Amazon API Gateway vs KrakenD API Gateway

Amazon API Gateway9.3Visit KrakenD API Gateway7.9Visit

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

vs

KrakenD API Gateway #16 in API Gateway Software 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit KrakenD

• Amazon API Gateway fits best

  AWS-native teams needing broad API management

• KrakenD API Gateway fits best

  Developers needing API aggregation and mediation

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Side by side

Feature	Amazon API Gateway 9.3/10 Visit ↗	KrakenD API Gateway 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	7.9
Ranking	#2 in API Gateway Software	#16 in API Gateway Software
Best for	AWS-native teams needing broad API management	Developers needing API aggregation and mediation
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	—
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Linux, Windows, macOS
Support	Docs, Community	Email, Community, Docs · 24/7
Compliance	SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS	SOC 2
Integrations	13 integrations	12 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Amazon API Gateway 2/2 · KrakenD API Gateway 2/2
Rate limiting	✓	✓
Request transformation	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Cloud	Hybrid
Supported protocols	HTTP, REST, WebSocket	REST, HTTP, WebSockets, SOAP, gRPC, GraphQL, AMQP, Kafka, NATS
Authentication methods	IAM/SigV4, Amazon Cognito user pools, JWT/OIDC/OAuth 2.0, Lambda authorizers, API keys, mutual TLS	JWT, client credentials, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, API keys, Basic Authentication, mTLS
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	Free open-source Community Edition Aggregates, transforms, authenticates, and rate-limits API traffic Connects REST, gRPC, SOAP, GraphQL, messaging, and cloud services
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	Enterprise functionality requires a commercial edition Advanced enterprise support is tied to SLA-backed plans Its wide protocol scope may exceed a simple REST gateway's needs
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 →	KrakenD API Gateway is a stateless API gateway for teams managing microservices and complex API ecosystems. It is designed for developers who need to combine multiple backend responses behind an API, transform requests and responses, apply… 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

• KrakenD API Gateway — where it wins

  • Free open-source Community Edition
  • Aggregates, transforms, authenticates, and rate-limits API traffic
  • Connects REST, gRPC, SOAP, GraphQL, messaging, and cloud services

  Where it doesn't

  • Enterprise functionality requires a commercial edition
  • Advanced enterprise support is tied to SLA-backed plans
  • Its wide protocol scope may exceed a simple REST gateway's needs

• Amazon API Gateway9.3/10 · Paid

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

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• KrakenD API Gateway7.9/10 · Free plan

  A flexible gateway for composing services, controlling traffic, and connecting mixed protocols.

  Visit KrakenDFull verdict →