API Management · head to head
Akana vs Stoplight
Akana
API Management
Enterprise API lifecycle management platform
- From
- $2500/monthly
- Rated
- -
Stoplight
API Management
API design, documentation, and governance platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Stoplight 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; Stoplight the free plan allows one project and one user
- They diverge on capability: Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, Stoplight covers API Design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Akana and Stoplight actually diverge.
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
- On-premise support
Only in Stoplight
- API Design
- API Documentation
- Governance
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Jenkins
- Azure DevOps
- Web support
Both cover
- Cloud 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 Stoplight
- Applying OAuth, JWT and SAML policies at the gatewaynot Stoplight
- Running the same platform on-premises, in Kubernetes or across cloudsnot Stoplight
- Developer portal and API monetisationnot Stoplight
- Monitoring API traffic and enforcing quotasnot Stoplight
Stoplight
- Designing and documenting OpenAPI specifications visuallynot Akana
- Serving interactive API docs and instant mock servers from a specnot 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
Stoplight
- The free plan allows one project and one user
- Private projects, multi branch support and custom domains start at the Startup plan, $113 a month billed annually
- SSO and shared style guides are Pro Team only, at $362 a month billed annually
- Seats beyond each plan's allowance are $11 to $27 each per month depending on tier and billing period
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
Stoplight
Free- FreeFree
- API design
- Documentation
- Community support
- Pro$75/monthly
- Governance
- Advanced testing
- Team collaboration
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Custom deployment
- SLA
- Priority 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.
Choose Stoplight if
- You need api design.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want api documentation.
Questions people ask
- Is Akana or Stoplight better?
- Neither clearly leads. Akana starts at $2500/monthly and Stoplight at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Akana or Stoplight?
- Stoplight has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2500/monthly for Akana and Free for Stoplight.
- Does Akana or Stoplight run on more platforms?
- Akana runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid. Stoplight runs on Web, Cloud.
- Can I use Stoplight for free?
- Yes. Stoplight 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 Stoplight is typically brought in for.
- What can Akana do that Stoplight cannot?
- Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, API Security, Governance Controls, OAuth. Stoplight covers API Design, API Documentation, Governance, GitHub. Both handle Cloud support.