Competition across the banking sector is heating up as financial institutions fast-track their digital transformation plans. We are seeing next-generation banks, backed by modern core platforms, successfully capturing market share. By targeting profitable niches and moving much faster on product innovation, these agile players are forcing traditional institutions to take a hard look at their aging legacy infrastructure. At this stage, shifting toward a digital-first model isnât just an option â itâs a basic requirement for staying competitive in the long run.
Several key core banking providers are currently at the forefront of this industry-wide shift. Companies like SDK.finance, Temenos, Mambu, and Backbase, along with established systems such as Oracle FLEXCUBE, Finacle, and Finastra, are providing the essential infrastructure banks need today. Other notable contributors including FIS, Forbis, Securepaymentz, nCino, and Novatti each bring unique approaches to helping institutions modernize their core operations.
The scale of this transition is reflected in recent data. According to various studies, including the 2026â2035 forecast by Business Research Insights, the global market for core banking software is set to expand from USD 10.41 billion in 2026 to USD 12.88 billion by 2035. Looking closer at the research, itâs clear that when banks choose a vendor today, the decision is driven by three main factors: cloud migration capabilities, modular architecture, and the availability of API-first platforms.
The 2026â2035 core banking software market report by Business Research Insights confirms what many financial institutions are already experiencing in practice: the industry is undergoing a structural transformation.
Beyond overall market expansion, the research highlights a clear shift in how banks evaluate technology vendors. The focus has moved from traditional system replacement projects toward flexibility, integration capability, and long-term architectural sustainability.
SDK.finance was included in the reportâs global vendor overview alongside established international providers. This reflects the broader market movement toward composable, ledger-based platforms that allow financial institutions to modernise core infrastructure without fully rebuilding it.
According to the research, several structural trends are shaping vendor selection in 2026:
The Cloud Standard: On-premise systems are losing ground as banks pivot toward the scalability of the cloud.
Breaking the Monolith: Thereâs a massive move away from rigid, âall-in-oneâ legacy setups. Instead, institutions are opting for modular architectures that allow for incremental upgrades without crashing the whole system.
AI as a Core Tool: Investment is pouring into AI-driven automation, especially when it comes to compliance and predictive analytics.
The API-First Mandate: In 2026, if a platform isnât integration-ready from day one, itâs already behind.
For us, being included in this market research highlights a bigger industry trend: the rise of composable, ledger-based banking. Banks and fintechs are no longer interested in ârip and replaceâ projects that take years and cost millions. They want flexibility.
As the report suggests, the criteria for choosing a vendor have changed. Itâs no longer just about whoâs been around the longest; itâs about who offers the most adaptable deployment options and the easiest integration path. In this new landscape, being âmodularâ isnât a feature anymore â itâs a survival strategy.
A core banking system is a centralized software solution that enables financial institutions to manage and automate their banking operations, providing a seamless and efficient customer experience. Core banking systems are designed to integrate all banking services, including account management, transaction processing, payment processing, and risk management, into a single platform. This allows financial institutions to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction.
In traditional banking systems, core banking was typically handled by a mainframe computer or central server that stored customer account information and processed transactions. However, with the advent of digital technologies, core banking has evolved to include online and mobile banking services.
Creating a new digital bank requires a modern core banking solution that emphasizes flexibility and speed in banking infrastructure. This approach enables banks to achieve growth and capitalize on new opportunities.
Core banking systems can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud and can be customized to meet the specific needs of financial institutions. By integrating these essential banking services, core banking systems enhance operational efficiency and provide a robust foundation for modern banking operations.
SDK.finance is a leading core banking software provider, operating since 2013. Certified to PCI DSS Level 1 and ISO 27001:2022, the company delivers a secure and compliant foundation for financial institutions and fintechs worldwide.
Its white-label platform powers neobanks, digital wallets, and payment systems, offering 60+ functional modules and pre-built mobile and back-office applications that significantly reduce time-to-market and development costs.
