Softwr

APIs · head to head

Griffin vs Vodeno

Griffin logo

Griffin

APIs

UK banking-as-a-service from a company that holds its own full banking licence

From
£100/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vodeno logo

Vodeno

APIs

Banking-as-a-service platform running on a partner bank licence, backing NatWest's UK BaaS venture

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Griffin platform banking carries a one-off onboarding fee from 15,000 pounds and a 3,500 pound monthly minimum, which prices out early-stage companies entirely.; Vodeno its actual regulatory backing differs by geography, Aion Bank in continental Europe versus NatWest in the UK, so a customer must understand which entity and licence they are actually contracting under rather than assuming one uniform Vodeno product.
  • They diverge on capability: Griffin covers Bank accounts by API, Vodeno covers Core banking infrastructure.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Griffin and Vodeno actually diverge.

Attributes where Griffin and Vodeno differ
AttributeGriffinVodeno
Starting price£100/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer month with usage drawdownquote
PlatformsWeb, REST APIWeb, API

Identical on both: 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 Griffin

  • Bank accounts by API
  • UK payment rails
  • Integrated ledger
  • Automated onboarding
  • Debit cards
  • Interest on balances

Only in Vodeno

  • Core banking infrastructure
  • Card issuance via Mastercard
  • Lending and BNPL modules
  • White-label mobile apps
  • Digital onboarding and compliance
  • UK entity backed by NatWest

What people use each for

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

Griffin

  • A wealth platform that must hold client money in a licensed bank rather than an EMI safeguarding accountnot Vodeno
  • A lender wanting UK accounts and payment rails without becoming a bank itselfnot Vodeno
  • A fintech burned by sponsor bank instability that wants the deposit holder and the API provider to be the same entitynot Vodeno
  • A platform needing sub-account ledgering for pooled client funds with a clean audit trailnot Vodeno

Vodeno

  • A European retailer or e-commerce business wanting to embed savings, lending or BNPL products under its own brandnot Griffin
  • A UK business wanting banking-as-a-service backed specifically by NatWest's banking technology and licencenot Griffin
  • A fintech wanting white-label mobile banking app infrastructure rather than building its own from scratchnot Griffin
  • A company comparing banking-as-a-service providers that want to understand which underlying bank licence actually backs the product in their marketnot Griffin

Where each one falls short

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

Griffin

  • Platform banking carries a one-off onboarding fee from 15,000 pounds and a 3,500 pound monthly minimum, which prices out early-stage companies entirely.
  • It is UK-only, so a business with European or US operations needs a second banking provider and a second integration for those entities.
  • It is a young bank with a small balance sheet relative to incumbents, and enterprise counterparties still ask hard questions about concentration risk.
  • Holding a banking licence means Griffin applies bank-grade due diligence to its own clients, so onboarding is slower and more selective than an EMI-based provider.
  • Feature breadth is narrower than long-established providers, particularly in card programme management and in payment types beyond core UK rails.

Vodeno

  • Its actual regulatory backing differs by geography, Aion Bank in continental Europe versus NatWest in the UK, so a customer must understand which entity and licence they are actually contracting under rather than assuming one uniform Vodeno product.
  • Pricing is entirely unpublished across both the European and UK businesses.
  • The scale of NatWest's investment (up to roughly £120 million) signals a business still working toward profitability, with NatWest itself targeting breakeven within five years of the venture launching, which is a meaningful timeline risk for a customer building long-term infrastructure dependency on it.
  • As banking-as-a-service infrastructure, any customer remains dependent on Vodeno's underlying bank partner maintaining its own licence and risk appetite, which is a layer of dependency beyond Vodeno's own commercial terms.
  • Product scope, such as lending and BNPL availability, may differ between the UK and European entities, so a company operating in both markets should not assume identical capability across the two.

Pricing, plan by plan

Griffin

£100/month
  • Business Banking$100/month
    • From 100 pounds per month
    • Interest or commission from around 1.75 percent AER variable
    • Operational accounts and UK payment rails
  • Platform Banking$3500/month
    • One-off onboarding fee from 15,000 pounds
    • Minimum monthly spend of 3,500 pounds, drawn down by usage
    • Higher committed tiers at 5,000 and 10,000 pounds with discounts
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Bespoke account structures and volumes
    • Negotiated interest or commission share

Vodeno

On request
  • Vodeno$undefined/year
    • Platform licensing fee, not published
    • Terms differ between the European (Aion Bank) and UK (NatWest) entities

Which should you pick?

Choose Griffin if

  • You need bank accounts by api.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want uk payment rails.
Griffin review

Choose Vodeno if

  • You need core banking infrastructure.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want card issuance via mastercard.
Vodeno review

Questions people ask

Is Griffin or Vodeno better?
Neither clearly leads. Griffin starts at £100/month and Vodeno at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Griffin or Vodeno?
Griffin starts at £100/month and Vodeno at On request.
Does Griffin or Vodeno run on more platforms?
Griffin runs on Web, REST API. Vodeno runs on Web, API.
What is Griffin best used for?
Griffin is most often used for a wealth platform that must hold client money in a licensed bank rather than an emi safeguarding account, a lender wanting uk accounts and payment rails without becoming a bank itself, a fintech burned by sponsor bank instability that wants the deposit holder and the api provider to be the same entity, a platform needing sub-account ledgering for pooled client funds with a clean audit trail. Of those, a wealth platform that must hold client money in a licensed bank rather than an emi safeguarding account and a lender wanting uk accounts and payment rails without becoming a bank itself are not what Vodeno is typically brought in for.
What can Griffin do that Vodeno cannot?
Griffin covers Bank accounts by API, UK payment rails, Integrated ledger, Automated onboarding. Vodeno covers Core banking infrastructure, Card issuance via Mastercard, Lending and BNPL modules, White-label mobile apps.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Griffin: Is Griffin actually a bank?

Yes. It received a UK banking licence with restrictions in March 2023 and a full licence in March 2024 after exiting mobilisation.

Vodeno: Does Vodeno hold its own banking licence?

No, it operates through partner banks, Aion Bank in continental Europe and NatWest in the UK.

Griffin: What does it cost?

Business banking from 100 pounds a month; platform banking from a 15,000 pound onboarding fee plus a 3,500 pound monthly minimum drawn down by usage.

Vodeno: Is the UK business the same as the European business?

They are related but distinct entities backed by different bank partners, with different investment structures.

Griffin: Does it cover Europe?

No. Griffin is a UK bank serving UK accounts and UK payment rails.

Vodeno: How much has NatWest invested?

A capped commitment of up to roughly £120 million into the UK entity, plus a separate roughly €58 million investment in Vodeno Group for an 18% stake.

Share

Related pages

More on Griffin

More on Vodeno

Keep looking

Other head to heads