Embedded finance companies provide APIs and infrastructure that allow businesses to integrate payments, lending, and banking services directly into their products.
This article compares SDK.finance, Plaid, Marqeta, Stripe, Railsr, Unit, and Whop, covering API providers, banking-as-a-service platforms, and payment infrastructure vendors. Explore their core capabilities and use cases to understand how each supports payment processing, wallets, card issuing, or digital banking features.
We also outline the key components required to launch an embedded finance solution and explain how different providers fit together within a financial product’s architecture.
Top Embedded Finance Companies in 2026
SDK.finance
Type:
Embedded Finance Infrastructure / Transaction Processing / Ledger / API Platform
Best for:
PSPs, FinTech companies, marketplaces, and enterprises building embedded finance products that require control over business logic, integrations, and deployment
Overview:
SDK.finance provides a pre-built financial backend for embedding wallets, payments, and account functionality into digital products. It combines a transaction processing engine, a double-entry ledger, and 650+ APIs, giving businesses the foundation to build branded financial experiences without developing the core infrastructure from scratch.
A key differentiator is its source code licensing option, which enables teams to customize the backend, extend functionality, and deploy on their own cloud or on-premises infrastructure. This gives businesses control over how their financial products operate and evolve.
SDK.finance also connects the transactional backend with external financial providers, including Marqeta for card issuing. These integrations extend the platform’s capabilities, with card services subject to the customer’s agreement with the provider.
Core capabilities:
- Double-entry ledger for recording financial transactions and tracking balances
- Embedded wallets and account management within existing applications
- Transaction processing for payment, transfer, and wallet funding workflows
- 650+ APIs for connecting customer interfaces, existing systems, and third-party providers
- Configurable transaction fees, limits, and role-based back-office access
- Source code licensing for backend customization and independent deployment
SDK.finance is particularly suited to businesses that want to build and evolve their own embedded finance infrastructure while retaining control over the customer experience and underlying technology.
Plaid
Type:
API / Data Infrastructure
Best for:
Fintech apps, neobanks, personal finance tools, and companies that need access to users’ bank data
Overview:
Plaid provides APIs that connect applications to users’ bank accounts, enabling access to financial data and account-level functionality. It acts as a data access layer rather than a payment processing or ledger system, allowing companies to build financial features on top of existing bank infrastructure.
Core capabilities:
- Bank account connectivity via APIs
- Access to transaction history and account data
- Identity verification and account authentication
- Open banking integrations across financial institutions
- Data infrastructure for payments, lending, and personal finance apps
Marqeta
Type:
Card Issuing / Payment Infrastructure
Best for:
Fintech companies, digital wallets, on-demand services, and platforms that need card issuing and payment control
Overview:
Marqeta provides modern card issuing and payment processing infrastructure, enabling companies to create and manage virtual and physical cards. It focuses on real-time transaction control and configurable payment flows, allowing businesses to embed card-based payments into their products.
Core capabilities:
- Virtual and physical card issuing
- Real-time transaction authorization and controls
- Tokenization and card lifecycle management
- Integration with payment networks (e.g., Visa, Mastercard)
- APIs for building custom card-based payment experiences
Stripe
Type:
Payment Processing / API Platform
Best for:
Startups, SaaS platforms, and businesses that need fast integration of online payments
Overview:
Stripe provides APIs and tools for accepting and managing online payments, making it easy for businesses to integrate payment functionality into their products. It focuses on developer-friendly integration and rapid deployment of payment services rather than building full financial infrastructure.
Core capabilities:
- Online payment processing (cards, wallets, bank transfers)
- Payment APIs for web and mobile integration
- Subscription billing and recurring payments
- Basic financial services (e.g., payouts, embedded finance add-ons)
- Global payment acceptance across multiple markets
Railsr (formerly Railsbank)
Type:
Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) / API Platform
Best for:
Fintech startups, digital banks, and companies that need to launch banking features using licensed infrastructure
Overview:
Railsr provides banking-as-a-service infrastructure that enables companies to offer financial products such as accounts, payments, and card issuing through APIs. It focuses on providing access to regulated banking capabilities without requiring companies to obtain their own financial licences.
