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APIs · head to head

Aiia vs Sila

Aiia logo

Aiia

APIs

Open banking and open finance API platform, now operating as Mastercard Open Banking

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sila logo

Sila

APIs

US money movement API for ACH, RTP and FedNow with KYC and ledgering built in

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aiia it is now part of Mastercard rather than an independent company, so a business specifically wanting to avoid card network dependency in its banking infrastructure no longer gets that separation by choosing Aiia.; Sila no pricing is published, so you cannot compare Sila against Moov or Dwolla without entering two sales processes, and small programmes frequently find the monthly minimum dominates their cost at low volume.
  • They diverge on capability: Aiia covers Bank account data access, Sila covers ACH origination.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aiia and Sila actually diverge.

Attributes where Aiia and Sila differ
AttributeAiiaSila

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, API), 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 Aiia

  • Bank account data access
  • Payment initiation
  • Mastercard Open Finance integration
  • Modern authentication support
  • Multi-country coverage
  • Developer documentation and sandbox

Only in Sila

  • ACH origination
  • Instant rails
  • KYC and KYB
  • Virtual accounts
  • Ledger
  • Wallets and holds
  • Webhooks
  • Bank-side deployment

What people use each for

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

Aiia

  • A lending or credit product needing affordability checks via European bank account datanot Sila
  • A personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across Nordic and European banksnot Sila
  • A payments product wanting account-to-account payment initiation under open banking regulationnot Sila
  • A business wanting the stability and continued investment of Mastercard ownership behind its banking connectivity providernot Sila

Sila

  • A small fintech that needs ACH, identity verification and a ledger from one vendor because it has no compliance team to assemble threenot Aiia
  • A marketplace paying out to sellers that wants same-day ACH and instant push options without becoming a money transmitter itselfnot Aiia
  • A community bank replacing batch file ACH processing with an API so it can offer real-time payments to business customersnot Aiia
  • A lending platform that must verify business identity, disburse funds and collect repayments on a schedule from a single integrationnot Aiia

Where each one falls short

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

Aiia

  • It is now part of Mastercard rather than an independent company, so a business specifically wanting to avoid card network dependency in its banking infrastructure no longer gets that separation by choosing Aiia.
  • Pricing is not published and requires engaging Mastercard's open finance sales process, which can be a heavier sales motion than dealing with a smaller independent open banking provider.
  • Its strongest bank coverage remains concentrated in the Nordics and Northern Europe, so companies needing dense coverage in Southern or Eastern Europe should verify current bank connectivity before committing.
  • Brand confusion is real: developer documentation, login portals and older case studies still reference "Aiia" while newer Mastercard material refers to "Mastercard Open Banking," and a company researching either name in isolation may miss half the relevant material.
  • As with any open banking platform, reliability still depends on the consistency of the underlying banks' own APIs, which is a systemic industry issue rather than something Aiia specifically controls.

Sila

  • No pricing is published, so you cannot compare Sila against Moov or Dwolla without entering two sales processes, and small programmes frequently find the monthly minimum dominates their cost at low volume.
  • Sila is materially smaller and less well capitalised than the banking-as-a-service names it competes with, which matters because your customer funds and your payment rails depend on the vendor still trading in three years.
  • The sponsor bank behind your programme determines what you can offer and how fast you can change it, and bank partnerships in this sector have been reshuffled repeatedly since 2023, so a bank change during your contract is a realistic risk rather than a theoretical one.
  • Coverage is United States only, so any product with cross-border ambitions needs a second payments vendor and a second reconciliation process from the outset.
  • Onboarding involves compliance diligence on your own programme, and teams routinely underestimate this, with weeks lost between signing and first live transaction while policies, flow of funds diagrams and BSA arrangements are reviewed.

Pricing, plan by plan

Aiia

On request
  • Aiia Enterprise (Mastercard Open Banking)$undefined/year
    • Pricing not published, quote via Mastercard Open Finance sales

Sila

On request
  • Sila Payments Platform$undefined/month
    • ACH, RTP and FedNow
    • KYC and KYB verification
    • Virtual accounts and ledger

Which should you pick?

Choose Aiia if

  • You need bank account data access.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want payment initiation.
Aiia review

Choose Sila if

  • You need ach origination.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want instant rails.
Sila review

Questions people ask

Is Aiia or Sila better?
Neither clearly leads. Aiia starts at On request and Sila at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aiia or Sila?
Aiia starts at On request and Sila at On request.
Does Aiia or Sila run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, API, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Aiia best used for?
Aiia is most often used for a lending or credit product needing affordability checks via european bank account data, a personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across nordic and european banks, a payments product wanting account-to-account payment initiation under open banking regulation, a business wanting the stability and continued investment of mastercard ownership behind its banking connectivity provider. Of those, a lending or credit product needing affordability checks via european bank account data and a personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across nordic and european banks are not what Sila is typically brought in for.
What can Aiia do that Sila cannot?
Aiia covers Bank account data access, Payment initiation, Mastercard Open Finance integration, Modern authentication support. Sila covers ACH origination, Instant rails, KYC and KYB, Virtual accounts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aiia: Is Aiia still an independent company?

No, it was acquired by Mastercard in 2021 and now operates as part of Mastercard Open Finance Solutions, referenced as Aiia Enterprise.

Sila: Does Sila require a sponsor bank?

Yes. Funds sit at a partner bank, and which bank that is affects your product features and your regulatory exposure, so ask before signing.

Aiia: Does the Aiia brand still exist?

Yes, in developer documentation and login portals, but the company behind it is Mastercard.

Sila: Is Sila still operating?

Yes. It continues to trade and announced an API integration with GBank in 2025 covering ACH, RTP and FedNow.

Aiia: Which banks does it cover?

Around 3,000 European banks, with strongest coverage in the Nordics and Northern Europe.

Sila: What does it cost?

Sila does not publish rates. Expect per-transaction pricing plus a monthly minimum, quoted after a compliance conversation.

Sila: Can I use it outside the United States?

No. Sila covers US rails only.

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