> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.yapily.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Hosted Pages vs Direct API > Compare Hosted Pages and the Direct API to find the right integration approach for your use case. Yapily offers two integration approaches built on the same underlying API infrastructure: **Hosted Pages**, a pre-built web flow, and the **Direct API**, where you build your own UI with full control over the experience. For most customers, especially those getting started, Hosted Pages is the fastest and lowest-friction way to integrate. It handles the most complex parts of open banking (bank selection, user authorisation, Strong Customer Authentication) so you can focus on your product. Both integration approaches require licensing and bank registration. See [Licensing & Registration](/concepts/licensing-and-registration) if you have not set this up yet. ## Quick comparison | | Hosted Pages (recommended for most) | Direct API | | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | **Integration time** | Hours to days | Days to weeks | | **Frontend work** | None for consent and auth flows | You build the entire UI | | **Auth flow handling** | Fully managed (redirect, embedded, all SCA methods) | You manage redirects, callbacks, consent exchange | | **Bank selection UI** | Built-in institution picker | You build your own | | **Payments** | Single payments, VRP | Single, bulk, scheduled, periodic, VRP, international | | **Data consent** | Handles consent/auth flow, returns consent token | You build the full consent flow | | **Data retrieval** | Use the API with the Hosted consent token | Use the API with your own consent token | | **Data+ (enrichment)** | Available (use API with Hosted consent token) | Available | | **Customisation** | Branding (logo, colours) | Complete control | | **Delivery** | Web redirect (not embeddable in native apps) | Any platform | | **Countries** | Hosted Payments: United Kingdom, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, Austria, Portugal. Hosted Data: United Kingdom, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, France, Austria, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ireland | All supported countries | | **Best for** | Payment acceptance, data consent flows, quick launches, MVPs | Complex payment types, multi-country custom UX, native apps | ## When to choose Hosted Pages Choose Hosted Pages when: * You want to accept payments or obtain data consent and need to go live quickly * You do not have frontend engineering resource to build authorisation flows * You are building an MVP or testing open banking for the first time * Your use case is single payments, VRP, or data access in supported Hosted Pages countries * You want Yapily to handle the complexity of bank selection, redirects, SCA, and consent management ### How Hosted works for each use case **For payments:** Hosted manages the entire flow. You create a payment request, receive a URL, redirect your user, and the payment is executed once the user authorises. You receive webhooks on payment status changes. **For data access:** Hosted manages the consent and authorisation flow. Once the user authorises, you receive a consent token. You then use this token with the Yapily API to call data endpoints: accounts, balances, transactions, and Data+ enrichment. Hosted Pages is also the safer option for teams new to open banking. It handles SCA edge cases, bank-specific error responses, and auth flow differences across institutions, so you avoid building and maintaining that logic yourself. **Learn more:** * [Hosted Pages Overview](/tools-and-services/hosted-pages/overview) * [Payment Tutorial (Hosted)](/tools-and-services/hosted-pages/payment-tutorial-hosted-pages) * [Data Tutorial (Hosted)](/tools-and-services/hosted-pages/payment-tutorial-hosted-data) ## When to choose the Direct API Choose the Direct API when: * You need payment types not yet supported by Hosted Pages (bulk, scheduled, periodic, international) * You are operating in countries not yet covered by Hosted Pages * You need full control over the user experience and want to build a custom UI * You are building a native mobile app (Hosted Pages is a web redirect experience) * You have complex requirements such as multi-bank consent management or custom retry logic Both approaches can be combined within the same product. For example, use Hosted Pages for standard payment collection and data consent, then use the Direct API for specialised payment types or additional data processing. **Learn more:** * [Single Payment Tutorial](/payments/tutorial-single-payment) * [Account Data Tutorial](/data/tutorial-account-and-trans-data) * [API Reference](/api-reference/introduction) ## Feature availability | Feature | Hosted Pages | Direct API | | --------------------------------- | :-------------------------------: | :----------: | | Single domestic payment | Yes | Yes | | SEPA / SEPA Instant payment | Yes | Yes | | International payment | No | Yes | | Scheduled payment | No | Yes | | Periodic payment (standing order) | No | Yes | | Bulk payment | No | Yes | | Variable Recurring Payment (VRP) | Yes | Yes | | Pay By Link | Yes | No | | Data consent (AIS authorisation) | Yes | Yes | | Account and transaction retrieval | Via API with Hosted consent token | Yes | | Transaction enrichment (Data+) | Via API with Hosted consent token | Yes | | Identity verification (Validate) | Via API with Hosted consent token | Yes | | Custom UI / branding | Limited (logo, colours) | Full control | | Native app embedding | Not yet supported | Full control | Hosted Pages coverage is expanding. Check the [Hosted Pages documentation](/tools-and-services/hosted-pages/overview) for the latest supported countries and features. ## Which approach fits your situation? | Your situation | Recommendation | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | Payments in a Hosted-supported country, standard UI is fine | Hosted Pages | | Data consent in a Hosted-supported country | Hosted for consent, API for data retrieval | | Identity verification | Hosted for consent, API for validation | | Sweeping VRP in a Hosted-supported country | Hosted Pages | | Bulk, scheduled, periodic, or international payments | Direct API | | Country not covered by Hosted | Direct API | | Native mobile app | Direct API | | Custom consent or payment UI required | Direct API | | Standing orders | Direct API | ## Next steps Get started: * [Hosted Pages Overview](/tools-and-services/hosted-pages/overview) * [Payment Tutorial with Hosted Pages](/tools-and-services/hosted-pages/payment-tutorial-hosted-pages) * [Data Tutorial with Hosted Pages](/tools-and-services/hosted-pages/payment-tutorial-hosted-data) * [Hosted Pages UI Screens](/tools-and-services/hosted-pages/ui-screens) Get started: * [Set Up Your Environment](/getting-started/get-started) * [Make a Single Payment](/payments/tutorial-single-payment) * [Access Account Data](/data/tutorial-account-and-trans-data) * [API Reference](/api-reference/introduction) A common pattern. Start here: * [Hosted Pages Overview](/tools-and-services/hosted-pages/overview) for consent and standard payments * [API Reference](/api-reference/introduction) for data retrieval and specialised payment types * [Understanding Consents](/concepts/consent-lifecycle) to understand how consent tokens work across both