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APIs · head to head

Griffin vs Mambu

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
Mambu logo

Mambu

APIs

Composable cloud core banking platform used by banks, lenders and fintechs in 65-plus countries

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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pounds and a 3,500 pound monthly minimum, which prices out early-stage companies entirely.; Mambu pricing is entirely unpublished, and as subscription and usage-based fees scale with a bank's book of business, total cost at scale is hard to forecast before a detailed vendor conversation.
  • They diverge on capability: Griffin covers Bank accounts by API, Mambu covers Composable engine architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Griffin and Mambu actually diverge.

Attributes where Griffin and Mambu differ
AttributeGriffinMambu
Starting price£100/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer month with usage drawdownquote
PlatformsWeb, REST APIWeb, API

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 Griffin

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

Only in Mambu

  • Composable engine architecture
  • Deposits and lending core
  • Cloud-native SaaS delivery
  • Marketplace of connectors
  • Multi-country regulatory support
  • API-first orchestration

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 Mambu
  • A lender wanting UK accounts and payment rails without becoming a bank itselfnot Mambu
  • A fintech burned by sponsor bank instability that wants the deposit holder and the API provider to be the same entitynot Mambu
  • A platform needing sub-account ledgering for pooled client funds with a clean audit trailnot Mambu

Mambu

  • A digital-first challenger bank wanting a cloud-native core without building banking infrastructure from scratchnot Griffin
  • A lender needing configurable loan product engines to launch new credit products fasternot Griffin
  • An established bank doing incremental core modernisation rather than a full monolithic core replacementnot Griffin
  • A fintech in an emerging or regulated market needing pre-built compliance configuration across many jurisdictionsnot 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.

Mambu

  • Pricing is entirely unpublished, and as subscription and usage-based fees scale with a bank's book of business, total cost at scale is hard to forecast before a detailed vendor conversation.
  • A core banking implementation is a multi-year, high-switching-cost commitment regardless of vendor, and Mambu is no exception; a wrong initial configuration choice is expensive to unwind.
  • Composability is a genuine strength but also means more integration and configuration decisions fall to the bank's own team or system integrator, versus a more opinionated, less flexible fixed-core alternative.
  • As cloud-hosted core banking infrastructure, a bank is trusting Mambu's own uptime and security posture for its most business-critical system, concentrating operational risk in one vendor relationship.
  • Newer entrants such as Thought Machine and 10x Banking compete directly on similar composable positioning, so Mambu's tenure advantage is real but narrowing as competitors mature.

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

Mambu

On request
  • Mambu$undefined/year
    • Subscription pricing, structured by modules and usage
    • Exact rates not published, custom quote required

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 Mambu if

  • You need composable engine architecture.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want deposits and lending core.
Mambu review

Questions people ask

Is Griffin or Mambu better?
Neither clearly leads. Griffin starts at £100/month and Mambu at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Griffin or Mambu?
Griffin starts at £100/month and Mambu at On request.
Does Griffin or Mambu run on more platforms?
Griffin runs on Web, REST API. Mambu runs on Web, API.
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 Mambu is typically brought in for.
What can Griffin do that Mambu cannot?
Griffin covers Bank accounts by API, UK payment rails, Integrated ledger, Automated onboarding. Mambu covers Composable engine architecture, Deposits and lending core, Cloud-native SaaS delivery, Marketplace of connectors.

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.

Mambu: Is Mambu on-premise or cloud?

Cloud-native SaaS delivery, not an on-premise installation.

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.

Mambu: Does it publish pricing?

No, pricing is subscription-based, structured by modules and usage, but not published publicly.

Griffin: Does it cover Europe?

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

Mambu: How many countries does it operate in?

It is used by banks, lenders and fintechs across more than 65 countries.

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