Top 11 API Gateways Compared (2026)
By API7.ai Team
Last updated: July 2026
An API gateway is the entry point that routes, secures, and governs API traffic. The right one depends on whether you want open source or managed, self-hosted or cloud, a lean proxy or a full platform. This guide compares eleven leading API gateways — by type, license, architecture, and best fit.
The best API gateway depends on your environment. Apache APISIX leads for a fast, fully open-source, self-hosted gateway; Kong for a mature ecosystem with managed Konnect; Amazon API Gateway for serverless on AWS; Apigee for enterprise API programs on Google Cloud; Tyk for an open-source Go gateway with GraphQL; and Gloo Gateway for Kubernetes-native Envoy. Enterprise and cloud-specific options round out the list, in no strict ranking.
- A fast, fully open-source, self-hosted gateway: Apache APISIX
- A mature ecosystem + managed SaaS: Kong
- Serverless APIs on AWS: Amazon API Gateway
- Enterprise API programs on Google Cloud: Google Apigee
- Kubernetes-native Envoy + Gateway API: Solo.io Gloo Gateway
Top 11 API gateways at a glance
A quick comparison by type, open-source scope, and best fit. The list below is not a strict ranking — the right gateway depends on your environment and constraints.
| Dimension | Type | License | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apache APISIX | Self-hosted OSS (+ API7 Enterprise) | ✓ Apache-2.0 (ASF project) | A fast, fully open-source gateway |
| Kong Gateway | Self-managed + Konnect SaaS | Apache-2.0 core + Enterprise | Mature ecosystem + managed SaaS |
| Amazon API Gateway | Managed SaaS (AWS only) | Proprietary | Serverless APIs on AWS |
| Google Apigee | Managed SaaS (+ hybrid runtime) | Proprietary | Enterprise API programs on GCP |
| Tyk | OSS gateway + licensed Dashboard | ✓ MPL-2.0 (gateway) | OSS gateway + GraphQL/streaming |
| Solo.io Gloo Gateway | Kubernetes-native (OSS + Enterprise) | Apache-2.0 core (kgateway) | Kubernetes + Gateway API teams |
| MuleSoft Anypoint | Hybrid (SaaS CP + self-managed gateway) | Mule core CPAL; platform commercial | Integration + API management |
| Gravitee | OSS CE + Enterprise/Cloud | ✓ Apache-2.0 (core) | Event-driven APIs alongside REST |
| Boomi API Management | SaaS control plane + distributed runtimes | Proprietary | API governance on the Boomi iPaaS |
| Layer7 API Gateway | Enterprise self-hosted (on-prem/hybrid) | Proprietary | Regulated, on-prem enterprises |
| Alibaba Cloud API Gateway | Managed cloud (PaaS) | Proprietary | APIs on Alibaba Cloud (China/APAC) |
How we evaluated
This guide is published by API7, the company behind API7 Enterprise and the original creators of Apache APISIX. We include Apache APISIX honestly alongside competitors — each entry lists real strengths and honest limitations, and facts about other products are drawn from their official documentation.
- Open-source scope and license
- Performance and architecture
- Plugin and extensibility model
- Deployment: self-host, cloud, hybrid, or managed
- Protocol and API-type support
- Governance, security, and ecosystem
The 11 API gateways
1. Apache APISIX
The fully open-source, dynamic, high-performance API gateway
Type
Self-hosted OSS (+ API7 Enterprise)
License
Apache-2.0 (ASF top-level project)
Best for
A fast, fully open-source gateway
Disclosure: Apache APISIX was created by API7, which publishes this page, and donated to the Apache Software Foundation. It is a dynamic, high-performance API gateway on NGINX/OpenResty with an etcd config store, 100+ plugins, multi-language plugin support, a built-in dashboard, and AI plugins — all Apache-2.0.
