Dino vs Mercury
Looking for a Mercury alternative? Dino is better when the core job is governed agent spend and programmable money movement, not just business banking and finance workflows.
On this page
Key differences at a glance
Primary use case
Governed agent spend and money controls
Business banking with finance workflows
Spend primitives
Budgets, spending keys, and proxy cards
Accounts, cards, invoicing, and bill pay
Pricing shape
Plan plus explicit agent-money fees, waived with Dino Funding
$0 banking core plus paid Plus and Pro workflow plans
Interfaces
Dashboard, API, CLI, and MCP
Dashboard and API
Capability comparison
Compare the capabilities that matter if your team is moving money for agents, automations, or tightly controlled workflows.
| Capability | Dino | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Budgets for agent accounts | Yes | No |
| Spending keys for programmatic spend | Yes | No |
| Proxy cards tied to governed budgets | Yes | No |
| Approval workflows for agent purchases | Yes | Finance workflow approvals |
| Advanced policy and merchant controls | Yes | Limited to Mercury workflow features |
| Business banking accounts | Yes | Yes |
| Column-backed account availability | Yes | Some Mercury accounts |
| Funding fee waived when using native bank accounts | Yes | No |
| Domestic ACH and wire support | Yes | Yes |
| Invoicing and bill-pay workflows | Limited | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| CLI access | Yes | No |
| MCP access | Yes | No |
| Clear request and approval history | Yes | Yes |
Pricing comparison
Compare the pricing model, not just the headline number.
Dino
Starter
- •3 budgets included
- •2 active proxy cards
- •5 Dino spending keys
- •API, CLI, and MCP access
- •Basic limits and transaction history
- •Funding fee waived with Dino Funding
Pro
- •10 budgets, 10 proxy cards, 25 keys
- •Approval workflows and advanced policy controls
- •Budget analytics and audit trails
- •$39/mo equivalent on annual billing
- •Lower funded-spend and in-app swap fees
- •Priority support
Funding fees are waived when you use Dino Funding.
Mercury
Mercury
- •Business banking core
- •Domestic wires, ACH, and checks
- •Basic invoicing and bill pay
- •Cards and accounting connections
Mercury Plus
- •Recurring invoices
- •ACH debit invoicing at $1/transaction
- •Reimburse up to 20 users/month
- •Expanded invoicing and accounting workflows
Mercury Pro
- •Relationship manager
- •ACH debit invoicing at $0/transaction
- •Unlimited invoicing API creation
- •Higher reimbursement and NetSuite limits
Mercury public pricing reviewed May 24, 2026. Their pricing page also notes monthly billing and paid plans starting at $35/month.
Switching from Mercury to Dino
Making the switch is straightforward. Here's how to get started.
Map where Mercury stops helping
List the spend flows that need governed budgets, approvals, or programmatic keys rather than only cards and account access.
Open a Dino workspace
Set up Dino and decide whether you want to fund budgets through Dino Funding to waive funding fees.
Create budgets, keys, and proxy cards
Separate spend by agent, workflow, or environment so access is revocable and scoped.
Test approvals and audit trails
Run a small live flow first so your team can verify the approval path and request history.
Where Dino is a better fit
Dino is the better fit if your team is...
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about switching from Mercury to Dino.
Mercury is strong when the main job is startup banking and finance workflows. Dino is stronger when you need governed agent spend: budgets, spending keys, proxy cards, approvals, and a clear audit trail around programmable money movement.
Ready to make the switch?
If you need governed spend for agents and automations, start with the current product shape and pricing model.