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APIs · head to head

Stoplight vs Trustly

Stoplight logo

Stoplight

APIs

API design, documentation, and governance platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trustly logo

Trustly

APIs

Pay-by-bank payments network, majority-owned by private equity firm Nordic Capital

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stoplight has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Stoplight the free plan allows one project and one user; Trustly it is majority-owned by Nordic Capital, a private equity firm, so its long-term roadmap is ultimately oriented toward an eventual sale or IPO rather than indefinite independent operation.
  • They diverge on capability: Stoplight covers API Design, Trustly covers Pay by bank checkout.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stoplight and Trustly actually diverge.

Attributes where Stoplight and Trustly differ
AttributeStoplightTrustly
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb, API
Founded2014Unknown

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 Stoplight

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

Only in Trustly

  • Pay by bank checkout
  • Instant refunds
  • Verified payouts
  • Multi-market bank connectivity
  • Merchant dashboard and reconciliation
  • Fraud and risk tooling

What people use each for

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

Stoplight

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

Trustly

  • An e-commerce merchant wanting a lower-cost alternative or complement to card payment acceptancenot Stoplight
  • A gaming or gambling operator needing verified, instant payouts to players' bank accountsnot Stoplight
  • A merchant wanting instant refunds processed directly to a customer's bank account rather than card reversal delaysnot Stoplight
  • A business in a market with strong open banking adoption wanting pay-by-bank as a checkout optionnot Stoplight

Where each one falls short

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

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

Trustly

  • It is majority-owned by Nordic Capital, a private equity firm, so its long-term roadmap is ultimately oriented toward an eventual sale or IPO rather than indefinite independent operation.
  • Consumer familiarity with paying by bank transfer still lags card payments in most markets, so merchants typically see it used as a secondary option rather than a full card replacement.
  • The 1.15 to 3.15% merchant fee range is not a single published rate, so a merchant cannot know its actual cost without a sales negotiation.
  • As with all open banking-dependent payment methods, reliability depends on the consistency of the underlying banks' own APIs, which Trustly does not control.
  • Its verified payout functionality is heavily used in gaming and gambling, a sector with additional regulatory scrutiny, which is worth factoring in when evaluating vendor risk exposure by association.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Trustly

On request
  • Trustly$undefined/month
    • Typical merchant cost of 1.15% to 3.15% depending on volume and market
    • Exact rate negotiated per merchant, not published as a flat card

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Trustly if

  • You need pay by bank checkout.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want instant refunds.
Trustly review

Questions people ask

Is Stoplight or Trustly better?
Neither clearly leads. Stoplight starts at Free and Trustly at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Stoplight or Trustly?
Stoplight has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Stoplight and On request for Trustly.
Does Stoplight or Trustly run on more platforms?
Stoplight runs on Web, Cloud. Trustly runs on Web, API.
Can I use Stoplight for free?
Yes. Stoplight has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Trustly starts at On request.
What is Stoplight best used for?
Stoplight is most often used for api design and documentation, api governance and standards, team collaboration on api development, api mocking and testing. Of those, api design and documentation and api governance and standards are not what Trustly is typically brought in for.
What can Stoplight do that Trustly cannot?
Stoplight covers API Design, API Documentation, Governance, GitHub. Trustly covers Pay by bank checkout, Instant refunds, Verified payouts, Multi-market bank connectivity.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Trustly: Who owns Trustly?

Nordic Capital, a private equity firm, holds a 51.1% majority stake; Alfven & Didrikson and BlackRock hold smaller stakes.

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
Trustly: Is Trustly going public?

It has discussed an IPO but as of its most recent comments said one remained at least a year away.

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
Trustly: What does it typically cost a merchant?

Roughly 1.15% to 3.15% of transaction value depending on volume and market, negotiated per merchant.

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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