Softwr

APIs · head to head

Akana vs GitLab

Akana logo

Akana

APIs

Enterprise API lifecycle management platform

From
$2500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GitLab logo

GitLab

Technology

The One DevOps Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GitLab 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; GitLab baseline requires 8 vCPU and 16 GB RAM for single-node installations; resource-intensive
  • They diverge on capability: Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, GitLab covers Git repository management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Akana and GitLab actually diverge.

Attributes where Akana and GitLab differ
AttributeAkanaGitLab
Starting price$2500/monthlyFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, HybridLinux, Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategoryAPIsTechnology
Founded20012011

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
  • Active Directory
  • Cloud support
  • On-premise support

Only in GitLab

  • Git repository management
  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Issue tracking
  • Code review
  • Wiki
  • Container registry
  • Security scanning
  • Monitoring

Both cover

  • LDAP

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

GitLab

  • Git repository management and version controlnot Akana
  • CI/CD pipeline automationnot Akana
  • DevOps and release managementnot Akana
  • Security and compliance workflowsnot 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

GitLab

  • Baseline requires 8 vCPU and 16 GB RAM for single-node installations; resource-intensive
  • PostgreSQL is mandatory; no support for alternative databases
  • Redis or Valkey cache required; adds infrastructure complexity
  • High-availability deployments require inter-node latency below 5 ms; difficult to achieve across geographically distributed sites
  • Requires self-hosting and maintenance; GitLab.com SaaS only available to GitLab team members for administration

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

GitLab

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the GitLab review.

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 GitLab if

  • You need git repository management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want ci/cd pipelines.
GitLab review

Questions people ask

Is Akana or GitLab better?
Neither clearly leads. Akana starts at $2500/monthly and GitLab at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Akana or GitLab?
GitLab has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2500/monthly for Akana and Free for GitLab.
Does Akana or GitLab run on more platforms?
Akana runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid. GitLab runs on Linux, Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use GitLab for free?
Yes. GitLab 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 GitLab is typically brought in for.
What can Akana do that GitLab cannot?
Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, API Security, Governance Controls, OAuth. GitLab covers Git repository management, CI/CD pipelines, Issue tracking, Code review. Both handle LDAP.

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
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
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Related pages

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