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APIs · head to head

Griffin vs Swagger/OpenAPI

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
Swagger/OpenAPI logo

Swagger/OpenAPI

APIs

API specification and documentation framework using OpenAPI standard

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Swagger/OpenAPI 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.; Swagger/OpenAPI the OpenAPI Specification itself is licensed under Apache License 2.0 and free to use; SwaggerHub is a separate paid tool built on top of it
  • They diverge on capability: Griffin covers Bank accounts by API, Swagger/OpenAPI covers OpenAPI Specification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Griffin and Swagger/OpenAPI actually diverge.

Attributes where Griffin and Swagger/OpenAPI differ
AttributeGriffinSwagger/OpenAPI
Starting price£100/monthFree
Pricing modelPer month with usage drawdownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, REST APIWeb, CLI, Desktop
FoundedUnknown2001

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 Swagger/OpenAPI

  • OpenAPI Specification
  • Interactive Documentation
  • Code Generation
  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Jenkins
  • IDE plugins
  • Web 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 Swagger/OpenAPI
  • A lender wanting UK accounts and payment rails without becoming a bank itselfnot Swagger/OpenAPI
  • A fintech burned by sponsor bank instability that wants the deposit holder and the API provider to be the same entitynot Swagger/OpenAPI
  • A platform needing sub-account ledgering for pooled client funds with a clean audit trailnot Swagger/OpenAPI

Swagger/OpenAPI

  • API Developmentnot Griffin
  • API Gatewaynot Griffin
  • API Testingnot Griffin
  • API Documentationnot Griffin
  • Microservicesnot 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.

Swagger/OpenAPI

  • The OpenAPI Specification itself is licensed under Apache License 2.0 and free to use; SwaggerHub is a separate paid tool built on top of it

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

Swagger/OpenAPI

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • OpenAPI specification
    • Community tools
  • SwaggerHub FreeFree
    • Cloud editor
    • API mocking
    • API testing
  • SwaggerHub Pro$75/monthly
    • Team collaboration
    • Advanced mocking
    • Analytics

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 Swagger/OpenAPI if

  • You need openapi specification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, Desktop.
  • You also want interactive documentation.
Swagger/OpenAPI review

Questions people ask

Is Griffin or Swagger/OpenAPI better?
Neither clearly leads. Griffin starts at £100/month and Swagger/OpenAPI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Griffin or Swagger/OpenAPI?
Swagger/OpenAPI has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £100/month for Griffin and Free for Swagger/OpenAPI.
Does Griffin or Swagger/OpenAPI run on more platforms?
Griffin runs on Web, REST API. Swagger/OpenAPI runs on Web, CLI, Desktop.
Can I use Swagger/OpenAPI for free?
Yes. Swagger/OpenAPI 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 Swagger/OpenAPI is typically brought in for.
What can Griffin do that Swagger/OpenAPI cannot?
Griffin covers Bank accounts by API, UK payment rails, Integrated ledger, Automated onboarding. Swagger/OpenAPI covers OpenAPI Specification, Interactive Documentation, Code Generation, GitHub.

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.

Swagger/OpenAPI: Is Swagger UI free to use?

Swagger UI is an open source tool with source code publicly available on GitHub at no cost. It is one of thousands of free open source projects in the Swagger ecosystem.

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.

Swagger/OpenAPI: What commercial Swagger products are available beyond the open source tools?

Swagger offers Swagger for Teams for streamlined API workflow with interactive editors and hosted documentation, and Swagger Enterprise for organizations needing secure on-premise or cloud-based environments. Specific pricing requires contacting sales.

Source
Griffin: Does it cover Europe?

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

Swagger/OpenAPI: Are there commercial versions that build on the open source Swagger tools?

Yes, commercial Swagger products integrate the core functionality of Swagger open source tools (Editor, UI, and Codegen) with advanced capabilities for team collaboration, standards enforcement, and enterprise features.

Source
Swagger/OpenAPI: Is there a trial available for Swagger commercial products?

A Start Trial call-to-action is available on the Swagger website, but specific trial duration and terms are not disclosed on the product pages.

Source
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