Software · head to head
3scale vs Asyncapi
3scale
Software
API management platform for designing, securing, and monetizing APIs
- From
- $300/monthly
- Rated
- -
Asyncapi
Software
Specification and tools for defining asynchronous APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Asyncapi 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; Asyncapi complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature
- They diverge on capability: 3scale covers API Gateway, Asyncapi covers API Specification.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 3scale and Asyncapi actually diverge.
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 Asyncapi
- API Specification
- Code generation
- Documentation
- Multiple messaging protocols
- Code generators
- Specification support
- Tools support
- CLI support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
3scale
- API gateway and lifecycle managementnot Asyncapi
- Rate limiting and traffic control across API consumersnot Asyncapi
- Developer portal and access key managementnot Asyncapi
- Monetising APIs with usage-based plansnot Asyncapi
- Hybrid deployment across on-premises and cloudnot Asyncapi
Asyncapi
- API Developmentnot 3scale
- API Gatewaynot 3scale
- API Testingnot 3scale
- API Documentationnot 3scale
- Microservicesnot 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
Asyncapi
- Complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature
- Keeping AsyncAPI documents up to date is challenging as systems evolve
- Tracing and debugging asynchronous operations is more difficult than synchronous request-response patterns
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
Asyncapi
Free- Open SourceFree
- AsyncAPI specification
- Tools
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose 3scale if
- You need api gateway.
- You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
- You also want developer portal.
Choose Asyncapi if
- You need api specification.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions.
- You also want code generation.
Questions people ask
- Is 3scale or Asyncapi better?
- Neither clearly leads. 3scale starts at $300/monthly and Asyncapi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 3scale or Asyncapi?
- Asyncapi has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $300/monthly for 3scale and Free for Asyncapi.
- Does 3scale or Asyncapi run on more platforms?
- 3scale runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. Asyncapi runs on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions.
- Can I use Asyncapi for free?
- Yes. Asyncapi 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 Asyncapi is typically brought in for.
- What can 3scale do that Asyncapi cannot?
- 3scale covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Monetization, Red Hat OpenShift. Asyncapi covers API Specification, Code generation, Documentation, Multiple messaging protocols.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Asyncapi: What is AsyncAPI used for?
AsyncAPI is an open-source specification for defining and documenting asynchronous APIs, message-driven systems, and event-driven architectures. It serves the same purpose for async APIs as OpenAPI does for REST APIs, providing standardized documentation, code generation, and tooling.
SourceAsyncapi: Is AsyncAPI free to use?
Yes, AsyncAPI is completely free and open-source. It is hosted by the Linux Foundation and supported by community contributions and sponsorships from companies like Postman, IBM, IQVIA Technology, and Solace.
SourceAsyncapi: What protocols and technologies does AsyncAPI support?
AsyncAPI supports multiple protocols and technologies including Kafka, RabbitMQ, MQTT, Socket.IO, AWS EventBridge, and others. It provides language support for JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, C#/.NET, Kotlin, and PHP.
SourceAsyncapi: Does AsyncAPI have IDE support?
Yes, AsyncAPI has IDE extensions available for VSCode and IntelliJ, along with CLI utilities and GitHub Actions integration for developers.
Source