Direct API vs Managed API

Applies to: All backend integrations

Decision type: Integration model

Last updated: March 8, 2026

Crittora supports two backend integration models. Choose the Direct API if you want token-based server-to-server control. Choose the Managed API if you want Crittora to handle the Cognito exchange for each request.

Compare the models

Mode	Base URL	Auth model	Best for
Direct API	https://api.crittoraapis.com	Bearer token auth after Cognito login	Teams that want explicit control over token lifecycle and SDK configuration
Managed API	https://managed.crittoraapis.com/v1	username, password, api_key, access_key, secret_key on each request	Teams that want a simpler hosted integration path

When to choose Direct API

Your backend already manages session and token lifecycles.
You want to use a direct runtime SDK such as @crittora/sdk-js or crittora-sdk-python.
You want explicit timeout, retry, and auth-provider control in code.

When to choose Managed API

You want the fastest hosted path to production.
You are comfortable sending request-time credentials from a trusted backend.
You want the endpoint docs to match your exact request shape out of the box.

Start here

Request shapes

Direct API

Token-based requests from your backend with JS, Python, or raw HTTP

Managed API

Hosted Cognito interaction handled by Crittora