If you’re a UK business evaluating Account Information Services (AIS) providers, chances are you’re down to a shortlist: Yapily and Plaid. Both are FCA-authorised, both connect to UK banks, and both make bold claims about coverage and reliability.
But when you’re close to making a buying decision, you don’t need another generic overview of “open banking.” You need answers to very specific questions:
- Which provider actually covers UK business accounts (not just consumer accounts)?
- Who gives you cleaner, enriched AIS data to cut onboarding and compliance costs?
- What kind of pricing and contracts should you expect in the UK?
- And most importantly: who will help you deploy AIS faster, without compliance headaches?
This article compares Yapily vs Plaid for AIS in the UK across coverage, data enrichment, and commercial fit. We’ll also show why Finexer is emerging as a stronger UK-focused AIS alternative.
Why AIS Matters for UK Businesses
At the bottom of the funnel, you’re not looking for a definition of open banking. You’re making a critical product or compliance decision. AIS underpins:
- Accounting platforms — pulling verified client statements in seconds
- Lenders — running affordability and income checks without PDFs
- Compliance teams — validating source of funds to meet AML rules
The right provider helps you cut costs, reduce onboarding times, and avoid regulatory risk. The wrong one leads to data gaps, client frustration, and expensive workarounds.
Yapily

Founded in London in 2017, Yapily has positioned itself as a UK and Europe-first AIS infrastructure provider. It is FCA-authorised as an AISP, which means UK businesses can operate under Yapily’s licence without having to apply for their own.
Strengths Yapily Brings to the UK Businesses
- Deep UK Coverage
Yapily connects to nearly all major UK banks including HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, and Nationwide. Unlike many providers, Yapily also highlights its corporate and wealth account coverage, which is crucial for accounting platforms and B2B fintechs. - Business Account Access
Where some providers lean consumer-first, Yapily’s AIS proposition explicitly includes SMEs and corporate accounts. That’s a big advantage for UK lenders and compliance teams who need more than just retail banking data. - Data Enrichment
Yapily offers transaction categorisation and validation (Yapily Validate), which supports use cases like income verification, AML checks, and affordability assessments. Instead of dumping raw transaction feeds, Yapily’s enrichment helps teams move faster. - Enterprise-Ready API
Yapily’s platform is designed for high-volume AIS pulls, making it suitable for organisations that process thousands of data requests daily. Its infrastructure-first approach appeals to larger firms that want stability and scale. - White-Label Control
Clients can choose between white-labelled user journeys (keeping their branding front and centre) or hosted UX for faster rollout.
Commercial Reality
Yapily doesn’t publish its pricing. Instead, it operates on custom contracts, which can work well for larger enterprises but may feel heavy for SMEs. It’s often best suited for mid- to enterprise-level UK businesses that want enterprise-scale AIS.
Plaid

Plaid built its reputation in the United States as the go-to platform for consumer account aggregation. In the UK, it operates as a regulated AISP under the FCA, allowing businesses to use its licence for connecting to bank data.
Where Plaid Fits
- Consumer Aggregation Strength
Plaid is widely adopted by personal finance apps, challenger banks, and lending platforms. Its developer-friendly tools, such as Plaid Link, make it easy to integrate account data into customer-facing products. - Data Enrichment
The platform includes categorisation and enrichment layers that are tuned for consumer use cases, think budgeting, affordability checks, and digital lending. For apps with a heavy focus on end-user experience, this is a plus. - Global Consistency
Businesses operating in multiple geographies often choose Plaid for its single API design across the US, UK, and EU. This reduces engineering overhead for firms scaling internationally.
Limitations for UK Business Use
- Business Account Coverage
In the UK, Plaid’s core strength is retail banking. Corporate and SME accounts are less visible in its offering, which can be limiting for accountants and enterprise lenders. - User Journeys
Plaid Link speeds up integrations but is often branded, which can be an issue for B2B platforms that prefer fully white-label experiences. - Contract Model
Like Yapily, Plaid’s UK contracts are typically custom agreements with minimum commitments, making it less flexible for firms looking for usage-based options.
Bottom Line
Plaid delivers real value for consumer-centric fintech apps in the UK. But for teams that need deep business account access, white-label control, or flexible pricing, it may not tick every box.
Comparison: Yapily vs Plaid for AIS in the UK
Category | Yapily | Plaid |
---|---|---|
Regulatory Status | FCA-authorised AISP in the UK and EU | FCA-authorised AISP in the UK and EU |
UK Bank Coverage | Strong footprint across major retail banks, with support for corporate and wealth accounts | Broad retail coverage, but primarily consumer-focused |
Business Account Access | Explicit support for SMEs and corporates | Limited visibility into business account connectivity |
Data Enrichment | Categorisation, account validation, and compliance-ready tools | Categorisation designed around consumer finance use cases |
Integration Options | White-label or hosted user flows | Plaid Link (fast but usually branded) |
Scale & Performance | Built for enterprise-grade data requests with high volume capacity | Strong developer ecosystem, consistent API across regions |
Commercial Model | Custom contracts, often enterprise-first | Custom contracts, minimum commitments in UK/EU |
The UK-Focused Alternative: Finexer

When you compare Yapily and Plaid, both have strengths but both also leave gaps for UK businesses that need AIS at scale.
That’s where Finexer comes in. Unlike global providers spreading coverage across multiple regions,It is built specifically for the UK market.
Why Finexer Stands Out
- 99% UK Bank Coverage
Access nearly every UK retail and business bank including high street, challenger, and SME-focused institutions. - Consumer + Business Accounts
Where other providers lean consumer-first, Finexer includes corporate, SME, and wealth accounts as standard. - Enriched, Clean Data
Categorisation and metadata layers help lenders, accountants, and compliance teams turn raw bank feeds into actionable insights. - Usage-Based Pricing
No opaque minimum commitments. You only pay for what you use, making it accessible to both startups and larger enterprises. - Fast Deployment
UK businesses typically go live with Finexer 2–3x faster than the market average, with 3–5 weeks of hands-on onboarding support. - Compliance Handled
Fully FCA-regulated, so you operate under Finexer’s licence without worrying about your own AISP approval.
Get Started
Connect today and see why businesses trust Finexer for secure, compliant, and tailored open banking solutions.
Try NowWhen to Choose Finexer Over Yapily or Plaid
- You need corporate and SME account data as much as consumer coverage.
- You want transparent, usage-based pricing instead of opaque enterprise contracts with zero setup cost.
- You’re looking for fast deployment with UK-specific compliance support.
- You prefer a provider that acts as a partner, not a competitor, with no consumer-facing products.
Do I need my own AISP licence to use these providers?
No. Yapily, Plaid, and Finexer are all FCA-authorised AISPs. UK businesses can operate under their licence without applying for their own.
Which provider has the best UK bank coverage?
Yapily and Finexer both connect to all major UK retail banks. Finexer additionally ensures 99% coverage, with business account connectivity included.
How do pricing models differ?
Plaid and Yapily typically work on custom enterprise contracts in the UK, often with minimum commitments. Finexer offers usage-based pricing with no heavy minimums.
Yapily and Plaid cover the basics. Finexer goes further!
UK-first coverage, flexible pricing, and AIS deployment 2–3x faster.