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API Management · head to head

Akana vs Portkey

Akana logo

Akana

API Management

Enterprise API lifecycle management platform

From
$2500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

Portkey

API Management

Observe, govern, and secure every AI interaction across your enterprise

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Portkey 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; Portkey the free Developer tier records only 10,000 logs per month with 3 day log retention; the $49 per month Production tier raises that to 100,000 logs with $9 per additional 100,000 requests, as of August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Akana and Portkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Akana and Portkey differ
AttributeAkanaPortkey
Starting price$2500/monthlyFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, HybridWeb
Founded2001Unknown

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 Portkey

Nothing recorded that Akana does not also cover.

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

Portkey

No use cases recorded yet. See the Portkey review.

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

Portkey

  • The free Developer tier records only 10,000 logs per month with 3 day log retention; the $49 per month Production tier raises that to 100,000 logs with $9 per additional 100,000 requests, as of August 2026.

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

Portkey

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Portkey 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 Portkey if

  • You want to start without paying.
Portkey review

Questions people ask

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