Internationally recognised as a regular finalist of the PayTech Awards and Banking Tech Awards, SDK.finance serves clients across the United States, Europe, North America, MENA, and Africa through both source code license and cloud subscription models.
Any payment-related products can be built on the SDK.finance Platform:
Founded in 1993, Temenos is one of the worldâs top core banking software systems. After over 25 years of providing best-selling bank software for financial institutions, Temenos boasts unbeatable experience and a wide range of system integrations.Â
The rich functionality of core banking software solutions and cutting-edge technology made Temenos the go-to for over 3,000 current clients and 41 of the worldâs top 50 banks, serving more than 500 million customers every day. The banking software platform is designed to help retail, corporate, and private banks manage transactions, risk, enterprise credit, and much more. The bank core system provider offers T24 banking software. Their expertise allows them to be in top 10 banking software companies.
As a relative newcomer, core banking software vendor Mambu has established itself as a rapidly growing supplier of banking solutions. In the two years since its founding in 2011, Mambuâs platform was adopted by 100 microfinance organizations in 26 countries around the world.Â
Today, the Berlin-based start-up services over 150 banks, fintech, and telecom companies with over 14 million end-users being one of the active digital banking platform providers. Mambu helps top financial software companies like Santander, N26, and Orange to rapidly design, launch, and scale their digital-first banking and lending services.
With banking software built from the cloud upwards, Mambuâs SaaS engine is a powerful alternative to costly and complex traditional core banking systems. Besides its cloud approach, Mambu banking software provides its clients with tools to build, integrate, and launch any lending portfolio.Â
The core banking software vendor of choice of 80+ banks around the world, Backbase empowers financial institutions to place digital at the core of their business models. The companyâs Omni-Channel Banking Platform is the preferred choice for banking technology oriented companies such as Barclays, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Fidelity, ING, and many more.Â
Since its launch in 2003, Backbase has been helping banks develop a compelling experience on digital channels. Today, the company impacts over 90 million end customers daily. An in-depth focus on customer experience management and unparalleled speed of implementation place Backbase among highly rated digital banking vendors.
10% of the Worldâs banked population has an account powered by Oracle FLEXCUBE. 600+ retail banking software solutions use the companyâs universal banking products in 140+ countries across the globe.
The comprehensive, interoperable, and modular bank software addresses core banking needs, enables knowledge workers, and reduces time-to-market for new products. FLEXCUBEâs front-to-back digital capabilities help financial institutions to innovate and create next-generation digital customer experiences.Â
With access to advanced automation tools that rely on Machine Learning, the companyâs clients can generate better insights and enhance straight-through processing. Oracle FLEXCUBE is ideally suited to help financial service companies jumpstart retail banking software & solutions.
Finacle, developed by Infosys is one of the cloud-based core banking solutions that helps financial institutions modernize their cloud-based banking services. The platform is used by banks in 100+ countries and serves 1 billion end customers worldwide backing banking technology companies.
With open APIs, embedded customer insights, and a real-time processing engine, Finacle banking systems software offers a comprehensive set of features that are sure to accelerate innovation-led growth. The highly modular solution was designed to speed up the production of new products and accelerate digital adoption.
A trusted partner to over 1,300 clients, Finacle delivers faster, safer, and fully personalized core banking services being one of the prominent core banking solutions vendors.
90 of the worldâs top 100 banks by asset size are partnered with real-time core banking processing engine Finastra. With clients in 130 countries worldwide and one of the broadest sets of financial software solutions on the market, Finastra is able to serve all functions of all types of financial institutions.It makes the company one of the interesting banking system vendors.
By harnessing the platformâs flexible and open technology, Finastraâs clients can go from legacy banking to transparent, innovative, and agile online banking solutions. With Finastraâs modular technology stack, financial institutions can launch and deliver new functionality quickly with less risk.
FIS is an American company that offers a wide range of financial products and services. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, FIS employs approximately 62,000 people worldwide.