Key features
- Dynamic config via etcd — routes and plugins apply in milliseconds, no reload, no database
- 100+ plugins in open source; custom plugins in Lua, Go, Java, Python, WebAssembly
- Broad protocols: HTTP/1.1–3, gRPC, WebSocket, TCP/UDP, MQTT, Dubbo; ~18,000 QPS/core
- Built-in dashboard, service discovery, observability, and AI/LLM plugins — all Apache-2.0
Where others may still be better: You install, upgrade, and operate it yourself, and the community edition has no console RBAC, audit, or SLA. For those, API7 Enterprise (commercial) or a managed cloud gateway may fit better.
Best fit: Teams that want a fast, dynamic, fully open-source gateway they can self-operate — with a commercial upgrade path via API7 Enterprise.
2. Kong Gateway
A mature, widely adopted gateway with a large plugin ecosystem
Type
Self-managed + Konnect SaaS
License
Apache-2.0 core + commercial Enterprise
Best for
Mature ecosystem + managed SaaS
Kong Gateway is an open-source API gateway on NGINX/OpenResty, backed by PostgreSQL or run DB-less, with a large Plugin Hub. Kong Inc. adds Kong Enterprise and the managed Kong Konnect platform on top of the open-source core.
Key features
- Open-source Kong Gateway core (Apache-2.0), governed by Kong Inc.
- Large Kong Plugin Hub (100+ plugins including partner and third-party)
- Deployment modes: traditional (PostgreSQL), DB-less, and hybrid CP/DP
- Managed Kong Konnect SaaS; Kong AI Gateway plugins for LLM traffic
Where others may still be better: RBAC, workspaces, OIDC, and the self-hosted developer portal require Kong Enterprise, and database-backed config propagates on a poll. A fully open-source gateway like APISIX keeps more capability in the core.
Best fit: Teams wanting a mature ecosystem and a managed SaaS control plane, comfortable adopting Kong Enterprise for advanced features.
3. Amazon API Gateway
A fully managed, serverless gateway tightly integrated with AWS
Type
Managed SaaS (AWS only)
License
Proprietary AWS service
Best for
Serverless/Lambda backends on AWS
Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed AWS service for creating REST, HTTP, and WebSocket APIs at any scale. It handles traffic management, authorization, throttling, and monitoring, and acts as a front door to backends like AWS Lambda — with no servers to run.
Key features
- Three API types: REST, HTTP (lightweight and cheaper), and WebSocket
- Authorization via IAM, Lambda authorizers, and Amazon Cognito
- Deep AWS integration: CloudWatch, CloudTrail, AWS WAF, X-Ray, CloudFront, CloudFormation
- Zero-ops, pay-per-use, with canary deployments and custom domains
Where others may still be better: It runs only on AWS — no self-hosting or multi-cloud — and is a gateway, not a full API-productization or monetization platform. REST APIs also cost more than the leaner HTTP APIs.
Best fit: Teams already on AWS building serverless or Lambda-fronted backends that want a zero-ops, pay-per-use gateway.
4. Google Apigee
A full-lifecycle enterprise API management platform on Google Cloud
Type
Managed SaaS (+ hybrid runtime)
License
Proprietary Google Cloud product
Best for
Enterprise API programs on Google Cloud
Apigee is Google Cloud’s API management platform for developing, securing, deploying, and scaling APIs. It offers API proxy management, traffic and security policies, a developer portal, analytics, and monetization — delivered fully managed (Apigee X) or as a hybrid model with a customer-run Kubernetes runtime.
Key features
- API proxy management with standard and extensible proxies
- Hybrid runtime: Google-hosted control plane plus a customer-run Kubernetes data plane
- Developer portal, analytics, and API monetization
- Enterprise controls: data residency and customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK)
Where others may still be better: It is a full enterprise platform, not a lightweight or free gateway; the control plane is always Google-hosted (no air-gap), and the hybrid runtime pushes Kubernetes and Cassandra operations onto you. Cost modeling is complex.
Best fit: Large enterprises on Google Cloud needing full lifecycle management, productization, and monetization — not just a proxy.
