Source: https://cli.nylas.com/guides/aurinko-vs-nylas

# Aurinko vs Nylas: Email API Comparison

Aurinko pairs a unified mailbox API and a tasks API with pre-built CRM sync logic. Nylas adds Yahoo and IMAP coverage, 27 webhook trigger types, AI Agent Accounts, and an open-source CLI for testing.

Written by [Prem Keshari](https://cli.nylas.com/authors/prem-keshari) Senior SRE

Reviewed by [Qasim Muhammad](https://cli.nylas.com/authors/qasim-muhammad)

Updated June 9, 2026

> **TL;DR:** Choose Aurinko when you're building a CRM or ATS product and want pre-built email logging and bi-directional sync shipped for you. Choose Nylas for Yahoo and IMAP coverage, 27 webhook trigger types, AI tooling, and a terminal CLI that tests the whole API in 2 minutes. Both publish per-account pricing, but the bills diverge as sync volume grows — the pricing section shows exactly where.

> **Disclosure:** Nylas CLI is built by Nylas, Inc. This comparison reflects our testing and product understanding as of June 9, 2026.

Command references used in this guide: [`nylas auth login`](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/auth-login), [`nylas webhook create`](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/webhook-create), and [`nylas email list`](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/email-list).

## What is the difference between Aurinko and Nylas?

Aurinko and Nylas are both unified APIs that connect one integration to email, calendar, and contacts across providers. Aurinko, built by Yoxel, Inc., adds a tasks API and pre-built CRM sync logic aimed at CRM and ATS products. Nylas goes wider on provider coverage and deeper on webhooks, AI tooling, and developer experience.

The [Aurinko documentation](https://docs.aurinko.io/) describes the platform as “mainly a pass-through platform, proxying all requests directly to data providers,” with a sync/deltas model layered on top for change tracking across its 4 data categories: email, calendar, contacts, and tasks. Nylas takes a similar pass-through approach for mail and calendar, then extends it with Agent Accounts (mailboxes provisioned for AI agents), an MCP server, and an open-source CLI — surface area Aurinko doesn't offer. The buyer profiles differ too: Aurinko markets directly to CRM, ATS, and project-management platforms, while Nylas serves a broader range from schedulers to AI agents.

## How do Aurinko and Nylas handle OAuth and authentication?

Both platforms broker OAuth between your app and the mailbox provider, but the setup burden lands differently. Aurinko's docs include separate Google OAuth, Office 365 OAuth, and Zoho OAuth setup pages — you register and configure your own OAuth app in each provider console. Nylas hosts the OAuth flow, stores tokens, and refreshes them automatically.

That difference matters most on day one. With Aurinko, connecting a first Google account means creating a Google Cloud project, configuring consent screens, and adding the app to a Workspace allowlist before any data flows. With Nylas, the CLI authenticates a real mailbox in under 2 minutes: OAuth providers (Google, Microsoft, on-premises Exchange via EWS) open a browser, while iCloud, Yahoo, and IMAP accounts connect with app passwords. Access tokens refresh automatically every 3,600 seconds, so a connected grant stays usable in scripts indefinitely.

The `nylas auth login` command runs the entire flow from the terminal and stores the resulting grant locally. It supports 6 provider values via the `--provider` flag, and `nylas auth status` confirms which account is active before you script against it.

```bash
# Connect a mailbox through hosted OAuth (browser opens)
nylas auth login --provider google

# Microsoft, Exchange (EWS), iCloud, Yahoo, and IMAP also work
nylas auth login --provider microsoft

# Confirm which grant is active
nylas auth status
```

## How do provider coverage and webhooks compare between Aurinko and Nylas?

Aurinko connects Google, Office 365, Outlook.com, on-premises Exchange, Zoho, and iCloud, per its homepage, and delivers change notifications through unified webhooks tied to its sync model. Nylas covers Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, and generic IMAP, and exposes 27 webhook trigger types, including engagement triggers Aurinko doesn't list.

| Dimension | Aurinko | Nylas |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Email providers | Google, Office 365, Outlook.com, Exchange, Zoho, iCloud | Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, IMAP |
| Tasks API | Yes | No |
| Pre-built CRM sync | Yes (BrightSync) | No |
| Open/click tracking webhooks | Not listed | Yes (opened, link clicked) |
| AI Agent Accounts | No | Yes |
| MCP server | No | Yes (built in) |
| CLI | No | Yes (open source) |
| OAuth app setup | Bring your own per provider | Hosted auth |
| Pricing model | Per account, metered by data transfer | Per connected account, flat |

