Most "free open banking API" lists quietly mix three very different things: a free sandbox (fake data, never enough for real users), free production with limits (real data, capped), and products that have since closed. This page keeps them separate, with verified current status — so an indie developer can pick something that actually ships.
Last reviewed: June 8, 2026
⚠️ The Nordigen free tier is gone
Nordigen's popular free account-information API — rebranded GoCardless Bank Account Data after the acquisition — is closed to new signups and being wound down. GoCardless's own page states new signups are disabled. If a tutorial or directory still points you there, it is out of date. In Europe, Enable Banking is the closest self-serve replacement.
At a glance
| Provider | Region | What you get free |
|---|---|---|
Enable Banking Free production (limited) | EU / UK | Free "Restricted Production" — real production data, but only from bank accounts you link yourself. Full production needs a signed contract + KYB. |
Teller Free production (limited) | US | Free Developer tier with up to 100 live bank connections (not just sandbox), plus a separate free sandbox. Pay-per-use beyond 100. |
Plaid Free sandbox only | US / CA / EU / UK | Unlimited free Sandbox. Production is limited on the free Trial plan — newer accounts get ~10 live Items before you must upgrade to a paid plan. |
SimpleFIN Low-cost | US (mostly) | Open read-only protocol; the hosted SimpleFIN Bridge costs about $15/year (~25 institutions). Cheap, not free. |
Akahu Free production (limited) | New Zealand | Free access to your own accounts via a personal app; production is pay-as-you-go. Migrating to NZ official open banking APIs by mid-2026. |
Yapily (sandbox) Free sandbox only | UK / EU | Free sandbox for building only — test data, no real customers. Production is enterprise/sales-led with no public pricing. |
GoCardless Bank Account Data (ex-Nordigen) Closed to new signups | EU / UK | Historically a generous free AIS tier — now closed to new signups and being wound down. Not an option for new projects. |
Provider notes
The most common self-serve replacement for the old Nordigen free tier in Europe.
Genuinely free for small/indie US projects up to the connection cap.
Great for building; free production headroom is small now.
Popular with self-hosted budgeting tools (e.g. Actual Budget).
Free for personal/own-data use; commercial use is paid.
"Yapily Connect" is Yapily's FCA-regulated entity, not a free pricing tier — a common point of confusion.
GoCardless's own page states new signups are disabled. Use Enable Banking or another provider instead.
How to read "free"
- Free sandbox — fake data for building only. Every provider has one; it never serves real users.
- Free production (capped) — real data with a hard limit (Teller: 100 connections; Plaid Trial: ~10 items).
- Free on your own accounts — real production data, but only for accounts you personally link (Enable Banking Restricted Production).
- Low-cost — not free but trivially cheap for hobby use (SimpleFIN ~$15/yr).
Frequently asked questions
A few, with caveats. Teller offers up to 100 live bank connections free for developers in the US. Enable Banking gives free "Restricted Production" access in Europe — but only to accounts you link yourself. Plaid and Yapily are free in sandbox but limited or paid in production. "Free" almost always means either sandbox-only or production capped to your own/linked accounts.