Nango - Build integrations with 800+ APIs

TL;DR

TL;DR: Nango provides pre-built connectors for 800+ APIs with built-in authentication, sync infrastructure, and AI agent integration, cutting integration development time from weeks to hours.

Source and Accuracy Notes

• Project page: nango.dev
• HN launch thread: news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38091738
• Source last checked: 2026-06-15

What Is Nango?

Nango is an integration platform that provides pre-built connectors for 800+ APIs. The project launched on Show HN with 106 points, positioning itself as a way to “Build integrations with AI” and connect products to hundreds of third-party services without building each integration from scratch.

The core problem Nango solves: every SaaS product needs integrations (CRM sync, calendar connections, file storage, etc.), but building and maintaining each one requires handling authentication flows, rate limits, pagination, webhooks, and error handling. Nango abstracts this into a unified API layer.

Why Nango Exists

Building integrations is tedious and error-prone:

• Each API has different authentication (OAuth2, API keys, JWT, etc.)
• Rate limits and pagination vary wildly
• Webhook handling requires infrastructure
• Token refresh logic is repetitive
• Error handling and retries are boilerplate
• Maintaining integrations as APIs change is ongoing work

Nango provides a unified interface to 800+ APIs, handling the complexity underneath. You write integration logic once against Nango’s API, and it works across all supported services.

How It Works

Step 1: Install Nango

For self-hosted deployments:

git clone https://github.com/NangoHQ/nango.git
cd nango
docker compose up

Or use Nango Cloud (managed service).

Step 2: Configure Integrations

Add integrations via the Nango dashboard or CLI:

nango integration add github
nango integration add slack
nango integration add google-drive

Each integration gets configured with your OAuth credentials or API keys.

Step 3: Connect User Accounts

Your users authenticate through Nango’s OAuth flow:

import Nango from '@nangohq/node';

const nango = new Nango({ secretKey: 'your-secret' });

// Initiate OAuth flow for a user
const result = await nango.auth('github', 'user-123', {
  returnUrl: 'https://yourapp.com/integrations/callback'
});

Nango handles the OAuth dance, token storage, and refresh logic.

Step 4: Sync Data

Use Nango’s unified API to fetch data from any connected service:

// Fetch GitHub repos
const repos = await nango.get({
  integrationId: 'github',
  connectionId: 'user-123',
  endpoint: '/user/repos'
});

// Fetch Slack channels
const channels = await nango.get({
  integrationId: 'slack',
  connectionId: 'user-123',
  endpoint: '/conversations.list'
});

The API is consistent across all 800+ integrations.

Key Features

Unified API Across 800+ Services

One API interface works for GitHub, Slack, Google Workspace, Salesforce, HubSpot, and hundreds more. You learn one API, not 800 different ones.

Built-in Authentication

OAuth2, OAuth1, API keys, JWT, basic auth - Nango handles all authentication flows. Token refresh happens automatically. You never store credentials directly.

Automatic Sync Infrastructure

Nango provides sync scripts that run on a schedule, handling:

• Pagination across large datasets
• Rate limit management
• Incremental sync (only fetch changes)
• Error handling and retries
• Webhook processing

AI Agent Integration

Nango’s API is designed for AI agents to consume. Your AI can fetch data from any connected service using the same unified interface, making it easy to build agents that work across multiple platforms.

Self-Hosted or Cloud

Run Nango on your own infrastructure (Docker, Kubernetes) or use Nango Cloud. Self-hosted gives you full control over data and compliance.

Practical Evaluation Checklist

Before adopting Nango, evaluate:

• [ ] Integration coverage - Verify the specific APIs you need are in the 800+ supported services
• [ ] Authentication types - Check if your required auth flows are supported (OAuth2, API keys, etc.)
• [ ] Rate limits - Understand Nango’s rate limits vs. the underlying API limits
• [ ] Data residency - If self-hosting, ensure compliance with your data governance requirements
• [ ] Sync frequency - Verify the sync schedule meets your real-time requirements
• [ ] Cost model - Calculate total cost (Nango fees + underlying API costs) for your usage pattern
• [ ] Custom integrations - If you need an API not in the catalog, check how easy it is to add custom connectors

Security Notes

Nango handles sensitive credentials (OAuth tokens, API keys). Review these security aspects:

• Token storage - Nango encrypts tokens at rest. Verify the encryption method meets your compliance requirements.
• Access control - Use Nango’s environment separation (dev/staging/prod) and API key scoping.
• Audit logs - Enable audit logging to track who accessed which integrations.
• Webhook verification - Nango verifies webhook signatures from providers. Don’t bypass this in your integration logic.
• Self-hosted security - If self-hosting, secure the Nango instance with proper network policies, TLS, and access controls.

Never expose your Nango secret key in client-side code. Use server-side SDKs only.

FAQ

Q: How is Nango different from Zapier or Make? A: Zapier and Make are no-code automation platforms for end-users. Nango is a developer platform for building integrations into your product. You use Nango to add “Connect with GitHub” to your SaaS app, not to automate workflows between apps.

Q: What if I need an API not in the 800+ catalog? A: Nango supports custom integrations. You can add any REST API by defining the authentication flow and endpoints. The unified API interface still works for custom integrations.

Q: Does Nango support webhooks? A: Yes. Nango receives webhooks from providers, verifies signatures, and forwards them to your application. You can also use Nango’s sync scripts for polling-based updates.

Q: Can I self-host Nango? A: Yes. Nango is open-source and provides Docker Compose and Kubernetes deployment guides. Self-hosting gives you full control over data and infrastructure.

Q: How does pricing work? A: Nango Cloud charges based on the number of connections (authenticated user accounts) and API calls. Self-hosted is free (open-source), but you pay for your own infrastructure. Check their pricing page for current rates.

Q: What about data privacy and compliance? A: Nango Cloud is SOC 2 compliant. Self-hosted gives you full control over data residency. Nango doesn’t store your integration data long-term - it passes through Nango’s infrastructure during API calls.

Conclusion

Nango fills a specific gap: SaaS products that need to integrate with many third-party APIs but don’t want to build and maintain each integration from scratch. The 800+ pre-built connectors cover most common services (CRM, calendar, file storage, communication, etc.).

The value proposition is strongest for teams building products with multiple integration requirements. If you need to connect to 5-10 APIs, building direct integrations might be simpler. If you need 50+ APIs, Nango’s unified interface and sync infrastructure save significant development time.

The AI agent integration angle is interesting - as more products build AI agents that need to interact with external services, Nango’s unified API becomes a natural fit. The consistent interface across 800+ services means your AI can work with any connected platform using the same patterns.

For teams evaluating integration platforms, Nango is worth considering alongside alternatives like Merge.dev, Unified.to, and custom-built solutions. The open-source self-hosted option is a differentiator for teams with strict data governance requirements.