API gateway comparison
Apigee vs. Layer7
Are you finding it challenging to choose a vendor for your API gateway, and are you struggling to make a decision? Our team of experts has conducted a comprehensive analysis and we are here to assist you in finding the best API gateway that suits your needs.
Comparison
Apigee
Layer7
API7 Enterprise
Architecture
Cloud-native (Google Cloud), uses distributed architecture for auto-scaling
Modular architecture with a strong focus on security and policy enforcement, but not cloud-native
Built on NGINX/LuaJIT, lightweight and high-performance with etcd as a storage center
API Management Capabilities
Full API lifecycle management, but relies on the Google Cloud ecosystem and less focus on deep system integration
Focuses on security and governance, suited for regulated industries with legacy system integration
High-performance API gateway, extensible via plugins, cloud-native friendly, flexible enough to be integrated with third-party tools for extendibility
Performance & Scalability
Cloud-based auto-scaling, is dependent on Google Cloud infrastructure
Robust for enterprise needs but less optimized for cloud-native scalability
Built on Apache APISIX, ultra-high performance, excels in high-traffic scenarios, and is horizontally scalable and Kubernetes-native
Deployment Flexibility
Cloud-native (Google Cloud) with hybrid support via Apigee Hybrid but the initial setup can be complex
On-prem, cloud, or hybrid; excels in legacy system integration but instance increases installation complexity
Easy installation with flexible deployment, supports multi-cloud, hybrid-cloud, and edge environments
Cost Structure
Subscription-based, costs scale with traffic, can be expensive, especially for smaller businesses or startups
Customized pricing for larger enterprises based on API volume and services
Low total cost of ownership due to its open-source core, pay-for-support model, cost-effective at scale
Developer Experience
Could be more user-friendly, the production automation in Apigee is quite time-consuming
As the number of instances increases, the complexity of installation increases if you do not use the Open Virtual Appliance
Provides extensive documentation and tutorials to assist developers, minimizing the learning curve for new users
Developer Portal
Apigee Integrated Portal, a simple self-service portal development with user-friendly UI
Layer7 API Developer Portal supports API discovery and development but is not intuitive enough
Declarative YAML/JSON configuration, ideal for Kubernetes users, less GUI (Graphical user interface)-driven
Vendor Lock-in
Tightly integrated with Google Cloud infrastructure while hybrid deployments still rely on Google Cloud control plane
Proprietary system with tight integration into Broadcom ecosystem, which may lead to lock-in
Based on Apache APISIX, which is fully open source and licensed under the Apache 2.0 License, Kubernetes-native and multi-cloud friendly
Plugins
Custom JavaScript/Java policies and limited pre-built plugins while offering a range of built-in policies that function similarly to plugins
Provides various out-of-the-box policies for threat protection and identity federation but requires custom development
Open-source plugin ecosystem, including custom plugins, security, observability, and authentication, and allows plugin development in multiple languages
Security
Advanced threat protection, OAuth, JWT, and Google Cloud security integration
Advanced threat protection, compliance (GDPR, HIPAA)r
Supports JWT, OIDC, OAuth2, IP whitelisting, mTLS, and FIPS 140-2 compliance
CI/CD Integrations
Offers API-first CI/CD, REST APIs for deployment automation, Terraform support
Offers integration capabilities with CI/CD tools, enabling automated API deployment and policy management
Declarative YAML/JSON configurations, Helm charts for Kubernetes, offers native integration with ArgoCD, Jenkins, and GitHub CI/CD
Community Support
Official Google Cloud support, forums, and paid SLAs, limited open-source contributions
As part of Broadcom, Layer7 provides substantial support resources, including detailed documentation and customer support channels
Active open-source Apache APISIX community, vendor-backed enterprise support with contributions to the Apache project
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