<!-- Canonical: https://www.agentlist.io/compare/skyfire-vs-payman -->

# [SkyfireSkyfire · agent-services](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/skyfire)vs[PaymanPayman · agent-services](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/payman)

Agent payments with two trust models. Skyfire is a network play — agent wallets plus KYA identity so services can accept payment from unknown agents. Payman is a policy play — wallets with limits and human approval so a bounded agent can't run off with the budget.

agentlist.io · spec diff · verified 2026-09-25 — list prices only, not benchmarks

SEC.01

## Spec diff

SkyfirePayman

vendorSkyfirePayman

categoryagent-servicesagent-services

interfacesapiapi

hostingcloudcloud

pricingUsage-based (verify)Usage-based (verify)

statusactively maintainedactively maintained

also known asSkyfire ProtocolPayman AI

SEC.02

## Pick which

pick Skyfire if

Your agent must pay strangers — APIs, MCP servers, other agents — and needs identity that travels with the payment.

pick Payman if

Your agent spends inside a company budget where every transaction wants a policy and, when it matters, a human signature.

watch out

Both are early-stage networks; check x402/AP2 protocol support before picking — interoperability beats wallet features at this stage.

SEC.03

## Feature notes

-   Skyfire
-   01Agent wallets
-   02KYA agent identity
-   03Agent-to-agent payments
-   04API/MCP monetization
-   05x402-compatible rails

-   Payman
-   01Agent wallets with policies
-   02Human approval flows
-   03Spend limits and audit trail
-   04Payee management
-   05API-first

FAQ

## Frequently asked

### Skyfire or Payman — which should I pick?

Agent payments with two trust models. Skyfire is a network play — agent wallets plus KYA identity so services can accept payment from unknown agents. Payman is a policy play — wallets with limits and human approval so a bounded agent can't run off with the budget. Pick Skyfire if: Your agent must pay strangers — APIs, MCP servers, other agents — and needs identity that travels with the payment. Pick Payman if: Your agent spends inside a company budget where every transaction wants a policy and, when it matters, a human signature.

### Is Skyfire or Payman cheaper?

Skyfire: Usage-based (verify). Payman: Usage-based (verify). List prices as of 2026-09-25; usage pools and seat terms change the real cost.

### Does Skyfire or Payman run locally?

Skyfire hosting: cloud. Payman hosting: cloud. Interfaces differ too: Skyfire exposes api, Payman exposes api.

### Are Skyfire and Payman still maintained?

Skyfire: actively maintained. Payman: actively maintained. Statuses are re-verified each catalog refresh (2026-09-25); see the changelog for the full history.

ALT

## More comparisons

-   [→Cursor vs Windsurf / Devin Desktop](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/cursor-vs-windsurf)
-   [→Claude Code vs Codex CLI](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/claude-code-vs-codex-cli)
-   [→Claude Code vs Cursor](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor)
-   [→GitHub Copilot vs Cursor](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/copilot-vs-cursor)
-   [→Aider vs Claude Code](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/aider-vs-claude-code)
-   [→Cline vs Roo Code](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/cline-vs-roo-code)

A

## Skyfire

Skyfire is a payments and identity network for the agent economy — it gives agents a wallet and verifiable 'KYA' (know-your-agent) credentials so they can pay APIs, MCP servers, and each other.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/skyfire)

-   [↗ skyfire.xyz](https://skyfire.xyz/)

B

## Payman

Payman is agent payments with the approval layer built in — wallets, policies, and human-in-the-loop sign-off so an agent can spend money it can't lose.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/payman)

-   [↗ paymanai.com](https://paymanai.com/)

SRC

## Data

Fields come from the seed catalog, re-verified 2026-09-25. This page compares recorded specs — it does not rank performance. See the [changelog](https://www.agentlist.io/changelog) or the [JSON feed](https://www.agentlist.io/api/v1/systems).

---

Source: [Skyfire vs Payman: spec comparison | agentlist.io](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/skyfire-vs-payman). This is the public page rendered as Markdown; interactive controls require the website.