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APIs · head to head

Akana vs Cilium

Akana logo

Akana

APIs

Enterprise API lifecycle management platform

From
$2500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cilium logo

Cilium

Cloud

eBPF-based networking, observability and security for Kubernetes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cilium 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; Cilium requires a recent Linux kernel, which rules out older distributions and some managed environments
  • They diverge on capability: Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, Cilium covers eBPF datapath.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Akana and Cilium actually diverge.

Attributes where Akana and Cilium differ
AttributeAkanaCilium
Starting price$2500/monthlyFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, HybridKubernetes, Linux
CategoryAPIsCloud
Founded2001Unknown

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 Akana

  • API Lifecycle Management
  • API Security
  • Governance Controls
  • OAuth
  • SAML
  • LDAP
  • Active Directory
  • Cloud support

Only in Cilium

  • eBPF datapath
  • Identity-based policy
  • Hubble observability
  • Sidecar-free mesh

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 Cilium
  • Applying OAuth, JWT and SAML policies at the gatewaynot Cilium
  • Running the same platform on-premises, in Kubernetes or across cloudsnot Cilium
  • Developer portal and API monetisationnot Cilium
  • Monitoring API traffic and enforcing quotasnot Cilium

Cilium

  • Kubernetes networking at a scale where iptables-based CNI performance degradesnot Akana
  • Network policy expressed on workload identity rather than fragile IP rulesnot Akana
  • Seeing which services actually talk to each other, and what policy is droppingnot 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

Cilium

  • Requires a recent Linux kernel, which rules out older distributions and some managed environments
  • eBPF is genuinely hard to debug when it misbehaves, and the skill is rare on most teams
  • Broad scope — CNI, policy, mesh, observability — means the learning curve covers several domains at once

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

Cilium

Free
  • CiliumFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Akana if

  • You need api lifecycle management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
  • You also want api security.
Akana review

Choose Cilium if

  • You need ebpf datapath.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Kubernetes, Linux.
  • You also want identity-based policy.
Cilium review

Questions people ask

Is Akana or Cilium better?
Neither clearly leads. Akana starts at $2500/monthly and Cilium at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Akana or Cilium?
Cilium has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2500/monthly for Akana and Free for Cilium.
Does Akana or Cilium run on more platforms?
Akana runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid. Cilium runs on Kubernetes, Linux.
Can I use Cilium for free?
Yes. Cilium 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 Cilium is typically brought in for.
What can Akana do that Cilium cannot?
Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, API Security, Governance Controls, OAuth. Cilium covers eBPF datapath, Identity-based policy, Hubble observability, Sidecar-free mesh.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Akana: What does Akana API Platform include?

Akana provides mediation and integration capabilities for creating easy-to-consume API products from API code, with features for API governance, security, and operational management.

Source
Cilium: Is Cilium free?

Yes, open source and CNCF-graduated. Isovalent sells an enterprise distribution and support.

Akana: How does Akana help secure APIs?

Akana addresses the security challenges that come with more APIs and more endpoints, providing tools for enterprise API governance and compliance management.

Source
Cilium: What does eBPF change?

It lets Cilium run packet-processing programs inside the kernel instead of relying on iptables rule chains, which behave poorly as the number of services grows.

Cilium: Does Cilium replace a service mesh?

It can cover much of what a mesh does without sidecars, though full mesh feature sets still favour Istio or Linkerd.

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