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Nango
Self-hostable, code-first alternative to Merge and unified APIs. Build and run custom integrations in TypeScript with managed OAuth and direct proxying.
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Overview
Merge forces engineering teams to query pre-computed common data models through a centralized hosted broker. Nango shifts the entire integration lifecycle into version-controlled TypeScript functions running on an execution runtime that teams can operate within their own infrastructure. Instead of treating third-party APIs as rigid black boxes, developers retain direct control over authentication tokens, request payloads, and data transformation scripts.
Why Nango instead of Merge
Merge relies on a sync-and-store architecture where third-party data is ingested, normalized into rigid schemas, and cached on Merge servers. While this model simplifies common CRM or HRIS fields, it falters when an application requires vendor-specific objects, custom fields, or real-time event responses. Engineering teams end up building fragile escape hatches or waiting on the vendor to update common schemas. Furthermore, storing authentication credentials and customer records on a third-party hosted platform introduces compliance hurdles for regulated software companies.
Nango approaches product integrations as native code that lives in your Git repository. Developers write modular TypeScript functions for synchronization and external actions, using an interactive CLI to build, test, and deploy integrations alongside the rest of their codebase. Network calls pass through a programmable proxy that resolves provider configs, injects credentials, and applies rate-limiting backoff algorithms automatically. Because Nango can be hosted on internal clusters, platform teams maintain complete control over customer data residency and database encryption without paying metered per-connection fees.
What it does well
- TypeScript-native sync scripts provide version-controlled data pipelines that run in continuous integration without drag-and-drop editors.
- Unified authentication layer handles OAuth handshakes, API keys, and automatic token refresh cycles across hundreds of external services.
- Embeddable Connect UI offers a customizable frontend component for React and vanilla web applications to let end users authorize connections cleanly.
- Programmable API proxy forwards outbound requests with automatic credential injection, retries, and provider-specific rate-limit management.
- Native Model Context Protocol support and agentic tool calling enable AI applications to execute authenticated external actions with schema validation.