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APIs · head to head

Akana vs OutSystems

Akana logo

Akana

APIs

Enterprise API lifecycle management platform

From
$2500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OutSystems logo

OutSystems

No-Code

Enterprise low-code platform priced by application complexity units, not just users

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Akana owned by Perforce and sold within their portfolio rather than independently, and akana.com redirects to perforce.com; OutSystems application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.
  • They diverge on capability: Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, OutSystems covers Visual application modelling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Akana and OutSystems actually diverge.

Attributes where Akana and OutSystems differ
AttributeAkanaOutSystems
Starting price$2500/monthlyOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionApplication Object consumption plus internal and external user packs
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, HybridWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryAPIsNo-Code
Founded2001Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 OutSystems

  • Visual application modelling
  • Generated deployable code
  • One-click deployment
  • AI-assisted development
  • Application Object governance
  • Prebuilt integrations

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

OutSystems

  • An enterprise replacing custom .NET or Java application development with a governed low-code platform at scalenot Akana
  • A company building customer-facing portals where the external-user pricing tier (packs of 10,000) is materially cheaper than licensing customers as internal usersnot Akana
  • An IT department that wants generated, inspectable code rather than a proprietary black-box runtimenot Akana
  • An organisation with a large existing application portfolio needing centralised governance across many apps built by different teamsnot 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

OutSystems

  • Application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.
  • Internal users are sold in packs of 100 and external users in packs of 10,000, so a company just over a pack boundary in either category pays for a full additional pack rather than a handful of extra seats.
  • Entry-level ODC pricing starts around 36,300 US dollars a year before any AO overage or extra user packs, which puts it out of reach for smaller teams evaluating low-code options.
  • Cloud infrastructure and hosting costs are frequently separate from the platform licence, so the all-in bill is higher than the headline subscription figure suggests.
  • Migrating a large application portfolio off OutSystems once built is difficult, since the generated code and platform-specific patterns are not designed for a clean export to standard frameworks.

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

OutSystems

On request
  • ODC Entry$undefined/year
    • Entry-level Application Object allowance included
    • Internal users sold in packs of 100
    • External users sold in packs of 10,000
  • ODC Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom AO, user pack and environment volumes
    • Negotiated multi-year enterprise agreements
    • Premium support and dedicated infrastructure options

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 OutSystems if

  • You need visual application modelling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want generated deployable code.
OutSystems review

Questions people ask

Is Akana or OutSystems better?
Neither clearly leads. Akana starts at $2500/monthly and OutSystems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Akana or OutSystems?
Akana starts at $2500/monthly and OutSystems at On request.
Does Akana or OutSystems run on more platforms?
Akana runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid. OutSystems runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 OutSystems is typically brought in for.
What can Akana do that OutSystems cannot?
Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, API Security, Governance Controls, OAuth. OutSystems covers Visual application modelling, Generated deployable code, One-click deployment, AI-assisted development.

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
OutSystems: What is an Application Object?

A unit OutSystems uses to measure application complexity, counting elements such as screens, database tables and exposed APIs; more AOs mean a bigger licence requirement.

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
OutSystems: Is there a free tier?

OutSystems has offered free or trial tiers historically for evaluation, but production use at any scale runs on paid ODC plans.

OutSystems: How does external user pricing work?

External users, typically customers or partners, are sold in packs of 10,000 at roughly a hundredth of the per-seat cost of internal (employee) user packs.

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