Which API gateway to choose?
Summary
In the previous posts we have discussed what role APIs play within the modern technology stack and what is API gateway architecture pattern.
Increasing adoption of API platforms and API first platform design has introduced an array of different API management products.
Multiple vendors have produced great amount of specific documentation and overviews related to their API management platforms. But in the most cases, they concentrate on the single product they produce.
This page maintains a curated list of popular API Management products and their comparison.
Its aimed at providing initial guidance to technology leaders, architects and engineering leads who are evaluating API gateway products for their organization tech stacks.
API Gateway Products
- Apache APISIX
- Apigee API Management
- CA API Gateway
- IBM API Connect
- 3 Scale
- Software AG API Gateway
- MuleSoft Anypoint API Management
- TIBCO Mashery
- Axway - AMPLIFY API Management
- Akana API Management
- SAP API Manager
- Oracle API Manager
- AWS API Gateway
- Azure API Gateway
- Akamai API Gateway
- Sensedia API Management Platform
- Zuplo API Management platform
- WSO2 API Manager (open source)
- Tyk API Gateway (open source)
- Kong API Gateway (open source)
- API Man (open source)
- Fusio API Management (open source)
- Express API Gateway (open source)
- Loopback API Framework (open source)
The List
| Product | Description | Deployment | Code | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache APISIX | Apache APISIX is an open source API gateway. It focuses on rich traffic management like canary releases, circuit breaking and observability. | Cloud based SaaS and on-premise installation | Open source. Apache APISIX is maintained in open source repository. | Apache APISIX documentation pages. Current releases available to download here. |
| Apigee Edge | Apigee Edge enables API platform delivery, management, and analytics. Aquired by Google in 2016 | Cloud based SaaS and on-premise installation | Closed source. Apigee maintains open source element of their platform called Micro gateway. | Apigee Edge documentation site. |
| CA API Gateway | API Management product built by CA technologies. Aimed at enterprise API management. | Cloud based SaaS and on-premise installation | Closed source. | CA API Management product documentation |
| IBM API Connect | API management offering from IBM Cloud. Offers out of the box integration with Cloud Foundry and OpenWhisk. | Cloud based SaaS, managed private cloud or on-premise | Closed source. | API Connect documentation |
| 3Scale | Nginx and OpenResty web framework based product. RedHat bought 3Scale in 2017. | Cloud based SaaS or on-premise | Closed source with open source components | RedHat 3Scale documentation |
| Webmethods Gateway | API gateway product created by SoftwareAG. | Cloud based SaaS or on-premise | Closed source. | Not available for public consumption |
| Anypoint API Manager | Product created by MuleSoft. Salesforce bought Mulesoft in 2018. | Cloud based SaaS or on-premise | Open source community edition. Closed source commertial components | Anypoint API Manager documentation |
| Tibco Mashery | Mashery API Management - part of TIBCO Cloud Platform | Cloud based SaaS or on-premise | Closed source | Not available for public consumption |
| Axway API Manager | Part of Axway AMPLIFY cloud integration platform. | Cloud based SaaS or on-premise | Closed source | Not available for public consumption |
| Akana API Management Solution | Provided by RogueWave - enterprise software development company. Company offers API management as part of Akana platform. | On-premise, Virtual applliance | Closed source | Akana Documentation Repository |
| SAP API Management | Part of SAP Cloud platform. | Cloud based SaaS or on-premise | Closed source | Not available for public consumption |
| Oracle API Manager | Product by Oracle and is tightly coupled with Oracle SOA Suite / SOA Cloud Services. | Cloud based SaaS or on-premise | Closed source | Oracle API Manager documentation |
| Amazon API Gateway | Amazon API gateway is part of AWS product suite. | Cloud based | Closed source | Large set of public documentation aimed at developers and architects. |
| Azure API Management | Azure API Management is part of Microsoft Azure cloud offering. | Cloud based or on-premise | Closed source | Azure API Management documentation. |
| Akamai API Gateway | Akamai mostly known for their CDN now have API gateway product. | Cloud based | Closed source | Akamai API gateway overview. |
| Sensedia API Management Platform | Sensedia is consultancy who has introduced their own API gateway product. | Cloud based | Closed source | API platform overview. |
| Zuplo API Management Platform | Zuplo is a modern, light-weight and fully-managed API Management platform. Focusing on GitOps and fast deployments (integration to SDLC) | Cloud based | Closed source | Zuplo platform documentation. |
| WSO2 API Manager | WSO2 API Manager is an open source enterprise platform for full API lifecycle management. | Cloud based and on-premise | Open source (Ballerina lang) | WSO2 API Manager roadmap and docs. |
| Tyk API Gateway | Tyk is a new generation, open source API gateway product. | Cloud based and on-premise | Open source (Go lang) | Tyk.io docs. |
| Kong API Gateway | Kong API Gateway is an open source API gateway based on Nginx and OpenResty. | On premise | Open source (Nginx + Lua) | Kong API Gateway documentation. Getting started with Kong tutorials |
| APIMan | APIMan is an open source project maintained by RedHat as rich API management component. | On premise | Open source (Java / JBoss) | APIMan documentation. |
| Fusio API Management | Open source API management platform which provides tools to quickly build an API from different data sources. | On premise | Open source (PHP) | Fusio documentation. |
| Express Gateway | Express Gateway is an open source API gateway project using Nodejs runtime and ExpressJS middleware framework. | On premise | Open source (NodeJS) | Express Gateway documentation. |
| Loopback framework | Created by Strongloop its an open source framework for building APIs and integrations Strongloop were aquired by IBM in 2016. | On premise | Open source (NodeJS) | Loopback framework documentation. |
If you would like to recommend a API gateway to be added to the above list - let us know.