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APIs · head to head

Griffin vs HTTPie

Griffin logo

Griffin

APIs

UK banking-as-a-service from a company that holds its own full banking licence

From
£100/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HTTPie logo

HTTPie

APIs

Command-line HTTP client with intuitive interface and syntax

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HTTPie has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Griffin platform banking carries a one-off onboarding fee from 15,000 pounds and a 3,500 pound monthly minimum, which prices out early-stage companies entirely.; HTTPie the desktop application is in public beta rather than a finished release
  • They diverge on capability: Griffin covers Bank accounts by API, HTTPie covers REST Client.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Griffin and HTTPie actually diverge.

Attributes where Griffin and HTTPie differ
AttributeGriffinHTTPie
Starting price£100/monthFree
Pricing modelPer month with usage drawdownopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, REST APILinux, MacOS, Windows, Web
FoundedUnknown2012

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 Griffin

  • Bank accounts by API
  • UK payment rails
  • Integrated ledger
  • Automated onboarding
  • Debit cards
  • Interest on balances

Only in HTTPie

  • REST Client
  • JSON support
  • Colored output
  • CI/CD
  • Shell scripting
  • Automation
  • Linux support
  • MacOS support

What people use each for

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

Griffin

  • A wealth platform that must hold client money in a licensed bank rather than an EMI safeguarding accountnot HTTPie
  • A lender wanting UK accounts and payment rails without becoming a bank itselfnot HTTPie
  • A fintech burned by sponsor bank instability that wants the deposit holder and the API provider to be the same entitynot HTTPie
  • A platform needing sub-account ledgering for pooled client funds with a clean audit trailnot HTTPie

HTTPie

  • Sending and inspecting HTTP requests from the terminalnot Griffin
  • A readable alternative to curl for API debuggingnot Griffin
  • Testing APIs through a graphical clientnot Griffin
  • Installing through apt, brew or pip in a development environmentnot Griffin

Where each one falls short

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

Griffin

  • Platform banking carries a one-off onboarding fee from 15,000 pounds and a 3,500 pound monthly minimum, which prices out early-stage companies entirely.
  • It is UK-only, so a business with European or US operations needs a second banking provider and a second integration for those entities.
  • It is a young bank with a small balance sheet relative to incumbents, and enterprise counterparties still ask hard questions about concentration risk.
  • Holding a banking licence means Griffin applies bank-grade due diligence to its own clients, so onboarding is slower and more selective than an EMI-based provider.
  • Feature breadth is narrower than long-established providers, particularly in card programme management and in payment types beyond core UK rails.

HTTPie

  • The desktop application is in public beta rather than a finished release
  • Pricing for the desktop and web products is not published, while the terminal client is free and open source
  • The graphical versions are newer than the CLI, so parity between them is not guaranteed

Pricing, plan by plan

Griffin

£100/month
  • Business Banking$100/month
    • From 100 pounds per month
    • Interest or commission from around 1.75 percent AER variable
    • Operational accounts and UK payment rails
  • Platform Banking$3500/month
    • One-off onboarding fee from 15,000 pounds
    • Minimum monthly spend of 3,500 pounds, drawn down by usage
    • Higher committed tiers at 5,000 and 10,000 pounds with discounts
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Bespoke account structures and volumes
    • Negotiated interest or commission share

HTTPie

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full HTTPie CLI
    • Community support
  • HTTPie for Web$10/monthly
    • Web interface
    • Cloud storage
    • Team collaboration

Which should you pick?

Choose Griffin if

  • You need bank accounts by api.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want uk payment rails.
Griffin review

Choose HTTPie if

  • You need rest client.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Web.
  • You also want json support.
HTTPie review

Questions people ask

Is Griffin or HTTPie better?
Neither clearly leads. Griffin starts at £100/month and HTTPie at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Griffin or HTTPie?
HTTPie has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £100/month for Griffin and Free for HTTPie.
Does Griffin or HTTPie run on more platforms?
Griffin runs on Web, REST API. HTTPie runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Web.
Can I use HTTPie for free?
Yes. HTTPie has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Griffin starts at £100/month.
What is Griffin best used for?
Griffin is most often used for a wealth platform that must hold client money in a licensed bank rather than an emi safeguarding account, a lender wanting uk accounts and payment rails without becoming a bank itself, a fintech burned by sponsor bank instability that wants the deposit holder and the api provider to be the same entity, a platform needing sub-account ledgering for pooled client funds with a clean audit trail. Of those, a wealth platform that must hold client money in a licensed bank rather than an emi safeguarding account and a lender wanting uk accounts and payment rails without becoming a bank itself are not what HTTPie is typically brought in for.
What can Griffin do that HTTPie cannot?
Griffin covers Bank accounts by API, UK payment rails, Integrated ledger, Automated onboarding. HTTPie covers REST Client, JSON support, Colored output, CI/CD.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Griffin: Is Griffin actually a bank?

Yes. It received a UK banking licence with restrictions in March 2023 and a full licence in March 2024 after exiting mobilisation.

HTTPie: Is HTTPie free?

HTTPie for Terminal is open source and free. The Desktop and Web versions are in public beta, and their pricing model is not disclosed.

Source
Griffin: What does it cost?

Business banking from 100 pounds a month; platform banking from a 15,000 pound onboarding fee plus a 3,500 pound monthly minimum drawn down by usage.

HTTPie: Can I use HTTPie for commercial purposes?

HTTPie Terminal is open source, but check the specific license (likely MIT, Apache, or GPL) to confirm commercial use is permitted in your jurisdiction.

Source
Griffin: Does it cover Europe?

No. Griffin is a UK bank serving UK accounts and UK payment rails.

HTTPie: What is HTTPie Desktop and how much does it cost?

HTTPie Desktop is an API testing client in public beta. Pricing is not disclosed on the website.

Source
HTTPie: Is there an HTTPie AI version?

Yes, HTTPie AI is mentioned as a product, but details about functionality and pricing are not provided on the main page.

Source
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