Core capabilities:
- Account creation and management via APIs
- Payment processing and money movement
- Card issuing in partnership with licensed entities
- Compliance and regulatory infrastructure (via partners)
- Integration layer for embedding banking features into products
Whop
Type:
Embedded Payments and Commerce Platform
Best for:
SaaS companies, marketplaces, and online platforms that want to embed checkout, billing, and payouts into their products
Overview:
Whop provides infrastructure for embedding payment acceptance and revenue management into websites and applications. Its embedded finance offering focuses on payments, enabling businesses to integrate checkout, manage subscriptions, and distribute revenue to sellers and partners.
Core capabilities:
- Embedded checkout and payment links
- Subscription billing and one-time payments
- International payouts to sellers and partners
- Revenue sharing and affiliate payments
- API integration for payment workflows
Unit
Type:
Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) / API Platform
Best for:
Startups, SaaS platforms, and companies that need to quickly launch embedded banking features
Overview:
Unit provides a developer-first banking-as-a-service platform that enables companies to embed financial features such as accounts, cards, and payments into their products. It focuses on simplifying access to banking capabilities through APIs, while relying on licensed partners to provide the underlying financial services.
Core capabilities:
- Account creation and management via APIs
- Card issuing and payment capabilities
- Integration with licensed banking partners
- Developer-friendly APIs for rapid integration
- Tools for launching embedded banking products without a banking licence
Embedded Finance Companies Comparison
| Company | Type | Best for | Core capability |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDK.finance | Embedded Finance Infrastructure / Transaction Processing / Ledger / API | PSPs, FinTech companies, marketplaces, and enterprises | Transaction processing, ledger, and wallets with 650+ APIs and source code access. |
| Stripe | Payment Processing / API | Startups, SaaS, online businesses | Online payment acceptance and APIs |
| Plaid | API / Data Infrastructure | Fintech apps, neobanks | Bank data access and account connectivity |
| Marqeta | Card Issuing / Infrastructure | Fintechs, digital wallets | Card issuing and transaction controls |
| Railsr | BaaS / API Platform | Fintech startups, digital banks | Access to regulated banking infrastructure |
| Whop | Embedded Payments and Commerce Platform | SaaS companies, marketplaces, and online platforms | Embedded checkout and payment links |
| Unit | BaaS / Developer-first API | Startups, SaaS platforms | Fast integration of banking features via APIs |
How to choose an embedded finance provider
Selecting the right embedded finance provider depends on the role it plays within your system architecture.
- If you need data access, choose API providers such as Plaid
- For payment acceptance, use payment processors like Stripe
- For card issuing, providers like Marqeta are required
- If you need licensed banking capabilities, consider BaaS platforms such as Unit or Railsr
- To manage transactions, accounts, and financial logic, a core infrastructure layer is required
In most cases, embedded finance products are built as a combination of these components rather than relying on a single provider.
Key types of embedded finance
These categories explain the different roles that providers play in the embedded finance ecosystem. The main categories include:
Embedded payments
Allow users to make payments directly within an app or platform without leaving the interface. Common in e-commerce, marketplaces, and on-demand services.
Embedded banking
Provides account-based services such as wallets, balances, and money management within non-financial products.
Embedded lending
Enables access to credit or installment payments at the point of sale, including buy now, pay later (BNPL) models.
Embedded insurance
Offers insurance products as part of the purchase flow, such as warranties or coverage during checkout.
Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS)
Provides access to regulated banking capabilities via APIs, allowing companies to launch financial features without obtaining their own licence.
Conclusion
Embedded finance adoption depends on the combination of infrastructure, APIs, and licensed providers working together within a single system.
Different companies in this space address specific layers, from data access and payment processing to card issuing and banking capabilities. Choosing the right components defines how scalable, flexible, and controllable your financial product will be.
Platforms like SDK.finance act as a core infrastructure layer, providing a transactional ledger layer and backend logic required to manage payments, accounts, and financial operations across integrated providers.