FIS was founded in 1968 as Systematics. It offers its core banking solutions in three primary segments: Merchant Solutions, Banking Solutions, and Capital Market Solutions.
The list of products includes Banking Hardware, Core Banking, Card Issuing and Processing, Digital Payments, Commercial Lending, Fraud, Risk and Compliance and other banking and payments-related services. FIS is among digital banking platform providers with a variety of different products.
Forbis is an IT company working on various products in the finance industry. It focuses on the digitalization of the banking process and related products. The company also provides consultations and training on core banking development as supplemental services.
FORPOST is the main product. It is a cloud-based core banking SAAS solution for account management, payments, deposits, currency exchange, etc. Read this article to get more information about cloud for banking. The company states that they are experienced in CEE and CIS markets and offer features for their local clients. However, it is hard to predict whether all of its products work accordingly in any other region.
Check this article to get more information about starting a payment processing company.
Securepaymentz is one more company that offers a core banking solution for the financial service market. It develops the platform for virtual banking. The platform has all common features for money operations, accounts administration, and currency exchange. The company states that this financial platform is flexible and easy to install on your server.
Securepaymentz has a subscription model for its core banking platform. They offer regular updates and easy interpretation of additional features for their customers. The better your subscription is, the faster you will get the update. The question is, what will be the queue of the active customers waiting for it. Though their price model is more affordable than a one-time purchase, subscription and platform maintenance by Securepaymentzâs team may cost more in the long run.
nCino was founded in response to an inconvenient commercial loans system back in 2012 in North Carolina, USA. In less than 10 years, it evolved into a vendor of a sophisticated end-to-end nCino Bank Operating SystemÂź based on the Salesforce platform. Designed to streamline the routine operations, it also enhances customer experience and employee efficiency and reduces expenditures.
nCinoâs Bank Operating SystemÂź is accompanied by a range of cloud solutions for SME- and commercial banking, retail banking, mortgage, cash management, customer engagement etc. Today, nCinoâs platform is powering multiple financial institutions all over the world and demonstrating steady growth.
Novatti is one of the key players in the fintech market, enabling businesses, as they put it on their website, âto pay and be paidâ. This digital banking and payments company provides transaction processing along with accepting payments, card issuing, and subscription payments solutions to businesses of all sizes in 58 countries, fostering a cashless society.
With 20 years of experience behind it, Novatti offers a range of robust technology solutions for branchless banking, donations management, digital wallet etc. Being a Visa Principal Partner and Issuer, the company also caters for fintech businesses willing to provide customers with branded prepaid cards by issuing both physical and virtual Visa cards. Read the article on Top 10 Card Issuing Platforms to explore their key features, advantages, and limitations to find the right solution for your payment business.Â
Read this article to find out the difference between core and coreless banking.
| SDK.finance | Mambu | Backbase | Oracle FLEXCUBE | Finacle | Finastra | Temenos | |
| Founded | 2013 | 2011 | 2003 | 1997 | 1999 | 2017 (merger) | 1993 |
| Headquarters | London, UK | Berlin, Germany | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Mumbai, India | Bangalore, India | London, UK | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Customer profile | SDK.finance serves banks, financial institutions, PSPs, EMIs, FinTech startups, and enterprises entering financial services that need a white-label, API-first core banking and payment infrastructure with full source code control or a scalable SaaS model. | Alternative lenders (p2p, marketplace personal and SME lenders), deposit-taking institutions, and mobile banking providers. | Financial institutions dealing with retail, corporate, SME, and wealth management with onboarding, loans, etc. | Universal, direct, private, and Islamic banks; financial and lending institutions. | Retail, corporate, universal, community, and Islamic banks; lending and payment providers | Corporate and retail banks, lenders, treasuries, and capital market players | Retail, corporate, universal, private, Islamic and microfinance & community banks. |
| Number of employees | 50+ | 200+ | 800 | 9,000 | 2,800 | 10,000+ | 4,600 |
| Solutions | Core banking Banking ledger Neobank software Mobile banking Crypto banking E-wallet solutions Embedded finance Payment Processing Crypto-to-fiat Super app Closed-loop wallet | Composable banking Cloud banking platform Mambu Process Orchestrator | Retail Banking SME Banking Corporate Banking Wealth Management | Core banking software Enterprise limits Collateral management Investor Servicing Financial Services Lending and Leasing | Corporate, Retail, Universal, Community Banking Suites Payments Connect Digital Engagement Hub | Retail Banking Transaction Banking Treasury and Capital Markets Investment Management | Infinity â Digital Front Office T24 Transact â Core Banking Payments Infinity Wealth Fund Management |
Core banking software is the most crucial part of every bank. Banking software is the engine behind the creation and management of accounts, balances, transactions, journal entries, along with the storage of client data, receipts, and other reporting tools.
