---
title: "Arcade vs Nango: Which is Better in 2026? | App Stack Builder"
description: "Arcade vs Nango compared for 2026 — pricing, free tiers, features, pros & cons. See which agent auth & tool calling tool is the better fit for your startup."
source: https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/arcade-dev-vs-nango
retrieved: 2026-10-17
---

![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=arcade.dev&sz=128)

vs

![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=nango.dev&sz=128)

# Arcade vs Nango: Which is Better in 2026?

Agent Auth & Tool Calling

Choosing between [Arcade](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/arcade-dev) and [Nango](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/nango)? Both are popular agent auth & tool calling tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.

Quick verdict

Both are solid agent auth & tool calling options. Arcade is cheaper to start, but the right choice depends on the specific features and integrations you need.

## Arcade vs Nango — Side by Side

|                | Arcade                                        | Nango                                           |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Category       | Agent Auth & Tool Calling                     | Agent Auth & Tool Calling                       |
| Pricing        | Free · paid from $25/mo                       | Free · paid from $50/mo                         |
| Starting price | Free tier available                           | Free tier available                             |
| Free tier      | ✓                                             | ✓                                               |
| Rating         | 4.5                                           | 4.5                                             |
| Best for       | Agent Auth & Tool Calling — mcp, tool-calling | Agent Auth & Tool Calling — oauth, integrations |

## Pros & Cons

![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=arcade.dev&sz=128)

[Arcade](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/arcade-dev)

* ✓Per-call authorization scoped to user and agent
* ✓Policy hooks to block or redact without forking
* ✓Self-host in your VPC or air-gapped on Enterprise
* ✗Small free tier (2,000 tool calls)
* ✗Per-call fees add up for chatty agents
* ✗Self-hosting is Enterprise-only

![](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=nango.dev&sz=128)

[Nango](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/nango)

* ✓1,000+ APIs with managed OAuth
* ✓Syncs and webhooks as well as tool calls
* ✓Source on GitHub; free self-host for auth
* ✗Elastic License 2.0, not OSI open source
* ✗Free self-host excludes syncs, tool calls and MCP
* ✗Per-connection pricing grows with users

## Key Features Compared

### Arcade

* ✓$0.10 per authorization event
* ✓$0.01 per tool call
* ✓Next-business-day support

### Nango

* ✓$0.29 per connection
* ✓$0.72 per compute hour
* ✓$0.50 per GB

### Choose Arcade if…

* ✓You want a free tier to validate before paying.
* ✓Budget is tight — paid plans start lower ($25/mo vs $50/mo).
* ✓Per-call authorization scoped to user and agent
* ✓Policy hooks to block or redact without forking

[Arcade review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/arcade-dev)

### Choose Nango if…

* ✓You want a free tier to validate before paying.
* ✓1,000+ APIs with managed OAuth
* ✓Syncs and webhooks as well as tool calls
* ✓Source on GitHub; free self-host for auth

[Nango review & pricing ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/nango)

## Frequently Asked Questions

Is Arcade better than Nango?⌄

Both are solid agent auth & tool calling options. Arcade is cheaper to start, but the right choice depends on the specific features and integrations you need.

What is the difference between Arcade and Nango?⌄

Arcade — MCP runtime that lets agents act as the signed-in user, with per-call authorization, policy hooks and 8,000+ permission-aware tools. Nango — Source-available integration platform: managed OAuth for 1,000+ APIs, tool calls and an MCP server, syncs and webhooks. Free self-host for auth and proxy. Both are agent auth & tool calling tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.

Arcade vs Nango: which is cheaper?⌄

Arcade pricing: Free · paid from $25/mo. Nango pricing: Free · paid from $50/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.

Which is rated higher, Arcade or Nango?⌄

In our catalog, Arcade rates 4.5 out of 5 and Nango rates 4.5 out of 5 — they are evenly matched.

See more options in our guide to the [best agent auth & tool calling tools for startups](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/agent-auth).

[In-depth guideComposio vs Arcade (2026): Agent Auth & Tool Calling, Plus Open-Source Nango and ACI.devYour agent has to act inside Gmail, Slack and Salesforce as each of your users, without the model seeing a token. Composio and Arcade compared with Nango and ACI.dev on OAuth handling, licence and cost at 50 and 1,000 users.](https://appstackbuilder.com/blog/composio-vs-arcade-agent-auth-2026)

## Still not sure which to pick?

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