5. Tyk
A fully open-source Go gateway with GraphQL and event streaming
Type
OSS gateway + licensed Dashboard
License
MPL-2.0 gateway + commercial Dashboard
Best for
OSS gateway + GraphQL/streaming
Tyk Gateway is an open-source (MPL-2.0), Go-based API gateway that runs on Redis. The Tyk Dashboard, Developer Portal, RBAC, and multi-data-center bridge are licensed. Tyk is known for polyglot plugins, native GraphQL Federation, and Tyk Streams.
Key features
- Open-source Go gateway (MPL-2.0) on a lightweight Redis runtime
- Polyglot plugins: Go, gRPC (any language), JavaScript, Python, Lua
- Native GraphQL Federation and Universal Data Graph; Tyk Streams (Kafka/WebSocket/SSE)
- Tyk AI Studio (multi-provider LLM gateway) and an MCP gateway
Where others may still be better: The management layer — Dashboard, developer portal, RBAC, and MDCB — is licensed rather than open source, SCIM is not documented, and the Dashboard adds a MongoDB or PostgreSQL datastore.
Best fit: Teams wanting a fully open-source gateway with strong GraphQL and event-streaming, licensing the Dashboard for management.
6. Solo.io Gloo Gateway
An Envoy-based, Kubernetes-native gateway on the CNCF kgateway project
Type
Kubernetes-native (OSS + Enterprise)
License
Apache-2.0 core (kgateway)
Best for
Kubernetes + Gateway API teams
Gloo Gateway is Solo.io’s Envoy-based, Kubernetes-native API gateway and a conformant Kubernetes Gateway API implementation. Its open-source core was donated to the CNCF as kgateway (accepted in 2025); Solo sells an Enterprise edition with advanced security, multicluster, and AI-gateway features on top.
Key features
- Conformant Kubernetes Gateway API implementation on Envoy
- Traffic management: retries, timeouts, health checks, and transformations
- Enterprise security suite: WAF, DLP, external auth, JWT, OPA, global rate limiting
- Enterprise multicluster federation, admin dashboard, developer portal, and AI Gateway
Where others may still be better: Its control plane requires Kubernetes (the Envoy data plane can run on VMs in enterprise hybrid mode), and most production security and governance is Enterprise-gated. The open-source project is CNCF-sandbox maturity and mid-rename from Gloo to kgateway.
Best fit: Platform and DevOps teams standardized on Kubernetes and the Gateway API who want an Envoy gateway and will buy enterprise features for advanced use.
7. MuleSoft Anypoint
A unified iPaaS and full-lifecycle API management platform (Salesforce)
Type
Hybrid (SaaS control plane + self-managed gateway)
License
Mule core CPAL; platform commercial
Best for
Integration + API management in one
MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is Salesforce’s unified platform combining integration (iPaaS) and full-lifecycle API management. API Manager is the control plane, and the Omni Gateway (formerly Flex Gateway), an Envoy-based gateway, enforces policies across APIs running in any environment.
Key features
- Omni Gateway (formerly Flex Gateway): Envoy-based; Linux, Docker, or Kubernetes; connected or local mode
- API Manager control plane: apply policy changes instantly with no downtime
- Prebuilt policies: OAuth2, IP allow/deny, rate limiting, and SLA-based tiers
- iPaaS breadth: hundreds of prebuilt connectors to apps and systems
Where others may still be better: It is an enterprise integration suite — heavier and more complex than a standalone gateway; only the Mule runtime core is open source (CPAL), and pricing is sales-led with no public list.
Best fit: Large enterprises (especially Salesforce customers) needing integration plus API management across many systems, not just an edge gateway.
8. Gravitee
Event-native API management for REST and async (Kafka/MQTT)
Type
OSS Community Edition + Enterprise/Cloud
License
Apache-2.0 core + commercial Enterprise
Best for
Event-driven APIs alongside REST
Gravitee is an open-source (Apache-2.0) API management platform that treats event-driven and async protocols — Kafka, MQTT, WebSocket — as first-class alongside REST, with a companion Access Management product. It is self-hostable as the Community Edition or run via the managed Gravitee Cloud.
