Softwr

APIs · head to head

Portkey vs Swan

Portkey logo

Portkey

APIs

Observe, govern, and secure every AI interaction across your enterprise

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swan logo

Swan

APIs

European banking-as-a-service platform for embedding accounts, cards and payments into other products

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Portkey the free Developer tier records only 10,000 logs per month with 3 day log retention; the $49 per month Production tier raises that to 100,000 logs with $9 per additional 100,000 requests, as of August 2026.; Swan its regulatory base and strongest local account coverage are French and European, so companies needing US, UK-post-Brexit-specific, or broader global banking-as-a-service need an additional provider.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Portkey and Swan actually diverge.

Attributes where Portkey and Swan differ
AttributePortkeySwan
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWebWeb, API

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Portkey

Nothing recorded that Swan does not also cover.

Only in Swan

  • Embedded business accounts
  • Card issuing
  • SEPA payments
  • Local account localisation
  • ACPR regulation
  • Usage-based pricing

What people use each for

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

Portkey

  • Accessing 1,600+ language models through unified API gatewaynot Swan
  • Monitoring and observing LLM behavior in production environmentsnot Swan
  • Managing costs and setting budget limits for AI spendingnot Swan
  • Implementing guardrails and PII redaction for secure AI interactionsnot Swan

Swan

  • A vertical SaaS platform wanting to embed business bank accounts under its own brandnot Portkey
  • A marketplace wanting to issue cards to sellers or partners without becoming a licensed banknot Portkey
  • A company wanting SEPA payment initiation embedded directly into its own productnot Portkey
  • A European fintech wanting to avoid a six-figure setup fee and long lock-in typical of legacy banking-as-a-service dealsnot Portkey

Where each one falls short

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

Portkey

  • The free Developer tier records only 10,000 logs per month with 3 day log retention; the $49 per month Production tier raises that to 100,000 logs with $9 per additional 100,000 requests, as of August 2026.

Swan

  • Its regulatory base and strongest local account coverage are French and European, so companies needing US, UK-post-Brexit-specific, or broader global banking-as-a-service need an additional provider.
  • Pricing is described only philosophically (usage-based, no big setup fee) rather than published as an actual rate card, so a company still needs a sales conversation to get real numbers.
  • Embedding banking features into a product is a substantial compliance and design undertaking regardless of the vendor, and Swan handling the licence does not remove a platform's own KYC, AML and customer support obligations for the accounts it offers.
  • As a comparatively young, single-country-licensed e-money institution, its balance sheet and regulatory standing carry more concentration risk than a banking-as-a-service offering backed by an established, multi-jurisdiction bank.
  • Local account depth is explicitly limited to France, Germany and Spain, so a platform needing native local accounts in other European countries may find coverage thinner than expected.

Pricing, plan by plan

Portkey

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Portkey review.

Swan

On request
  • Swan$undefined/month
    • Usage-based pricing, no published rate card
    • No long-term contract or large setup fee required
    • Custom quote based on current, not forecast, usage

Which should you pick?

Choose Portkey if

Nothing in the data separates Portkey from Swan on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Portkey review

Choose Swan if

  • You need embedded business accounts.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want card issuing.
Swan review

Questions people ask

Is Portkey or Swan better?
Neither clearly leads. Portkey starts at On request and Swan at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Portkey or Swan?
Portkey starts at On request and Swan at On request.
Does Portkey or Swan run on more platforms?
Portkey runs on Web. Swan runs on Web, API.
What is Portkey best used for?
Portkey is most often used for accessing 1,600+ language models through unified api gateway, monitoring and observing llm behavior in production environments, managing costs and setting budget limits for ai spending, implementing guardrails and pii redaction for secure ai interactions. Of those, accessing 1,600+ language models through unified api gateway and monitoring and observing llm behavior in production environments are not what Swan is typically brought in for.
What can Portkey do that Swan cannot?
Swan covers Embedded business accounts, Card issuing, SEPA payments, Local account localisation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Portkey: What happens if I exceed my Portkey plan's request limit?

Production tier ($49/month) charges $9 per additional 100,000 requests beyond the included 100,000. Enterprise customers have custom limits determined through their service agreement. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

Source
Swan: Which countries does Swan offer local accounts in?

France, Germany and Spain specifically, alongside broader SEPA payment coverage.

Portkey: Can I self-host Portkey to avoid per-request billing?

Yes. Portkey offers an Open Source self-hosted version with unlimited requests at no cost, including universal API, routing, guardrails, and load balancing features. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

Source
Swan: Is pricing published?

No, Swan describes a usage-based, no-large-setup-fee philosophy but requires a quote for actual numbers.

Portkey: How long does Portkey retain my logs and metrics?

Free Developer tier retains logs 3 days and metrics 30 days. Production tier retains logs 30 days and metrics 90 days. Enterprise tier offers custom retention periods. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

Source
Swan: Who regulates Swan?

France's ACPR (Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Resolution), as a licensed e-money institution.

Portkey: What compliance features are included in the Enterprise plan?

Enterprise tier includes SOC2 Type 2 certification, GDPR compliance, HIPAA compliance, VPC hosting, SSO, advanced guardrails, and dedicated support. Custom pricing required. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Portkey

More on Swan

Keep looking

Other head to heads