Apache APISIX vs MuleSoft Omni Gateway

Apache APISIX9.2Visit MuleSoft Omni Gateway9.1Visit

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

vs

MuleSoft Omni Gateway #4 in API Gateway Software 9.1/10 Pricing on request · 30-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 2 features Visit MuleSoft

• Apache APISIX fits best

  Open-source teams wanting broad protocol support

• MuleSoft Omni Gateway fits best

  Federated enterprises managing many gateways

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Apache APISIX 9.2/10 Visit ↗	MuleSoft Omni Gateway 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	9.1
Ranking	#3 in API Gateway Software	#4 in API Gateway Software
Best for	Open-source teams wanting broad protocol support	Federated enterprises managing many gateways
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	Pricing on request · 30-day trial
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Linux	Web, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Integrations	5 integrations	9 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Enterprise
Features Apache APISIX 2/2 · MuleSoft Omni 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	HTTP, WebSocket, SOAP, gRPC, GraphQL, OAS3 REST, MCP, A2A
Authentication methods	API key, JWT, Basic Authentication, OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect, HMAC, LDAP, CAS, Keycloak, Casdoor, forward authentication, multi-auth	Client ID enforcement, HTTP Basic Authentication, JWT validation, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect
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	Centralizes policy management and observability across gateway environments Supports HTTP, SOAP, gRPC, GraphQL, WebSocket, MCP, and A2A Adds authentication, rate limits, threat protection, and AI traffic controls
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	Pricing requires contact with sales rather than a published entry amount There is no free plan; the available trial lasts 30 days The broad governance focus may not suit teams needing a narrow gateway tool
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 →	MuleSoft Omni Gateway is an Envoy-based API gateway for organizations managing APIs across managed and self-managed environments. It provides centralized policy management, observability, routing, authentication, authorization, rate… 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

• MuleSoft Omni Gateway — where it wins

  • Centralizes policy management and observability across gateway environments
  • Supports HTTP, SOAP, gRPC, GraphQL, WebSocket, MCP, and A2A
  • Adds authentication, rate limits, threat protection, and AI traffic controls

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contact with sales rather than a published entry amount
  • There is no free plan; the available trial lasts 30 days
  • The broad governance focus may not suit teams needing a narrow gateway tool

• Apache APISIX9.2/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit Apache APISIXFull verdict →
• MuleSoft Omni Gateway9.1/10 · Pricing on request · 30-day trial

  A hybrid gateway and governance layer for enterprises coordinating multiple gateway products.

  Visit MuleSoftFull verdict →