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API Management · head to head

Akana vs Gravitee

Akana logo

Akana

API Management

Enterprise API lifecycle management platform

From
$2500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gravitee logo

Gravitee

API Management

Open source API management platform for event-native APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Gravitee 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; Gravitee the entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway
  • They diverge on capability: Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, Gravitee covers API Gateway.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Akana and Gravitee actually diverge.

Attributes where Akana and Gravitee differ
AttributeAkanaGravitee
Starting price$2500/monthlyFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, HybridCloud, On-premise, Kubernetes
Founded20012015

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
  • Active Directory
  • Hybrid support

Only in Gravitee

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • Analytics Dashboard
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • Kafka
  • Kubernetes support

Both cover

  • LDAP
  • Cloud support
  • On-premise support

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

Gravitee

  • API gateway and lifecycle managementnot Akana
  • Exposing Kafka event streams as managed APIsnot Akana
  • Protocol mediation between event brokers and clientsnot Akana
  • Self-hosting an open source API gatewaynot Akana
  • Access control and authentication in front of internal APIsnot 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

Gravitee

  • The entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway
  • Event management is priced separately, starting at $1,250 a month for the Comet tier
  • Tiers are gated on gateway and broker counts, so scaling horizontally means moving tier rather than paying incrementally
  • Data logging masking and other enterprise features are withheld from the lowest paid tier
  • 24/7 support requires the top Universe tier

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

Gravitee

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • API Gateway
    • Basic analytics
    • Community support
  • Enterprise$1500/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • SLA support
    • SSO integration
  • Custom$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated support
    • Premium SLA

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 Gravitee if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes.
  • You also want developer portal.
Gravitee review

Questions people ask

Is Akana or Gravitee better?
Neither clearly leads. Akana starts at $2500/monthly and Gravitee at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Akana or Gravitee?
Gravitee has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2500/monthly for Akana and Free for Gravitee.
Does Akana or Gravitee run on more platforms?
Akana runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid. Gravitee runs on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes.
Can I use Gravitee for free?
Yes. Gravitee 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 Gravitee is typically brought in for.
What can Akana do that Gravitee cannot?
Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, API Security, Governance Controls, OAuth. Gravitee covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, Analytics Dashboard, Kubernetes. Both handle LDAP, Cloud support, On-premise support.
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