Apache APISIX vs Gravitee API Gateway

Apache APISIX9.2Visit Gravitee API Gateway8.0Visit

Higher score Apache APISIX #3 in API Gateway Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Apache APISIX

vs

Gravitee API Gateway #15 in API Gateway Software 8.0/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Gravitee

• Apache APISIX fits best

  Open-source teams wanting broad protocol support

• Gravitee API Gateway fits best

  Hybrid enterprises needing protocol-rich API management

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Side by side

Feature	Apache APISIX 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Gravitee API Gateway 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.0
Ranking	#3 in API Gateway Software	#15 in API Gateway Software
Best for	Open-source teams wanting broad protocol support	Hybrid enterprises needing protocol-rich API management
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	$2,500/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms	Linux	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs · 24/7
Integrations	5 integrations	11 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Apache APISIX 2/2 · Gravitee API Gateway 2/2
Rate limiting	✓	✓
Request transformation	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Self-hosted	Hybrid
Supported protocols	HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, UDP, WebSocket, gRPC, MQTT, HTTP/3, Dubbo	REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, WebSocket, Server-sent Events, Webhook
Authentication methods	API key, JWT, Basic Authentication, OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect, HMAC, LDAP, CAS, Keycloak, Casdoor, forward authentication, multi-auth	Keyless, API Key, Basic Authentication, OAuth2, JWT, Push, mutual TLS (mTLS), OIDC, SAML
Monthly request limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports HTTP, TCP, UDP, WebSocket, gRPC, MQTT, HTTP/3, and Dubbo Includes routing, load balancing, authentication, rate limiting, and transformations Offers Kubernetes integration, a dashboard, and 100+ gateway and AI plugins	Supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, WebSocket, SSE, and webhooks Combines authentication, traffic controls, mediation, resilience, and threat protection Offers cloud-hosted, self-hosted, and hybrid deployment with broad integrations
Cons	Deployment is self-hosted rather than vendor-hosted Linux is the listed operating-system platform Its broad configuration and plugin surface may require dedicated technical ownership	Planet starts at $2,500 per month Galaxy and Universe use contact-based pricing Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of narrow API gateway deployments
Our verdict	Apache APISIX is an open-source API and AI gateway for teams operating APIs, microservices, and multi-protocol traffic in cloud-native environments. It is designed for self-hosted deployment on Linux and supports traditional, decoupled,… Read the review →	Gravitee API Gateway is a runtime gateway and policy engine for organizations managing APIs across REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, WebSocket, server-sent events, webhooks, and event brokers. It fits hybrid enterprises that need centralized… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Apache APISIX — where it wins

  • Supports HTTP, TCP, UDP, WebSocket, gRPC, MQTT, HTTP/3, and Dubbo
  • Includes routing, load balancing, authentication, rate limiting, and transformations
  • Offers Kubernetes integration, a dashboard, and 100+ gateway and AI plugins

  Where it doesn't

  • Deployment is self-hosted rather than vendor-hosted
  • Linux is the listed operating-system platform
  • Its broad configuration and plugin surface may require dedicated technical ownership

• Gravitee API Gateway — where it wins

  • Supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, WebSocket, SSE, and webhooks
  • Combines authentication, traffic controls, mediation, resilience, and threat protection
  • Offers cloud-hosted, self-hosted, and hybrid deployment with broad integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Planet starts at $2,500 per month
  • Galaxy and Universe use contact-based pricing
  • Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of narrow API gateway deployments

• Apache APISIX9.2/10 · Free plan

  A self-hosted gateway for teams needing broad protocol support and extensible traffic controls.

  Visit Apache APISIXFull verdict →
• Gravitee API Gateway8.0/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A protocol-rich API gateway for hybrid estates, with paid plans starting at $2,500 monthly.

  Visit GraviteeFull verdict →