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APIs · head to head

Moov vs Stainless

Moov logo

Moov

APIs

Payments API with a published rate card covering card acceptance, ACH and instant payouts

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stainless logo

Stainless

APIs

Generates client SDKs, API docs, and MCP servers from an OpenAPI spec

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stainless has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Moov the 500 US dollar monthly minimum makes Moov unattractive below roughly 80,000 dollars a month of card volume, since the minimum rather than the rate becomes your effective price.; Stainless starter and Pro plan prices are not published and require contacting the company.
  • They diverge on capability: Moov covers Interchange-plus card acceptance, Stainless covers SDK generation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Moov and Stainless actually diverge.

Attributes where Moov and Stainless differ
AttributeMoovStainless
Starting price$500/monthFree
Pricing modelPer transaction plus monthly minimumfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, API, iOS, Androidweb, api

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 Moov

  • Interchange-plus card acceptance
  • ACH transfers
  • Instant payments
  • Wallets
  • Payment links and invoices
  • Virtual cards
  • Account verification
  • Card account updater

Only in Stainless

  • SDK generation
  • MCP server generation
  • Docs site generation
  • Webhooks and streaming support
  • Automated unit tests
  • Git integration

What people use each for

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

Moov

  • A vertical SaaS company embedding payments that needs published unit economics to price its own product before signing anythingnot Stainless
  • A marketplace paying contractors that wants same-day ACH and instant push-to-card in one API with the cost of each visiblenot Stainless
  • A platform that must hold balances for end users between collection and payout without becoming a money transmitternot Stainless
  • A software company moving off a legacy gateway that wants interchange-plus transparency instead of a blended rate that hides interchange increasesnot Stainless

Stainless

  • Generating typed SDKs for a public APInot Moov
  • Producing an MCP server from an existing OpenAPI specnot Moov
  • Building an API documentation site alongside client librariesnot Moov
  • Giving open-source APIs a free SDK generation pathnot Moov

Where each one falls short

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

Moov

  • The 500 US dollar monthly minimum makes Moov unattractive below roughly 80,000 dollars a month of card volume, since the minimum rather than the rate becomes your effective price.
  • The 50 cent monthly charge per active wallet penalises platforms with many end users who transact rarely, and that cost grows with your user base rather than your revenue.
  • United States only, so any platform with international sellers or buyers needs a second provider and a second reconciliation process.
  • At very high volume the published interchange-plus markup is less competitive than a directly negotiated acquiring relationship, so success eventually creates a reason to leave.
  • The ecosystem of prebuilt integrations, plugins and third-party tooling is far smaller than Stripe's, so anything outside the core API, from tax handling to subscription logic, is work you build yourself.

Stainless

  • Starter and Pro plan prices are not published and require contacting the company.
  • The free plan caps APIs at 25 endpoints, which excludes larger production APIs.
  • Overage charges apply per SDK/endpoint/month once limits are exceeded, which can make costs unpredictable at scale.

Pricing, plan by plan

Moov

$500/month
  • Standard$500/month
    • 500 USD monthly minimum, no setup fee
    • Card online at interchange plus 0.60% and 15c
    • Tap to pay at interchange plus 0.50% and 15c
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • Negotiated rates for high volume
    • Specialised business models
    • Dedicated support

Stainless

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 generators (SDKs, docs, or MCP servers)
    • 5 seats
    • APIs with 25 or fewer endpoints
  • Starter$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited generators
    • Expanded seats
    • Private SDKs of any size
  • Pro$undefined/mo
    • Custom enterprise features and pricing
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Dedicated support
    • SOC 2 compliance reports
    • Purchase order/invoicing with negotiable terms

Which should you pick?

Choose Moov if

  • You need interchange-plus card acceptance.
  • You work on Web, API, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ach transfers.
Moov review

Choose Stainless if

  • You need sdk generation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want mcp server generation.
Stainless review

Questions people ask

Is Moov or Stainless better?
Neither clearly leads. Moov starts at $500/month and Stainless at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Moov or Stainless?
Stainless has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/month for Moov and Free for Stainless.
Does Moov or Stainless run on more platforms?
Moov runs on Web, API, iOS, Android. Stainless runs on web, api.
Can I use Stainless for free?
Yes. Stainless has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Moov starts at $500/month.
What is Moov best used for?
Moov is most often used for a vertical saas company embedding payments that needs published unit economics to price its own product before signing anything, a marketplace paying contractors that wants same-day ach and instant push-to-card in one api with the cost of each visible, a platform that must hold balances for end users between collection and payout without becoming a money transmitter, a software company moving off a legacy gateway that wants interchange-plus transparency instead of a blended rate that hides interchange increases. Of those, a vertical saas company embedding payments that needs published unit economics to price its own product before signing anything and a marketplace paying contractors that wants same-day ach and instant push-to-card in one api with the cost of each visible are not what Stainless is typically brought in for.
What can Moov do that Stainless cannot?
Moov covers Interchange-plus card acceptance, ACH transfers, Instant payments, Wallets. Stainless covers SDK generation, MCP server generation, Docs site generation, Webhooks and streaming support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Moov: Does Moov publish its prices?

Yes, in unusual detail: interchange-plus card rates, per-transaction ACH and RTP charges, dispute and return fees, and the monthly minimum are all on the pricing page.

Stainless: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes. The Free plan supports up to 5 generators, 5 seats, APIs with 25 or fewer endpoints, and 100 preview builds per month, with email support.

Source
Moov: What is the monthly minimum?

500 US dollars, with no setup fee. Wallet charges and transaction fees count towards it.

Stainless: Who owns the generated SDK code?

The generated SDK code is owned by the customer and published by Stainless under the Apache 2.0 license.

Source
Moov: Can I use Moov outside the United States?

No. Moov handles US payments only, though it accepts international cards at an extra 1.5 percent.

Stainless: What happens if I exceed my plan's endpoint limit?

Customers exceeding their endpoint limits are billed per SDK, per endpoint, per month for the overage.

Source
Moov: Is Moov a bank?

No. It is a payments platform working with partner financial institutions, so account and settlement arrangements depend on those partners.

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