API gateway comparison
Apigee vs. WSO2
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
WSO2
API7 Enterprise
Architecture
Cloud-native (Google Cloud), uses distributed architecture for auto-scaling
Java-based runtime, resource-intensive
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
Full lifecycle + API-first design, integrated with WSO2 ecosystem (ESB, identity)
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
Handles high traffic but requires manual scaling and optimization
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
Supports multi-cloud, on-prem, and hybrid environments, but is challenging in API Manager setup, especially with HA configurations
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
Open-source core and paid enterprise support, training and customization costs might be hidden costs
Low total cost of ownership due to its open-source core, pay-for-support model, cost-effective at scale
Developer Portal
Apigee Integrated Portal, a simple self-service portal development with user-friendly UI
Feature-rich portal with monetization and social features
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
Moderate lock-in due to proprietary components but mitigated by open-source flexibility
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
Limited plugins but strong customization for industry-specific use cases
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
Built-in policy enforcement, supports OAuth2, OIDC, SAML via WSO2 Identity Server
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
WSO2 CI/CD toolkit, Jenkins, Kubernetes, supports Azure DevOps, Maven
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
Active forums, conferences, WSO2 community, and paid enterprise SLAs
Active open-source Apache APISIX community, vendor-backed enterprise support with contributions to the Apache project
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