Softwr

APIs · head to head

KeystoneJS vs Yapily

KeystoneJS logo

KeystoneJS

APIs

Powerful Node.js headless CMS framework and API platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yapily logo

Yapily

APIs

Open banking API infrastructure for account data and pay-by-bank payments across Europe

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: KeystoneJS database support is limited to PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite; Yapily production pricing itself is not published; only the resulting typical merchant transaction cost is publicly known, so the underlying platform fee still requires a sales conversation.
  • They diverge on capability: KeystoneJS covers REST API, Yapily covers Unified open banking API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KeystoneJS and Yapily actually diverge.

Attributes where KeystoneJS and Yapily differ
AttributeKeystoneJSYapily
Pricing modelopen-sourceFree sandbox, pay-as-you-go production
PlatformsNode.js, Self-hostedWeb, API
Founded2016Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 KeystoneJS

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • Admin interface
  • Node.js
  • Next.js
  • React
  • Databases
  • Node.js support

Only in Yapily

  • Unified open banking API
  • Account information access
  • Payment initiation
  • Free sandbox
  • Multi-country bank coverage
  • Webhooks and reconciliation tooling

What people use each for

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

KeystoneJS

  • Headless CMS implementationnot Yapily
  • Content management systemsnot Yapily
  • Customizable API-driven applicationsnot Yapily

Yapily

  • A merchant wanting a lower-cost payment method alongside card acceptancenot KeystoneJS
  • A lending or budgeting product needing bank account data for affordability checksnot KeystoneJS
  • A business wanting one API instead of separate integrations to each bank's own open banking standardnot KeystoneJS
  • A company prototyping open banking features for free in sandbox before committing budgetnot KeystoneJS

Where each one falls short

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

KeystoneJS

  • Database support is limited to PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite
  • Keystone 5 is a separate legacy product documented on a different site and is not covered by the Keystone 6 docs
  • Upgrading requires following a dedicated Migrate to 8.0.0 guide, so major versions are not drop-in
  • Free support is a community Slack; enterprise-grade consulting and support is a separate paid engagement with Thinkmill and no published price

Yapily

  • Production pricing itself is not published; only the resulting typical merchant transaction cost is publicly known, so the underlying platform fee still requires a sales conversation.
  • Consumer adoption of pay-by-bank still lags card payments, so merchants offering it as a checkout option typically see it used as a secondary rather than primary payment method.
  • Coverage depends on the banks in each country maintaining reliable open banking APIs, and inconsistent bank-side reliability across markets is a known category-wide weakness, not unique to Yapily but not solved by it either.
  • As infrastructure for both account data and payments, a company only needing one of those two capabilities is still evaluating a broader platform than it may need.
  • Regulatory dependence on PSD2 and UK open banking rules means the underlying legal framework, not just Yapily's product, could shift and affect what is possible on the platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

KeystoneJS

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full KeystoneJS
    • Community support

Yapily

Free
  • SandboxFree
    • Free testing environment
    • UK and European bank connections for development
  • Production$undefined/month
    • Pay-as-you-go pricing, exact rates not published
    • Typical pay-by-bank cost of 0.1 to 0.5% or a flat 5 to 30 pence per transaction

Which should you pick?

Choose KeystoneJS if

  • You need rest api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Node.js, Self-hosted.
  • You also want graphql api.
KeystoneJS review

Choose Yapily if

  • You need unified open banking api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want account information access.
Yapily review

Questions people ask

Is KeystoneJS or Yapily better?
Neither clearly leads. KeystoneJS starts at Free and Yapily at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KeystoneJS or Yapily?
KeystoneJS starts at Free and Yapily at Free.
Does KeystoneJS or Yapily run on more platforms?
KeystoneJS runs on Node.js, Self-hosted. Yapily runs on Web, API.
Can I use KeystoneJS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is KeystoneJS best used for?
KeystoneJS is most often used for headless cms implementation, content management systems, customizable api-driven applications. Of those, headless cms implementation and content management systems are not what Yapily is typically brought in for.
What can KeystoneJS do that Yapily cannot?
KeystoneJS covers REST API, GraphQL API, Admin interface, Node.js. Yapily covers Unified open banking API, Account information access, Payment initiation, Free sandbox.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

KeystoneJS: Is KeystoneJS free?

Yes, KeystoneJS is free and open source with no licensing fees. Core platform has no lock-in and is contributed to by 250+ developers.

Source
Yapily: Is there a free way to try it?

Yes, sandbox access is free for development and testing.

KeystoneJS: What are hosting costs for KeystoneJS?

KeystoneJS is self-hosted and deployment-agnostic. Hosting costs depend on your chosen deployment platform (Vercel, AWS, Heroku, etc.) and infrastructure, not KeystoneJS itself.

Source
Yapily: How much cheaper is pay-by-bank than card payments?

Typically 0.1 to 0.5% of transaction value, or a flat 5 to 30 pence, against 1.5 to 3.5% for card scheme fees.

KeystoneJS: Does KeystoneJS offer paid support?

Enterprise support with tailored options is available from Thinkmill, the company behind KeystoneJS. Pricing details available upon request.

Source
Yapily: Is production pricing published?

No, production access is pay-as-you-go but exact rates require a sales conversation.

Share

Related pages

More on KeystoneJS

More on Yapily

Keep looking

Other head to heads