Key features
- Full API lifecycle: design, publish, document, discover, secure, and analytics
- Event-native async APIs — Kafka, MQTT, RabbitMQ, Solace, WebSocket (Enterprise Edition)
- Companion Access Management; Dynamic Client Registration and OIDC SSO (Enterprise)
- Self-hosted Community Edition (Apache-2.0) or managed Gravitee Cloud
Where others may still be better: The headline event-native/async capability is Enterprise-gated — the free Community Edition is REST-centric, and enterprise observability, secrets, and multi-environment management require a license.
Best fit: Organizations managing event-driven and async APIs (Kafka/MQTT) alongside REST that want combined API management and access management.
9. Boomi API Management
Integration-native API management inside the Boomi iPaaS
Type
SaaS control plane + distributed runtimes
License
Proprietary
Best for
API governance on the Boomi platform
Boomi API Management is a module of the Boomi Enterprise Platform (iPaaS). It lets teams expose versioned REST, SOAP, and OData APIs and then secure, route, and monitor them through an API Gateway and Developer Portal, with low-code design tied to Boomi integrations.
Key features
- API Gateway providing a single entry point for security, traffic management, and observability
- Versioned API lifecycle with auto-generated OpenAPI and WSDL specs
- Policy management (quotas, rate limits), API discovery, and security scoring
- Developer Portal and real-time API analytics
Where others may still be better: It is a platform module, not a standalone best-of-breed gateway, so value is maximized inside the Boomi ecosystem; APIs run on Boomi runtimes, and cost is metered by the shared “Boomi Message” unit.
Best fit: Organizations already on Boomi iPaaS that want to expose and govern their integrations as managed APIs with low-code effort.
10. Layer7 API Gateway
A security-hardened enterprise gateway for regulated industries (Broadcom)
Type
Enterprise self-hosted (on-prem/hybrid)
License
Proprietary (Broadcom)
Best for
Regulated, on-prem enterprises
Layer7 API Gateway is Broadcom’s enterprise API gateway (formerly CA API Gateway). It enforces authentication, authorization, threat protection, message validation, transformation, and routing at a central policy point, deployable as a software install, appliance, virtual appliance, or a containerized Container Gateway on Kubernetes.
Key features
- Runtime policy enforcement: authentication, authorization, key management, integrity
- Threat protection and content inspection, including SOAP-attachment virus scanning
- The visual Policy Manager integrating PKI, identity, SSO, and federation
- Multiple form factors including a lightweight Container Gateway for Kubernetes and CI/CD
Where others may still be better: It is heavyweight to operate — customer-run infrastructure plus a MySQL database, with strong SOAP/XML heritage; the Developer Portal is a separate licensed product, and pricing is quote-only.
Best fit: Large, regulated enterprises (finance, government, healthcare) needing a security-hardened, on-prem/hybrid gateway that integrates with existing PKI and identity.
11. Alibaba Cloud API Gateway
A fully managed cloud gateway integrated with Alibaba Cloud
Type
Managed cloud (PaaS)
License
Proprietary
Best for
APIs on Alibaba Cloud (China/APAC)
Alibaba Cloud API Gateway is a managed PaaS that hosts APIs across their full lifecycle, integrated with Alibaba Cloud compute, security, and AI services. It comes in a Traditional series and a newer Envoy-based Cloud-native series, with serverless and dedicated instance options.
Key features
- Managed API hosting fronting Function Compute, ECS/SLB, and VPC backends
- Auth (App key HMAC, JWT/OIDC), throttling, and a security suite (WAF, Anti-DDoS, IDaaS)
- Cloud-native series: Envoy-based, Kubernetes-Ingress-compatible, with WebSocket APIs
- Built-in observability and multi-AZ high availability
Where others may still be better: Value is tied to the Alibaba Cloud ecosystem (lock-in), it is not self-hostable, and the Traditional vs Cloud-native two-series split creates a selection and migration decision.
Best fit: Teams building on Alibaba Cloud — especially in China and APAC — needing a managed, scalable gateway integrated with Alibaba Cloud services.
Frequently asked questions
Related comparisons
Top 5 API management platforms · Apache APISIX vs Kong · All gateway comparisons
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