Softwr

APIs · head to head

Solaris vs TrueLayer

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
TrueLayer logo

TrueLayer

APIs

Open banking payments and data across the UK and Europe, with the largest share of UK variable recurring payments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; TrueLayer variable recurring payments, the strongest reason to choose TrueLayer, is a UK construct, and European businesses expecting the same capability in their market will not get it on the same timetable.
  • They diverge on capability: Solaris covers German banking licence, TrueLayer covers Pay by bank.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Solaris and TrueLayer actually diverge.

Attributes where Solaris and TrueLayer differ
AttributeSolarisTrueLayer
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Solaris

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

Only in TrueLayer

  • Pay by bank
  • Variable recurring payments
  • Payouts and refunds
  • Account information
  • Account name verification
  • Signup and KYC support
  • Multi-country coverage
  • Hosted payment page

What people use each for

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

Solaris

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

TrueLayer

  • A UK subscription or top-up business that wants card-like recurring collection over bank rails using variable recurring paymentsnot Solaris
  • A trading or crypto platform funding accounts instantly by bank transfer where card deposits carry chargeback risknot Solaris
  • A marketplace paying sellers out to verified bank accounts with name checking to reduce misdirected paymentsnot Solaris
  • A lender verifying income and affordability from bank transaction data rather than uploaded statementsnot Solaris

Where each one falls short

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

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.

TrueLayer

  • Variable recurring payments, the strongest reason to choose TrueLayer, is a UK construct, and European businesses expecting the same capability in their market will not get it on the same timetable.
  • Payment conversion varies substantially by bank, and a bank with a slow or broken authentication journey drags results down regardless of vendor, so aggregate coverage numbers say little about your actual mix.
  • Pay by bank has no chargeback mechanism, which merchants like until a customer disputes a purchase and finds no scheme protection, making it a poor fit for categories where buyers expect card style recourse.
  • Pricing is unpublished and varies by market and product, so multi-country merchants cannot model cost without a full sales engagement and often find rates differ significantly between countries.
  • Open banking authentication requires the customer to leave the checkout and authorise in their banking app, and that redirect remains the largest source of drop-off compared with a stored card.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

TrueLayer

On request
  • TrueLayer Payments and Data$undefined/year
    • Per-payment fees quoted by volume, market and product
    • Separate commercial terms for payment initiation, VRP and account information
    • Platform and minimum commitment terms negotiated per contract

Which should you pick?

Choose Solaris if

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

Choose TrueLayer if

  • You need pay by bank.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want variable recurring payments.
TrueLayer review

Questions people ask

Is Solaris or TrueLayer better?
Neither clearly leads. Solaris starts at On request and TrueLayer at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Solaris or TrueLayer?
Solaris starts at On request and TrueLayer at On request.
Does Solaris or TrueLayer run on more platforms?
Solaris runs on Web, API. TrueLayer runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Solaris best used for?
Solaris is most often used for a retailer or platform launching a german current account or card product without applying for its own licence, a fintech that needs deposit taking and lending, which an e-money licence cannot provide, a european business needing german ibans because customers reject foreign ibans for salary and direct debit, a company requiring german statutory deposit protection on customer balances as a product claim. Of those, a retailer or platform launching a german current account or card product without applying for its own licence and a fintech that needs deposit taking and lending, which an e-money licence cannot provide are not what TrueLayer is typically brought in for.
What can Solaris do that TrueLayer cannot?
Solaris covers German banking licence, IBAN accounts, Card issuing, Lending as a service. TrueLayer covers Pay by bank, Variable recurring payments, Payouts and refunds, Account information.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

TrueLayer: Is VRP available outside the UK?

No. Variable recurring payments are a UK capability. EU adoption is on a slower path, with UK commercial VRP expanding into ecommerce during 2026.

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.

TrueLayer: What does TrueLayer cost?

Not published. Per-payment fees are quoted by volume, market and product, usually with a platform component and a minimum commitment.

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.

TrueLayer: Are there chargebacks on pay by bank?

No. Bank transfers have no card scheme chargeback mechanism, which removes that cost but also removes buyer recourse, so it suits some categories and not others.

TrueLayer: Which countries are covered?

The UK plus a substantial set of European markets under PSD2, though bank-level coverage and conversion vary by country and should be checked for your specific mix.

Share

Related pages

More on Solaris

More on TrueLayer

Keep looking

Other head to heads