclosed, so a company cannot compare total cost against Marqeta, Galileo or Highnote without a sales conversation.
  • They diverge on capability: Enable Banking covers European bank coverage, Lithic covers Direct network connections.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Enable Banking and Lithic actually diverge.

Attributes where Enable Banking and Lithic differ
AttributeEnable BankingLithic
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer connected account per monthquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, REST APIWeb, API

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Enable Banking

  • European bank coverage
  • Free sandbox
  • Restricted production
  • TPP infrastructure as a service
  • Consent handling
  • Payment initiation

Only in Lithic

  • Direct network connections
  • Processor Client mode
  • Lithic Program Management
  • Card lifecycle APIs
  • Sandbox environment
  • Real-time authorization controls

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Enable Banking

  • A small fintech that needs to operate as an agent rather than wait a year for its own AISP authorisationnot Lithic
  • An accounting software vendor pulling bank transactions across several European countriesnot Lithic
  • A treasury tool building and testing a real integration before committing to a contractnot Lithic
  • A lender verifying applicant income from bank data across the Nordics and the EUnot Lithic

Lithic

  • A fintech wanting direct Visa or Mastercard network access rather than routing through a third-party processornot Enable Banking
  • A company that already holds its own issuing licence and wants API access without full programme managementnot Enable Banking
  • A neobank or expense platform wanting Lithic to manage bank and network relationships end to endnot Enable Banking
  • A product team prototyping a card programme in sandbox before committing to a launchnot Enable Banking

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Enable Banking

  • Production pricing is quoted per connected account and call volume with no published rate card, so a free proof of concept gives you no idea of cost at scale.
  • Coverage is European, which rules it out as a single supplier for anyone needing UK plus North American bank data as well.
  • Operating as an agent under the Enable Banking licence means your regulatory permission depends on another company remaining authorised and willing to sponsor you.
  • Bank API quality varies widely across Europe, and outages or degraded endpoints at individual institutions surface as failures in your own product.
  • It is a small Finnish company selling into regulated financial services, so enterprise procurement and vendor resilience reviews are a recurring obstacle.

Lithic

  • Pricing is entirely undisclosed, so a company cannot compare total cost against Marqeta, Galileo or Highnote without a sales conversation.
  • Choosing Processor Client mode still leaves the company responsible for holding its own issuing licence and managing the regulatory relationship, which is a substantial undertaking many teams underestimate.
  • As with any card infrastructure provider, an outage or network issue at Lithic becomes a direct outage for every card programme built on it, and a customer has limited visibility into root cause during an incident.
  • Building a card programme on API infrastructure requires real engineering investment; it is not a plug-and-play product for a non-technical team.
  • Switching card infrastructure providers after launch is a major undertaking involving card reissuance and programme migration, so the initial choice carries lasting lock-in.

Pricing, plan by plan

Enable Banking

Free
  • Sandbox and restricted productionFree
    • Mock and real bank sandbox access
    • Production access limited to accounts you link yourself
    • Full API surface for development and certification
  • Production$undefined/year
    • Quoted by connected accounts per month and call volume
    • Priced by number of institutions and markets in scope
    • Different rates under your own licence or as an agent

Lithic

On request
  • Lithic$undefined/year
    • Volume and interchange-based pricing, not published
    • Separate Processor Client and Program Management pricing tracks
    • Custom quote required via sales

Which should you pick?

Choose Enable Banking if

  • You need european bank coverage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want free sandbox.
Enable Banking review

Choose Lithic if

  • You need direct network connections.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want processor client mode.
Lithic review

Questions people ask

Is Enable Banking or Lithic better?
Neither clearly leads. Enable Banking starts at Free and Lithic at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Enable Banking or Lithic?
Enable Banking has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Enable Banking and On request for Lithic.
Does Enable Banking or Lithic run on more platforms?
Enable Banking runs on Web, REST API. Lithic runs on Web, API.
Can I use Enable Banking for free?
Yes. Enable Banking has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lithic starts at On request.
What is Enable Banking best used for?
Enable Banking is most often used for a small fintech that needs to operate as an agent rather than wait a year for its own aisp authorisation, an accounting software vendor pulling bank transactions across several european countries, a treasury tool building and testing a real integration before committing to a contract, a lender verifying applicant income from bank data across the nordics and the eu. Of those, a small fintech that needs to operate as an agent rather than wait a year for its own aisp authorisation and an accounting software vendor pulling bank transactions across several european countries are not what Lithic is typically brought in for.
What can Enable Banking do that Lithic cannot?
Enable Banking covers European bank coverage, Free sandbox, Restricted production, TPP infrastructure as a service. Lithic covers Direct network connections, Processor Client mode, Lithic Program Management, Card lifecycle APIs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Enable Banking: Is there really a free tier?

Yes, sandbox plus restricted production against accounts you link yourself. Commercial third-party access is quoted separately.

Lithic: Does Lithic publish pricing?

No, pricing is volume-based and requires a sales conversation.

Enable Banking: Do I need my own AISP licence?

No. Enable Banking offers third-party provider infrastructure as a service so you can operate as an agent under its authorisation.

Lithic: What is the difference between Processor Client and Program Management?

Processor Client suits companies with their own issuing licence and bank relationships; Program Management is for companies wanting Lithic to coordinate those relationships on their behalf.

Enable Banking: How is production priced?

By connected accounts per month and call volume, adjusted for markets in scope and whether you use your own licence.

Lithic: Which networks does it connect to?

Visa, Mastercard and American Express directly.

Share

Related pages

More on Enable Banking

More on Lithic

Keep looking

Other head to heads