API Management · head to head
Akana vs AWS API Gateway
Akana
API Management
Enterprise API lifecycle management platform
- From
- $2500/monthly
- Rated
- -
AWS API Gateway
API Management
Fully managed API gateway service for creating and managing APIs at scale
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only AWS API Gateway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Akana owned by Perforce and sold within their portfolio rather than independently, and akana.com redirects to perforce.com; AWS API Gateway rEST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer
- They diverge on capability: Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Akana and AWS API Gateway actually diverge.
| Attribute | Akana | AWS API Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $2500/monthly | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid | AWS Cloud |
| Founded | 2001 | 2006 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).
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 Akana
- API Lifecycle Management
- API Security
- Governance Controls
- OAuth
- SAML
- LDAP
- Active Directory
- Cloud support
Only in AWS API Gateway
- REST APIs
- WebSocket APIs
- HTTP APIs
- Lambda
- EC2
- DynamoDB
- CloudWatch
- IAM
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Akana
- API lifecycle management across REST, SOAP and GraphQLnot AWS API Gateway
- Applying OAuth, JWT and SAML policies at the gatewaynot AWS API Gateway
- Running the same platform on-premises, in Kubernetes or across cloudsnot AWS API Gateway
- Developer portal and API monetisationnot AWS API Gateway
- Monitoring API traffic and enforcing quotasnot AWS API Gateway
AWS API Gateway
- Fronting Lambda functions with an HTTP endpointnot Akana
- REST and HTTP API management with throttling and keysnot Akana
- WebSocket APIs for real-time clientsnot Akana
- Private APIs reachable only inside a VPCnot Akana
- Publishing a developer portal for API consumersnot Akana
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Akana
- Owned by Perforce and sold within their portfolio rather than independently, and akana.com redirects to perforce.com
- Pricing is not published; only a 30 day trial is offered
AWS API Gateway
- REST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer
- Data transfer out is charged at $0.09 per GB on top of request pricing
- WebSocket APIs bill connection minutes as well as messages, at $0.25 per million minutes
- Private APIs avoid data transfer charges but incur AWS PrivateLink costs instead
- The developer portal is $125 a month, with additional portal products at $12.50 each
- The free tier lasts 12 months rather than being ongoing
Pricing, plan by plan
Akana
$2500/monthly- Professional$2500/monthly
- API Gateway
- Developer Portal
- Basic analytics
- Enterprise$5000/monthly
- Advanced governance
- Multi-cloud support
- Premium support
- Custom$undefined/monthly
- Custom solutions
- Dedicated support
- SLA guarantee
AWS API Gateway
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M requests per month
- Basic API management
- Pay-as-you-go$3.5/per 1M requests
- Unlimited requests
- HTTP APIs
- REST APIs
Which should you pick?
Choose Akana if
- You need api lifecycle management.
- You work on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
- You also want api security.
Choose AWS API Gateway if
- You need rest apis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on AWS Cloud.
- You also want websocket apis.
Questions people ask
- Is Akana or AWS API Gateway better?
- Neither clearly leads. Akana starts at $2500/monthly and AWS API Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Akana or AWS API Gateway?
- AWS API Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2500/monthly for Akana and Free for AWS API Gateway.
- Does Akana or AWS API Gateway run on more platforms?
- Akana runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid. AWS API Gateway runs on AWS Cloud.
- Can I use AWS API Gateway for free?
- Yes. AWS API Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Akana starts at $2500/monthly.
- What is Akana best used for?
- Akana is most often used for api lifecycle management across rest, soap and graphql, applying oauth, jwt and saml policies at the gateway, running the same platform on-premises, in kubernetes or across clouds, developer portal and api monetisation. Of those, api lifecycle management across rest, soap and graphql and applying oauth, jwt and saml policies at the gateway are not what AWS API Gateway is typically brought in for.
- What can Akana do that AWS API Gateway cannot?
- Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, API Security, Governance Controls, OAuth. AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, WebSocket APIs, HTTP APIs, Lambda.
Related pages
More on AWS API Gateway
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