Amazon API Gateway vs Alibaba Cloud API Gateway

Amazon API Gateway9.3Visit Alibaba Cloud API Gateway8.8Visit

Higher score Amazon API Gateway #2 in API Gateway Software 9.3/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit site

vs

Alibaba Cloud API Gateway #7 in API Gateway Software 8.8/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Alibaba Cloud

• Amazon API Gateway fits best

  AWS-native teams needing broad API management

• Alibaba Cloud API Gateway fits best

  Alibaba Cloud and Kubernetes users

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Side by side

Feature	Amazon API Gateway 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Alibaba Cloud API Gateway 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.8
Ranking	#2 in API Gateway Software	#7 in API Gateway Software
Best for	AWS-native teams needing broad API management	Alibaba Cloud and Kubernetes users
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	—	—
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Docs, Community	Live chat, Tickets, Docs
Compliance	SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS	GDPR
Integrations	13 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Amazon API Gateway 2/2 · Alibaba Cloud API Gateway 2/2
Rate limiting	✓	✓
Request transformation	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Cloud	Cloud
Supported protocols	HTTP, REST, WebSocket	HTTP, HTTPS, HTTP/2, HTTP/3, WebSocket, gRPC
Authentication methods	IAM/SigV4, Amazon Cognito user pools, JWT/OIDC/OAuth 2.0, Lambda authorizers, API keys, mutual TLS	AppCode, digest authentication, JWT, mutual TLS, custom authentication
Monthly request limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports HTTP, REST, and WebSocket APIs Offers IAM, Cognito, JWT, authorizers, API keys, and mutual TLS Connects with Lambda, CloudWatch, WAF, CloudFront, and other AWS services	Supports API lifecycle management, routing, authentication, and traffic controls Works with Kubernetes, WebSocket, gRPC, HTTP/3, and multiple backends Integrates with WAF, VPC, Nacos, Function Compute, and logging
Cons	Usage pricing varies by API type, region, volume, and related services Data transfer, connection minutes, and caching can add separate charges API Gateway Portals cost $125 per month	No free plan is available Pricing varies by region and billing model Dedicated gateway options use Chinese mainland reference pricing
Our verdict	Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed cloud service for creating, publishing, securing, monitoring, and operating APIs. It supports HTTP APIs, REST APIs, and WebSocket APIs, making it suitable for teams exposing backend functionality to… Read the review →	Alibaba Cloud API Gateway is a managed cloud service for publishing, routing, securing, and governing APIs. It is aimed at teams running general traffic or microservice scenarios on Alibaba Cloud, especially those using… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Amazon API Gateway — where it wins

  • Supports HTTP, REST, and WebSocket APIs
  • Offers IAM, Cognito, JWT, authorizers, API keys, and mutual TLS
  • Connects with Lambda, CloudWatch, WAF, CloudFront, and other AWS services

  Where it doesn't

  • Usage pricing varies by API type, region, volume, and related services
  • Data transfer, connection minutes, and caching can add separate charges
  • API Gateway Portals cost $125 per month

• Alibaba Cloud API Gateway — where it wins

  • Supports API lifecycle management, routing, authentication, and traffic controls
  • Works with Kubernetes, WebSocket, gRPC, HTTP/3, and multiple backends
  • Integrates with WAF, VPC, Nacos, Function Compute, and logging

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Pricing varies by region and billing model
  • Dedicated gateway options use Chinese mainland reference pricing

• Amazon API Gateway9.3/10 · Paid

  A broad AWS-native gateway for HTTP, REST, WebSocket, and private API workloads.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Alibaba Cloud API Gateway8.8/10 · Paid

  A cloud-managed gateway with strong Kubernetes, protocol, and traffic-control coverage.

  Visit Alibaba CloudFull verdict →