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APIs · head to head

Mambu vs Solaris

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
Solaris logo

Solaris

APIs

German banking as a service with a full banking licence and a live regulatory problem

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mambu pricing is entirely unpublished, and as subscription and usage-based fees scale with a bank's book of business, total cost at scale is hard to forecast before a detailed vendor conversation.; Solaris baFin appointed a special representative in 2022 and extended the mandate in July 2024, so a partner is joining a bank under active supervisory monitoring, with slower approvals and heavier compliance demands as a direct consequence.
  • They diverge on capability: Mambu covers Composable engine architecture, Solaris covers German banking licence.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mambu and Solaris actually diverge.

Attributes where Mambu and Solaris differ
AttributeMambuSolaris

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 Mambu

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

Only in Solaris

  • German banking licence
  • IBAN accounts
  • Card issuing
  • Lending as a service
  • Digital assets and custody
  • SEPA payments
  • KYC and onboarding
  • Deposit protection

What people use each for

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

Mambu

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

Solaris

  • A retailer or platform launching a German current account or card product without applying for its own licencenot Mambu
  • A fintech that needs deposit taking and lending, which an e-money licence cannot providenot Mambu
  • A European business needing German IBANs because customers reject foreign IBANs for salary and direct debitnot Mambu
  • A company requiring German statutory deposit protection on customer balances as a product claimnot Mambu

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Solaris

  • BaFin appointed a special representative in 2022 and extended the mandate in July 2024, so a partner is joining a bank under active supervisory monitoring, with slower approvals and heavier compliance demands as a direct consequence.
  • BaFin fined Solaris EUR 6.5 million in March 2024 for systematically late suspicious activity reports and EUR 500,000 for breaching large exposure limits between January 2022 and March 2024, which is a track record a partner inherits reputationally.
  • Solaris has previously needed BaFin approval before onboarding new corporate clients, which can turn a commercial decision to launch into a regulatory timetable outside your control.
  • The 2024 restructuring involved job cuts and the closure of parts of a business unit, so product lines a partner depends on may not have the engineering behind them that the sales process implies.
  • SBI Holdings acquired majority control in 2025, so strategic direction now sits with a Japanese financial group whose priorities for the European business may differ from the roadmap you were sold.

Pricing, plan by plan

Mambu

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

Solaris

On request
  • Solaris banking as a service$undefined/year
    • Quoted per partner, typically setup fee plus monthly platform fee
    • Per account, per card and per transaction charges on top
    • Interchange sharing arrangements negotiated per programme

Which should you pick?

Choose Mambu if

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

Choose Solaris if

  • You need german banking licence.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want iban accounts.
Solaris review

Questions people ask

Is Mambu or Solaris better?
Neither clearly leads. Mambu starts at On request and Solaris at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mambu or Solaris?
Mambu starts at On request and Solaris at On request.
Does Mambu or Solaris run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, API, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Mambu best used for?
Mambu is most often used for a digital-first challenger bank wanting a cloud-native core without building banking infrastructure from scratch, a lender needing configurable loan product engines to launch new credit products faster, an established bank doing incremental core modernisation rather than a full monolithic core replacement, a fintech in an emerging or regulated market needing pre-built compliance configuration across many jurisdictions. Of those, a digital-first challenger bank wanting a cloud-native core without building banking infrastructure from scratch and a lender needing configurable loan product engines to launch new credit products faster are not what Solaris is typically brought in for.
What can Mambu do that Solaris cannot?
Mambu covers Composable engine architecture, Deposits and lending core, Cloud-native SaaS delivery, Marketplace of connectors. Solaris covers German banking licence, IBAN accounts, Card issuing, Lending as a service.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mambu: Is Mambu on-premise or cloud?

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

Solaris: Does Solaris have a real banking licence?

Yes. Solaris SE is a German credit institution, which is why it can offer deposits and lending, unlike e-money based competitors.

Mambu: Does it publish pricing?

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

Solaris: Is the BaFin action still live?

The special representative appointed in 2022 had the mandate extended in July 2024, and fines were issued in March 2024. Treat supervisory oversight as an active condition in your diligence.

Mambu: How many countries does it operate in?

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

Solaris: Who owns Solaris now?

SBI Holdings of Japan agreed in December 2024 and January 2025 to take a majority stake of over seventy per cent for around EUR 100 million.

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