The `nylas webhook create` command registers a notification endpoint, and `nylas webhook server` receives events locally for testing. Running `nylas webhook triggers` prints all 27 trigger types across 8 categories (grant, message, thread, event, contact, calendar, folder, and notetaker).

```bash
# See all 27 trigger types
nylas webhook triggers

# Register a webhook for new mail, opens, and replies
nylas webhook create --url https://example.com/hook \
  --triggers message.created,message.opened,thread.replied

# Receive events locally while developing (localhost only)
nylas webhook server --no-tunnel
```

## How do Aurinko and Nylas pricing models compare?

Both vendors publish prices, which is rarer than it should be in this category. Aurinko's Unified API starts at $1 per account per month; the Nylas Full Platform plan lists at $15 per month including 5 connected accounts, then $2 per additional account, per each vendor's public pricing page as of June 2026.

The divergence hides in the meter. The [Aurinko pricing page](https://www.aurinko.io/pricing) tiers each account by data transfer: $1 under 1 GB, $1.50 under 5 GB, and $2 for unlimited, with the BrightSync layer adding $2–$4 per user per month depending on which syncs are active. A mailbox that syncs heavily moves itself up a tier. The [Nylas pricing page](https://www.nylas.com/pricing/) doesn't meter transfer at all — an account costs the same whether it syncs 100 MB or 50 GB. Aurinko offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card; Nylas offers a free sandbox for development. Model your heaviest mailboxes before assuming the lower entry price wins.

## How do I evaluate Nylas before committing?

The fastest evaluation path for Nylas is its open-source CLI: one Homebrew install, one OAuth login, and you're reading real mailbox data inside 2 minutes without writing SDK code. Aurinko evaluation runs through its 14-day trial with a REST client or SDK; there's no equivalent terminal tool to shortcut it.

Install with `brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas` (other methods are in the [getting started guide](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/getting-started)). Every command accepts `--json`, so the same calls you run by hand become scripts. Listing 10 messages, sending a test email, and pulling 7 days of calendar takes three commands.

```bash
brew install nylas/nylas-cli/nylas
nylas auth login

# Exercise the API surface you'd be buying
nylas email list --json --limit 10
nylas email send --to you@example.com --subject "API eval" --body "Test."
nylas calendar events list --days 7 --json
```

Pick by what you're building. A CRM or ATS that wants email logging and bi-directional contact sync delivered as a managed service points at Aurinko and its BrightSync layer. A product that needs Yahoo or IMAP mailboxes, open and click webhooks, or an AI agent with its own mailbox points at Nylas. The [broader email API comparison](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/best-email-api-for-developers) ranks 8 more providers if neither fits cleanly.

## Next steps

- [Truto vs Nylas: Unified API Comparison](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/truto-vs-nylas) — Truto proxies 500+ integrations across 45+ SaaS categories in real…
- [Email API Free Tiers Compared](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/email-api-free-tiers-compared) — What six email API free tiers include
- [Email APIs with Webhook Support Compared](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/email-apis-with-webhooks-compared) — SendGrid, Mailgun, and Postmark delivery-event webhooks vs Nylas…
- [Unipile vs Nylas](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/unipile-vs-nylas) — multi-channel messaging vs deep email and calendar
- [Cronofy vs Nylas](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/cronofy-vs-nylas) — scheduling-first calendar API vs three connected surfaces
- [Best email API for developers](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/best-email-api-for-developers) — the multi-provider comparison across 9 vendors
- [EmailEngine vs Nylas](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/emailengine-vs-nylas) — self-hosted IMAP gateway vs hosted unified API
- [Twilio vs Nylas](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/twilio-vs-nylas) — where SendGrid-style sending ends and mailbox APIs begin
- [Full command reference](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands) — every flag and subcommand documented
- [Aurinko documentation](https://docs.aurinko.io/) — the unified mailbox API and OAuth setup guides
- [Microsoft Graph overview](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/overview) — the provider API both platforms abstract for Microsoft 365
- [Gmail API guides](https://developers.google.com/workspace/gmail/api/guides) — the provider API both platforms abstract for Google