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Software · head to head

3scale vs Airbyte

3scale logo

3scale

Software

API management platform for designing, securing, and monetizing APIs

From
$300/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Airbyte logo

Airbyte

Software

The open-source ELT platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Airbyte has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 3scale red Hat's managed 3scale services end on 30 June 2027, so anyone adopting the hosted option now is choosing a product with a published end date; Airbyte the self-managed open source Core edition has no SSO or RBAC, no multiple workspaces, no row filtering or encryption, and no monitoring integrations
  • They diverge on capability: 3scale covers API Gateway, Airbyte covers Data replication.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 3scale and Airbyte actually diverge.

Attributes where 3scale and Airbyte differ
Attribute3scaleAirbyte
Starting price$300/monthlyFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premises, HybridWeb, Self-hosted
Founded19932020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 3scale

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • API Monetization
  • Red Hat OpenShift
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Kubernetes
  • Cloud support

Only in Airbyte

  • Data replication
  • Schema detection
  • ELT pipelines
  • Real-time sync
  • Data transformation
  • Monitoring
  • Custom connectors
  • 300+ connectors

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

3scale

  • API gateway and lifecycle managementnot Airbyte
  • Rate limiting and traffic control across API consumersnot Airbyte
  • Developer portal and access key managementnot Airbyte
  • Monetising APIs with usage-based plansnot Airbyte
  • Hybrid deployment across on-premises and cloudnot Airbyte

Airbyte

  • Replicating data from SaaS applications into a warehousenot 3scale
  • Self-hosting an open source ELT pipelinenot 3scale
  • Managed data replication without running infrastructurenot 3scale
  • Building connectors for sources without an off-the-shelf integrationnot 3scale

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

3scale

  • Red Hat's managed 3scale services end on 30 June 2027, so anyone adopting the hosted option now is choosing a product with a published end date
  • Sold as part of Red Hat middleware rather than standalone, and 3scale.net redirects into redhat.com
  • Pricing is not published and a subscription is required for some services

Airbyte

  • The self-managed open source Core edition has no SSO or RBAC, no multiple workspaces, no row filtering or encryption, and no monitoring integrations
  • Sync frequency on Core is limited compared with the managed tiers, which offer 15 minute syncs
  • Support on the free tier is community and AI only; premium support requires Pro or Enterprise
  • The free Agents plan stops at 1,000 agent operations a month and pauses capacity until the next month once hit
  • Agent overages are billed per operation at $0.004 to $0.005 once past the plan allowance

Pricing, plan by plan

3scale

$300/monthly
  • Starter$300/monthly
    • API gateway
    • Developer portal
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$750/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • API monetization
    • Enhanced support
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated support
    • Premium SLA

Airbyte

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Self-hosted
    • Community support
    • Full features
  • Cloud$50/month
    • Cloud hosted
    • Email support
  • Enterprise$500/month
    • Dedicated support
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose 3scale if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
  • You also want developer portal.
3scale review

Choose Airbyte if

  • You need data replication.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want schema detection.
Airbyte review

Questions people ask

Is 3scale or Airbyte better?
Neither clearly leads. 3scale starts at $300/monthly and Airbyte at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3scale or Airbyte?
Airbyte has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $300/monthly for 3scale and Free for Airbyte.
Does 3scale or Airbyte run on more platforms?
3scale runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. Airbyte runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Airbyte for free?
Yes. Airbyte has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 3scale starts at $300/monthly.
What is 3scale best used for?
3scale is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management, rate limiting and traffic control across api consumers, developer portal and access key management, monetising apis with usage-based plans. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management and rate limiting and traffic control across api consumers are not what Airbyte is typically brought in for.
What can 3scale do that Airbyte cannot?
3scale covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Monetization, Red Hat OpenShift. Airbyte covers Data replication, Schema detection, ELT pipelines, Real-time sync.
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