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Software · head to head

3scale vs Amazon Connect

3scale logo

3scale

Software

API management platform for designing, securing, and monetizing APIs

From
$300/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Amazon Connect logo

Amazon Connect

Software

Cloud contact center from AWS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amazon Connect 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; Amazon Connect telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call
  • They diverge on capability: 3scale covers API Gateway, Amazon Connect covers Voice.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 3scale and Amazon Connect actually diverge.

Attributes where 3scale and Amazon Connect differ
Attribute3scaleAmazon Connect
Starting price$300/monthlyFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premises, HybridWeb
Founded19932006

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 Amazon Connect

  • Voice
  • Chat
  • Tasks
  • ML-powered analytics
  • Contact Lens
  • Outbound campaigns
  • Forecasting
  • Salesforce

What people use each for

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

3scale

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

Amazon Connect

  • Cloud contact centre with no per-seat licencenot 3scale
  • Voice, chat, email and SMS in one queuenot 3scale
  • Conversational analytics and agent assistnot 3scale
  • Outbound campaigns and automated contactnot 3scale
  • Workforce scheduling for contact centre agentsnot 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

Amazon Connect

  • Telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call
  • Every channel is metered individually: $0.010 per chat message, $0.080 per email and $0.014 per SMS
  • Rates vary by region and by third-party provider, so a published figure is indicative rather than final
  • Cost tracks contact volume, which makes forecasting hard for a queue with seasonal peaks

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

Amazon Connect

Free
  • Pay-as-you-go$0.018/minute
    • Voice minutes
    • Free tier available
    • No upfront costs

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 Amazon Connect if

  • You need voice.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want chat.
Amazon Connect review

Questions people ask

Is 3scale or Amazon Connect better?
Neither clearly leads. 3scale starts at $300/monthly and Amazon Connect at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3scale or Amazon Connect?
Amazon Connect has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $300/monthly for 3scale and Free for Amazon Connect.
Does 3scale or Amazon Connect run on more platforms?
3scale runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. Amazon Connect runs on Web.
Can I use Amazon Connect for free?
Yes. Amazon Connect 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 Amazon Connect is typically brought in for.
What can 3scale do that Amazon Connect cannot?
3scale covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Monetization, Red Hat OpenShift. Amazon Connect covers Voice, Chat, Tasks, ML-powered analytics.
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