Finastra Essence vs Tuum

Finastra Essence is a paid core banking solution built on microservices and open APIs, with real-time processing for deposits, lending and payments. It covers accounts, limits, fees, servicing and multicurrency processing across retail, SME, commercial and Shariah-compliant banking. Finastra positions it for digital challengers, fintechs, established banks and building societies. A no-code product composer and configurable business rules help banks create and adapt products. Its dynamic dashboard provides a 360-degree customer view, performance metrics and data insights. Open APIs and event-driven architecture support links with ecosystems and partners; listed complementary applications include VeriPark Digital Channels, Salt Edge Open Banking Compliance, 01 Systems SigCap and Sumsub. Finastra describes Essence as cloud-first and identifies a SaaS deployment on Microsoft Azure. The system is designed for continuous 24/7 operations, scalability and resilience. It is available through API, self-hosted and web options.

Tuum is a modular core banking platform for banks and financial institutions, with capabilities for accounts, payments, lending, cards and Islamic banking. Customers can select modules, and an API-first microservices architecture is intended to support incremental modernization alongside legacy systems. Deployment options include public cloud, private cloud, on-premises and hybrid environments. Tuum says open APIs and pre-built integrations connect third-party systems and providers. Listed payment integrations include Centrolink, Currencycloud, LHV and Banking Circle, with AML connectivity from ComplyAdvantage and Hawk; card connections include Nets and Paymentology, plus Mastercard tokenization through MDES. The platform supports multi-currency accounts and virtual IBANs, card issuing and processing, and payment operations including SEPA, SWIFT, FX and direct debits. Tuum states support for more than 2,500 transactions per second and 99.99% uptime. Its Islamic Banking module is described as AAOIFI-compliant. Tuum says average core banking implementation takes less than seven months. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia, the company offers pricing on request and directs prospective customers to book a demo. It is a software vendor, not a provider of an EMI or banking license.