Softwr

APIs · head to head

Skyflow vs Stoplight

Skyflow logo

Skyflow

APIs

Data privacy vault that holds sensitive records outside your own systems

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stoplight logo

Stoplight

APIs

API design, documentation, and governance platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stoplight has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Skyflow reported contracts near 195,000 US dollars a year with a platform fee before usage put this out of reach of early stage companies, which are precisely the ones whose architecture is still cheap to change.; Stoplight the free plan allows one project and one user
  • They diverge on capability: Skyflow covers Tokenised storage, Stoplight covers API Design.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Skyflow and Stoplight actually diverge.

Attributes where Skyflow and Stoplight differ
AttributeSkyflowStoplight
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAPI, Web, Self-hostedWeb, Cloud
FoundedUnknown2014

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 Skyflow

  • Tokenised storage
  • Polymorphic encryption
  • Field level access policies
  • Data residency
  • Secure functions
  • PCI scope reduction
  • Detokenisation gateway
  • Audit trail

Only in Stoplight

  • API Design
  • API Documentation
  • Governance
  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Jenkins
  • Azure DevOps
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Skyflow

  • A fintech that wants card and bank account data out of its own infrastructure so its application servers leave PCI DSS assessment scopenot Stoplight
  • A company entering India or the EU with data localisation obligations that would otherwise require standing up regional databases and operationsnot Stoplight
  • A health technology business that needs protected health information isolated from the analytics stack while still supporting aggregate reportingnot Stoplight
  • An engineering team that wants support agents to see masked identifiers and payment services to see real ones, enforced centrally rather than in every servicenot Stoplight

Stoplight

  • API design and documentationnot Skyflow
  • API governance and standardsnot Skyflow
  • Team collaboration on API developmentnot Skyflow
  • API mocking and testingnot Skyflow

Where each one falls short

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

Skyflow

  • Reported contracts near 195,000 US dollars a year with a platform fee before usage put this out of reach of early stage companies, which are precisely the ones whose architecture is still cheap to change.
  • Every read of a protected field becomes a network call to a third party, so latency and an external availability dependency enter paths that were previously local database reads, and outage planning has to account for a vendor you do not control.
  • Analytics and joins on vaulted data are constrained; work that was a simple SQL join now happens through secure functions or on tokens, and data teams routinely discover this after the engineering team has committed.
  • Unwinding the vault later is a rewrite rather than a migration because tokens are threaded through every service, so the switching cost climbs steadily and the negotiating position at renewal weakens with each release.
  • Scope reduction is an architectural claim your own assessor must accept, so the audit saving is real only if the implementation genuinely keeps sensitive values off your systems, and partial implementations that leave a cache or a log line in place deliver the cost without the benefit.

Stoplight

  • The free plan allows one project and one user
  • Private projects, multi branch support and custom domains start at the Startup plan, $113 a month billed annually
  • SSO and shared style guides are Pro Team only, at $362 a month billed annually
  • Seats beyond each plan's allowance are $11 to $27 each per month depending on tier and billing period

Pricing, plan by plan

Skyflow

On request
  • Skyflow Data Privacy Vault$undefined/year
    • Platform fee plus usage by data subject count
    • Priced additionally per data residency region
    • PCI Level 1, SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA coverage

Stoplight

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 project
    • 1 user
    • Basic API design and documentation features
  • Basic$56/month
    • Annual: $44/user/year
    • 3 included users; $14 per additional user (monthly)
    • Unlimited projects
  • Startup$147/month
    • Annual: $113/user/year
    • 8 included users; $14 per additional user (monthly)
    • Private projects
  • Pro Team$453/month
    • Annual: $362/user/year
    • 15 included users; $27 per additional user (monthly)
    • Up to 20 teams

Which should you pick?

Choose Skyflow if

  • You need tokenised storage.
  • You work on API, Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want polymorphic encryption.
Skyflow review

Choose Stoplight if

  • You need api design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want api documentation.
Stoplight review

Questions people ask

Is Skyflow or Stoplight better?
Neither clearly leads. Skyflow starts at On request and Stoplight at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Skyflow or Stoplight?
Stoplight has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Skyflow and Free for Stoplight.
Does Skyflow or Stoplight run on more platforms?
Skyflow runs on API, Web, Self-hosted. Stoplight runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use Stoplight for free?
Yes. Stoplight has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Skyflow starts at On request.
What is Skyflow best used for?
Skyflow is most often used for a fintech that wants card and bank account data out of its own infrastructure so its application servers leave pci dss assessment scope, a company entering india or the eu with data localisation obligations that would otherwise require standing up regional databases and operations, a health technology business that needs protected health information isolated from the analytics stack while still supporting aggregate reporting, an engineering team that wants support agents to see masked identifiers and payment services to see real ones, enforced centrally rather than in every service. Of those, a fintech that wants card and bank account data out of its own infrastructure so its application servers leave pci dss assessment scope and a company entering india or the eu with data localisation obligations that would otherwise require standing up regional databases and operations are not what Stoplight is typically brought in for.
What can Skyflow do that Stoplight cannot?
Skyflow covers Tokenised storage, Polymorphic encryption, Field level access policies, Data residency. Stoplight covers API Design, API Documentation, Governance, GitHub.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Skyflow: Does Skyflow really take my systems out of PCI scope?

It can, if card data never touches your infrastructure and the detokenisation happens at the boundary. Your QSA has to agree the design, so validate the architecture with your assessor before signing.

Stoplight: How much does Stoplight cost?

Stoplight starts with a free plan (1 project, 1 user), then Basic at $56/month per user (or $44/year), Startup at $147/month per user (or $113/year), Pro Team at $453/month per user (or $362/year), and Enterprise at custom pricing.

Source
Skyflow: What does it cost?

Nothing is published. Reported annual contracts sit around 195,000 US dollars, built from a platform fee plus usage by data subject count and additional charges per data residency region.

Stoplight: How many included users are in each Stoplight plan?

Basic includes 3 users, Startup includes 8 users, and Pro Team includes 15 users. Additional users beyond the included count cost $14/month for Basic and Startup, or $27/month for Pro Team.

Source
Skyflow: How does it help with data localisation?

Records can be pinned to a specified region, so an Indian or EU residency requirement is met by the vault rather than by you running regional databases and operations teams.

Stoplight: Does Stoplight offer a free trial?

Yes, all paid Stoplight plans include a 14-day free trial. The free plan has no trial period as it is always available.

Source
Skyflow: Can I still run analytics on vaulted data?

Partly. Aggregates and comparisons are supported through polymorphic encryption and secure functions, but arbitrary joins against other datasets are harder than they were, and this is the most common late surprise.

Stoplight: Does Stoplight's free plan have limitations?

Yes, the free plan includes only 1 project and 1 user. Users viewing public documentation anonymously are not counted toward the 1-user limit.

Source
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