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APIs · head to head

Lithic vs TIBCO Mashery

Lithic logo

Lithic

APIs

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TIBCO Mashery logo

TIBCO Mashery

APIs

Cloud-native API management for digital business

From
$2000/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lithic pricing is entirely undisclosed, so a company cannot compare total cost against Marqeta, Galileo or Highnote without a sales conversation.; TIBCO Mashery lack of support for open API standards requires workarounds
  • They diverge on capability: Lithic covers Direct network connections, TIBCO Mashery covers Cloud-native Gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lithic and TIBCO Mashery actually diverge.

Attributes where Lithic and TIBCO Mashery differ
AttributeLithicTIBCO Mashery
Starting priceOn request$2000/monthly
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, APICloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud
FoundedUnknown1997

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Lithic

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

Only in TIBCO Mashery

  • Cloud-native Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • API Analytics
  • TIBCO Cloud
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • GCP
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Lithic

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

TIBCO Mashery

  • API Developmentnot Lithic
  • API Gatewaynot Lithic
  • API Testingnot Lithic
  • API Documentationnot Lithic
  • Microservicesnot Lithic

Where each one falls short

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

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.

TIBCO Mashery

  • Lack of support for open API standards requires workarounds
  • Policy management is difficult and sometimes requires support intervention for configuration changes
  • Monetization and customization features are inadequate for some enterprise use cases
  • Delays under heavy load conditions; stability issues reported affecting performance
  • Logging and monitoring limitations; logs are hard to follow when calls cannot be filtered by keys

Pricing, plan by plan

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

TIBCO Mashery

$2000/monthly
  • Standard$2000/monthly
    • API Gateway
    • Developer Portal
    • Standard support
  • Professional$5000/monthly
    • Advanced analytics
    • Multi-region
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Custom solutions
    • Dedicated support
    • Premium SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Lithic if

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

Choose TIBCO Mashery if

  • You need cloud-native gateway.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
  • You also want developer portal.
TIBCO Mashery review

Questions people ask

Is Lithic or TIBCO Mashery better?
Neither clearly leads. Lithic starts at On request and TIBCO Mashery at $2000/monthly, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lithic or TIBCO Mashery?
Lithic starts at On request and TIBCO Mashery at $2000/monthly.
Does Lithic or TIBCO Mashery run on more platforms?
Lithic runs on Web, API. TIBCO Mashery runs on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
What is Lithic best used for?
Lithic is most often used for a fintech wanting direct visa or mastercard network access rather than routing through a third-party processor, a company that already holds its own issuing licence and wants api access without full programme management, a neobank or expense platform wanting lithic to manage bank and network relationships end to end, a product team prototyping a card programme in sandbox before committing to a launch. Of those, a fintech wanting direct visa or mastercard network access rather than routing through a third-party processor and a company that already holds its own issuing licence and wants api access without full programme management are not what TIBCO Mashery is typically brought in for.
What can Lithic do that TIBCO Mashery cannot?
Lithic covers Direct network connections, Processor Client mode, Lithic Program Management, Card lifecycle APIs. TIBCO Mashery covers Cloud-native Gateway, Developer Portal, API Analytics, TIBCO Cloud.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lithic: Does Lithic publish pricing?

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

TIBCO Mashery: What is TIBCO Cloud API Management (Mashery)?

TIBCO Cloud API Management, formerly known as TIBCO Cloud Mashery, is an enterprise platform delivering full lifecycle API management capabilities including API creation, productization, security, analytics, and support for API development, mediation, and event-driven initiatives.

Source
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.

TIBCO Mashery: What is the pricing structure?

TIBCO Mashery pricing starts at $2000/monthly for cloud-hosted deployments based on capacity and throughput. Annual maintenance for on-premises perpetual licenses typically ranges from 18-22% of license cost. Custom plans are available based on customer requirements.

Source
Lithic: Which networks does it connect to?

Visa, Mastercard and American Express directly.

TIBCO Mashery: Does Mashery support OpenAPI standards?

TIBCO Mashery supports native OpenAPI specifications. The platform provides contract-first modeling with native OpenAPI Spec support and native Node.js hosting of API implementations.

TIBCO Mashery: What's the current status of TIBCO Mashery?

Mashery, formerly sold as TIBCO Cloud API Management, has had its capabilities integrated into Boomi's enterprise platform. Users should verify current product status and support roadmap with TIBCO's sales team, as the product landscape has undergone significant changes.

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