Moov vs Lithic: Features, Coverage and Pricing Compared (2026)
Updated November 10, 2026 · Reviewed by Benjamin Margolis
Moov and Lithic both sell payments infrastructure to US software companies. Moov offers one stack for card and bank payment acceptance, wallets, instant payouts, and virtual cards. Lithic focuses on card issuing, with APIs that let companies launch their own virtual and physical cards.
Our analysts compared the two on November 10, 2026, using each company's own product, pricing, and company pages and our full reviews of Moov and Lithic.
Choose Moov if
- you need acceptance, wallets, and payouts in one platform
- you want direct connections to US bank rails and card networks
- you build a platform that moves money in and out
Choose Lithic if
- your main need is issuing your own cards
- you want the most mature card issuing tooling
- you want usage-based pricing
Moov scores 77 and Lithic scores 79 in our ratings. Moov suits platforms that need several money-movement tools in one place. Lithic suits companies whose product is a card program.
Key Features Compared
Moov vs Lithic at a Glance, November 2026
| Feature | Moov | Lithic |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | ||
| Fintech Index score | 77 / 100 | 79 / 100Higher score |
| Overview | ||
| What it is | US payments platform that helps software companies accept, store, send, and spend money across card and bank rails through one stack | US card issuing processor with APIs for virtual and physical card programs |
| Who uses it | Software platforms in construction, loan servicing, transport, and fundraising | Fintechs, business spend platforms, and software companies, with more than 100 clients including Mercury, Coinstar, and Order.co |
| Main products | Card and pay-by-bank acceptance, wallets, ledgers, instant payouts, and virtual cards | Debit, prepaid, and credit card issuing and processing, accounts, and a payment hub with flexible ledgering |
| Where it operates | United States | United States |
| Products and features | ||
| Card acceptance (acquiring) | Cards and pay-by-bankAccepts payments | Issuing only |
| Card issuing | Virtual cards | Virtual and physical cards |
| Pricing | ||
| How pricing works | Written pricing negotiated by volume and payment rail mix | Usage-based, scaling with cards and volume; full rates come with a quote |
| Published prices | Quote only | Quote only |
| Technology and compliance | ||
| Licenses and regulation | Connects to The Clearing House, the Federal Reserve, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover | Works through partner banks; SOC 1 Type 1, SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 certified |
| Developer tools | Test mode, wallets, ledgers, payouts, and open-source payment tooling | Sandbox, API documentation, SDKs, and a public changelog |
| Integrations and partners | Major card networks and US bank rails | Partner banks and card networks; sponsor bank is confirmed per program |
| Onboarding and support | Test mode first, then sales-led onboarding | Launches scoped with Lithic's team; uptime target of 99.99% or more |
| Company | ||
| Founded | 2018 | 2014, as Privacy |
| Headquarters | United States (remote-first; founded by Wade Arnold and Bob Smith) | New York, New York |
| Ownership | Private company | Private |
| Funding | Series B startup backed by Bain Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Commerce Ventures, and Visa | ~$115M, including a $60M Series C in 2021 led by Stripes |
| Key leader | Wade Arnold | Bo Jiang |
| Scale | Thousands of businesses | More than 100 card program clients |
Fintech Index Scores Compared
We rate every company on eight criteria from 0 to 100, four tied to what buyers in its sector need and four shared by every company, and the rating is their average. Moov scores 77 and Lithic scores 79.
Criterion Scores Out of 100
Key Differences Between Moov and Lithic
Scope
Moov covers acceptance, wallets, ledgers, payouts, and virtual cards. Lithic covers card issuing and processing, with accounts and a payment hub added around its cards.
Developer Tools
Both score highly for developer tooling, 86 for each in our ratings. Moov offers test mode and open-source tools, and Lithic offers a sandbox, SDKs, and a public changelog.
Pricing
Neither posts a full rate card. Lithic charges by usage, and Moov prices through sales.
Pros and Cons
Moov
Pros
- One stack for acceptance, wallets, payouts, and cards
- Direct network and bank connections
- Open-source tooling and a developer community
- Backed by Bain Capital, a16z, and Visa
Cons
- No public rate card
- Too much for a merchant that needs only a hosted checkout
- US-focused
Lithic
Pros
- Developer tooling is among the strongest in card issuing, with a sandbox, SDKs, and a public changelog
- Fine control over each card authorization suits spend and virtual card programs
- Usage-based pricing that scales with the program
- SOC 1, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 certifications
Cons
- Focused on the United States, so multi-country programs need another processor
- No posted prices; full rates come with a quote
- Sponsor bank options depend on the program type
Who Each Is Best For
Moov
A software company that wants embedded card acceptance, bank payouts, wallets, and ledgers without stitching several processors together.
Lithic
A US fintech or software company that wants to launch its own virtual or physical card program through APIs, launch quickly, and pay by usage.
Alternatives to Moov and Lithic
These companies, all reviewed and rated on The Fintech Index, cover some of the same ground as Moov and Lithic.
Other Card Issuing and Processing Companies
| Company | Score | Best for | Comparisons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finix | 78 | Software platforms that want to become payment facilitators | None yet |
| Payabli | 77 | Vertical SaaS platforms that want pay-ins and payouts in one stack | None yet |
| Tilled | 74 | Software companies that want white-label payments revenue fast | None yet |
| Marqeta | 74 | Scaled card programs that want fine control over each payment | Marqeta vs Lithic |
| Highnote | 77 | US platforms that want issuing and acquiring on one ledger | Lithic vs Highnote |
| Thredd | 74 | Card programs in the UK, Europe, and Asia-Pacific | None yet |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Moov issue cards?
Moov offers virtual cards as part of its stack. Lithic offers virtual and physical card programs.
Can Lithic accept payments?
No. Lithic focuses on issuing, so a platform that also takes payments needs another provider.
Sources
- The Fintech Index analysis of Moov and Lithic, conducted November 2026 (As of November 10, 2026)
- Moov home page: https://moov.io/ (As of November 10, 2026)
- Moov, about: https://moov.io/about (As of November 10, 2026)
- Moov founding history: https://moov.io/blog/company/making-moov/ (As of November 10, 2026)
- Lithic, company site: https://www.lithic.com/ (As of November 10, 2026)
- Lithic, about page: https://www.lithic.com/about (As of November 10, 2026)
- Sacra, Lithic company profile: https://sacra.com/c/lithic/ (As of November 10, 2026)