Good software relies on a composable architecture connected by APIs that allow decoupling of distribution channels, products, and client data. This particularly agile architecture enables them to make quick changes in architecture while providing a continuous digital customer experience.
Modern core banking software also plays a vital role in updating legacy infrastructure. By modernizing these older systems, banks can achieve growth and leverage new opportunities in the banking sector, ensuring they stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.
Advanced data analytics is a critical component of modern core banking software, enhancing return on investment (ROI) and ensuring customer satisfaction by improving operational efficiency and service quality.
Onboarding, payments processing, card issuing, and KYC services have to be integrated into the core banking software. Some core banking system providers offer integration with these toolsâ vendors or develop their own products that you can integrate into your neobank software solutions. However, it is better not to rely on one vendor, but to prioritise digital retail banking solutions that work on balanced, ready-for-integration products, that do not limit you with features and functions you will integrate into it.
Developing an in-house core banking system is a complicated and time-consuming process that can overwhelm teams and delay product launches. As such, very few banks have their own banking platforms.
Revolut, N26, Tandem, and O2 Banking have outsourced their core banking software from FinTech providers. New cloud-based platforms with pre-integrated key features help to assemble best-in-class products and launch them at a much faster pace and lower capital expenditure.
Core banking software features a range of functionalities that enable banks to manage their daily operations efficiently. These features are designed to streamline processes, enhance customer experiences, and ensure regulatory compliance. Here are some of the key features of core banking software:
By incorporating these features, core banking software provides a robust foundation for modern banking operations, enabling financial institutions to deliver superior services to their customers while maintaining operational efficiency and security.
We have prepared the Top Core Banking Software list to talk about the best products in the world. We did not want to create a core banking system ranking, as it is hard to find metrics for estimation. At the same time, we analysed the features of prime banking software solutions companies that operate now and highlighted details about their services, product features, and expertise.
The variety of delivery models, from subscription-based to white-label on-premise solutions, provides flexibility to payment companies looking to adapt to the modern banking trends. The choice of core banking software depends on the specific needs and goals of your financial business.
With SDK.financeâs pre-developed FinTech Platform, the process of building a banking product becomes significantly faster and more efficient. Instead of starting from scratch, you can leverage the ready-made infrastructure with 500+ API endpoints and significantly reduce your time-to-market.
Proud to announce that SDK.finance is the best FinTech startup 2015! Central European Startups Awards has… Read More
On November 10, SDK.finance was presenting demo at Bank Innovation Israel 2015 DEMOvation challenge. Bank Innovation… Read More
Great news! SDK.finance is selected for the âŹ20.000 cash prize pitch competition at Execfintech! After… Read More
On March 8, CTO SDK.finance Pavlo Sidelov and CEO  Alex Malyshev were attending one of the… Read More
On March 30, SDK.finance has been selected as a finalist for Red Herring's Top 100 Europe award,… Read More
Money 20/20, the cutting-edge FinTech conference, was held April 4 â 8 in beautiful Copenhagen… Read More