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APIs · head to head

Highnote vs Janus Gateway

Highnote logo

Highnote

APIs

Card issuing, acquiring and ledger on one platform for embedded payments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Janus Gateway logo

Janus Gateway

APIs

WebRTC gateway and media server for real-time communication

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Janus Gateway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Highnote card issuing requires a sponsor bank, and that bank sets programme approval, compliance obligations and often minimum volumes, so a small programme can be rejected regardless of technical fit.; Janus Gateway no commercial pricing published; open-source project without official commercial offerings
  • They diverge on capability: Highnote covers Card issuing, Janus Gateway covers WebRTC Gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Highnote and Janus Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where Highnote and Janus Gateway differ
AttributeHighnoteJanus Gateway
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APILinux, MacOS, BSD
FoundedUnknown2010

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 Highnote

  • Card issuing
  • Merchant acquiring
  • Unified ledger
  • Spend controls
  • GraphQL API
  • Programme management
  • Dispute handling
  • Real time authorisation webhooks

Only in Janus Gateway

  • WebRTC Gateway
  • Media Routing
  • Video Conferencing
  • RTP
  • SRTP
  • REST API
  • Linux support
  • MacOS support

What people use each for

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

Highnote

  • A marketplace that both pays out to sellers and issues them spend cards, wanting one settlement ledgernot Janus Gateway
  • A vertical software company embedding card acceptance and card issuing for the same customer basenot Janus Gateway
  • A fintech launching a commercial charge card programme with custom authorisation logicnot Janus Gateway
  • A platform replacing separate issuing and acquiring vendors to remove cross system reconciliationnot Janus Gateway

Janus Gateway

  • API Developmentnot Highnote
  • API Gatewaynot Highnote
  • API Testingnot Highnote
  • API Documentationnot Highnote
  • Microservicesnot Highnote

Where each one falls short

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

Highnote

  • Card issuing requires a sponsor bank, and that bank sets programme approval, compliance obligations and often minimum volumes, so a small programme can be rejected regardless of technical fit.
  • Pricing is entirely quoted, including platform fees, per active card charges and monthly minimums that do not appear on the website, so the true cost per card is only visible late in a sales process.
  • Interchange sharing is the real revenue model for most customers, and the split is negotiated, capped for regulated debit under the Durbin amendment and sensitive to your spend mix, so revenue projections built on headline interchange rates overstate income.
  • Running issuing and acquiring with one provider concentrates risk: an outage or a compliance action affects both money in and money out at the same time.
  • Highnote is a younger company than the established issuer processors, so long term programme continuity, network certifications in new geographies and international coverage are thinner than the incumbent alternatives.

Janus Gateway

  • No commercial pricing published; open-source project without official commercial offerings
  • Community-supported only; no vendor commercial support or SLA available

Pricing, plan by plan

Highnote

On request
  • Highnote platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per programme with no public rate card
    • Requires a sponsor bank relationship for card issuing
    • Interchange sharing terms negotiated per programme

Janus Gateway

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Core WebRTC gateway
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Highnote if

  • You need card issuing.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want merchant acquiring.
Highnote review

Choose Janus Gateway if

  • You need webrtc gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, MacOS, BSD.
  • You also want media routing.
Janus Gateway review

Questions people ask

Is Highnote or Janus Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. Highnote starts at On request and Janus Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Highnote or Janus Gateway?
Janus Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Highnote and Free for Janus Gateway.
Does Highnote or Janus Gateway run on more platforms?
Highnote runs on Web, API. Janus Gateway runs on Linux, MacOS, BSD.
Can I use Janus Gateway for free?
Yes. Janus Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Highnote starts at On request.
What is Highnote best used for?
Highnote is most often used for a marketplace that both pays out to sellers and issues them spend cards, wanting one settlement ledger, a vertical software company embedding card acceptance and card issuing for the same customer base, a fintech launching a commercial charge card programme with custom authorisation logic, a platform replacing separate issuing and acquiring vendors to remove cross system reconciliation. Of those, a marketplace that both pays out to sellers and issues them spend cards, wanting one settlement ledger and a vertical software company embedding card acceptance and card issuing for the same customer base are not what Janus Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can Highnote do that Janus Gateway cannot?
Highnote covers Card issuing, Merchant acquiring, Unified ledger, Spend controls. Janus Gateway covers WebRTC Gateway, Media Routing, Video Conferencing, RTP.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Highnote: Do I need a sponsor bank?

Yes for card issuing in the United States. Highnote is a processor and programme platform, not a bank, and the sponsor bank sets approval and compliance terms.

Janus Gateway: How much does Janus Gateway cost?

Janus Gateway has no pricing model; it is a free open-source WebRTC server developed by Meetecho. The general-purpose server is available for download at no cost. There are no subscription tiers or commercial licensing fees.

Source
Highnote: How do customers make money on a card programme?

Mostly interchange sharing. Negotiate the split explicitly and model it against your actual spend mix, since regulated debit interchange is capped.

Janus Gateway: Is Janus Gateway supported commercially?

Janus Gateway is community-supported open-source software with no official commercial support or SLA from the vendors. While Meetecho developed the project, users must rely on community documentation and forums for assistance.

Source
Highnote: Can Highnote handle both accepting and issuing payments?

Yes since its 2025 acquiring launch, on the same ledger, which is its main structural differentiator.

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