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API Management · head to head

3scale vs CircleCI

3scale logo

3scale

API Management

API management platform for designing, securing, and monetizing APIs

From
$300/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CircleCI logo

CircleCI

Testing & QA

The leading CI/CD platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CircleCI 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; CircleCI the free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month

Where they differ

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

Attributes where 3scale and CircleCI differ
Attribute3scaleCircleCI
Starting price$300/monthlyFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premises, HybridWeb
CategoryAPI ManagementTesting & QA
Founded19932011

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

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 CircleCI

Nothing recorded that 3scale does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

3scale

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

CircleCI

  • Continuous integration pipelines for application codenot 3scale
  • Parallel test execution across containersnot 3scale
  • Docker-based builds with layer cachingnot 3scale
  • Deployment pipelines with approval gatesnot 3scale
  • Self-hosted runners for private infrastructurenot 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

CircleCI

  • The free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month
  • Active users are billed at $15 each beyond the included five, and an active user is anyone who commits to a project
  • Everything runs on credits, so compute, Docker layer caching at 200 credits a job and IP ranges at 450 credits per GB all draw from the same pool
  • Network and storage overage costs 420 credits per GB
  • Free credits expire monthly with no rollover, and paid credits expire after a year
  • Scale is annual billing only

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

CircleCI

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CircleCI review.

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 CircleCI if

  • You want to start without paying.
CircleCI review

Questions people ask

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