A point fix solves this year. A platform solves year two as well.
Cotribute gives you consumer account opening now, and business accounts, consumer and business lending, fraud decisioning, and AI-driven growth as modules you turn on later — same platform, same contract, same implementation. Aerial is a credible new entrant focused on one thing: consumer account opening, launched quickly at a low entry cost. If a simple point fix is genuinely all you will ever need, it is worth a look.
Comparison last verified: July 2026. Competitor figures come from public sources or the vendors' own published materials — if anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it promptly.
Side by side
| Cotribute | Aerial | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Consumer & business account opening, consumer & business lending, fraud & decisioning, 3 AI growth agents — one platform | Consumer account opening |
| Production proof | In production at named credit unions and community banks; published case studies with named executives (Blue FCU, Nutmeg State, Capitol CU, Credit Union 1, Red River) | Early-stage — ask for named FI case studies and published outcome metrics |
| Channels | Web, mobile, branch, call center | Digital-focused |
| Time to launch | Account opening live in ~30 days (documented: Blue FCU) | Weeks-to-launch positioning |
| Entry cost | Modular — platform fee tiered by asset size; license only the modules you use | Low day-one cost for a point solution |
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type 2; FIS GKYC certified; Jack Henry VIP Partner; Corelation Preferred Partner; Banno Certified; Fiserv AppMarket Partner | Ask for security reports and core certifications |
| Year two | Add business accounts, lending, or AI growth as modules on the same platform and contract | New vendor search if you need more than consumer account opening |
| Documented outcomes | 90+ configurable product templates, 36+ direct real-time integrations, five named FI case studies with quantified results. | New entrant: limited named FI case studies or published outcome metrics |
Only on the Cotribute side
- Mid-contract? Start anyway — Cotribute institutions can begin before their existing agreement ends. The details are something we walk through one on one — ask us how.
- Certified real-time core integration — all six Fiserv cores certified by Fiserv; thirteen cores integrated, real-time writes on eleven.
- Three-week integration commitment — any system, given test access and API documentation, at no additional cost.
- Four quadrants on one implementation — consumer and business, deposits and lending.
- Bring your own switching vendor — runs on your own contract at your pricing, with no Cotribute connector fees.
- In-session activation — funding, joint owner, disclosures and deposit switch complete before the applicant leaves.
- Two assigned teams — implementation through 60 days of hypercare, then a quarterly custom analysis with a growth specialist and an optimization team, included.
Why institutions choose Cotribute
Production proof and full scope, without a second vendor search in year two. 90+ configurable product templates and 36+ direct real-time integrations mean the next product launch is configuration, not procurement. Named case studies stand behind every metric — CPM Federal Credit Union added 32% more new accounts with 82% less manual review effort in 90 days. All four channels — web, mobile, branch, call center — run the same flows, and two assigned teams stay with you through hypercare and quarterly growth reviews. The diligence answers are already published: SOC 2 Type 2, FIS GKYC, and the core-vendor certifications your IT committee will ask about.
Where Aerial genuinely fits
You need bare-bones consumer account opening only, at minimum day-one cost, and you are comfortable being an early customer of a new entrant. That's a rational choice for some institutions — and Aerial is a credible newcomer building in a market that rewards fresh thinking.
"Cotribute's CAO product has revolutionized our account opening processes."
George Lunsford, President & CEO, RiverLand FCU
Questions for both of us
Put these to Aerial and to Cotribute. Here's how we answer them.
How many institutions are live in production — and can we talk to them?
Our answer: published case studies naming executives at Blue FCU, Nutmeg State FCU, Capitol Credit Union of Texas, Credit Union 1, and Red River Credit Union — and we will provide references at institutions your size, on your core. Ask every vendor, especially newer ones, for the same: named customers, documented outcomes, live references.
What happens when we want business accounts, lending, or cross-sell?
Our answer: they are modules on the platform you already run — business account opening, consumer and business lending (typically live in 45–60 days depending on core), and three AI Growth Agents in production since June 2025. With an account-opening-only vendor, each of those is a new RFP, a new integration project, and a possible migration. Price year two before you buy year one.
Which channels does the platform actually cover?
Our answer: web, mobile, branch, and call center run the same origination flows, so members can start in one channel and finish in another, and staff work from one back office. If a vendor is digital-only, ask how your branches and call center will open accounts — because they will keep opening them.
Can we see your security certifications and reports without a sales call?
Our answer: yes. SOC 2 Type 2 and our security documentation are at trust.cotribute.com, live system status at status.cotribute.com. We're also FIS GKYC certified, a Jack Henry VIP Partner, a Corelation Preferred Partner, Banno Certified, and a Fiserv AppMarket Partner. Every vendor on your shortlist should clear the same bar before your risk team spends time on them.
We're mid-contract with our current vendor. Do we have to wait?
Many institutions begin discovery and configuration before their current term ends. The right timeline depends on your existing agreement's notice and exclusivity terms, so we walk through it one on one. Talk with us.
Buy for year two, not just this quarter
Walk the live demos and the pricing model with us, then bring both vendors your hardest questions.