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APIs · head to head

Apigee vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Apigee logo

Apigee

APIs

API management platform for designing, securing, and scaling APIs

From
$500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Azure API Management logo

Microsoft Azure API Management

APIs

Hybrid, multi-cloud API management service on Azure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Azure API Management has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apigee the free evaluation is a sandbox limited to 60 days; Microsoft Azure API Management prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales
  • They diverge on capability: Apigee covers API Analytics, Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Policies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apigee and Microsoft Azure API Management actually diverge.

Attributes where Apigee and Microsoft Azure API Management differ
AttributeApigeeMicrosoft Azure API Management
Starting price$500/monthlyFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, Hybrid, On-premisesCloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud
Founded20061975

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

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 Apigee

  • API Analytics
  • Google Cloud services
  • Azure
  • Okta
  • On-premises support

Only in Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API Policies
  • Azure services
  • Google Cloud
  • On-premises
  • Multi-cloud support

Both cover

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • AWS
  • Cloud support
  • Hybrid support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apigee

  • Publishing, securing and versioning APIs for an enterprise API programnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Monetizing APIs and running a developer portalnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Analyzing API traffic and defending APIs against bots and abusenot Microsoft Azure API Management

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API gateway and lifecycle management on Azurenot Apigee
  • Throttling, keys and policies in front of backend servicesnot Apigee
  • Developer portal for internal and partner APIsnot Apigee
  • Hybrid deployments using self-hosted gatewaysnot Apigee

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apigee

  • The free evaluation is a sandbox limited to 60 days
  • Pay-as-you-go has no SLA available at all
  • Pay-as-you-go bills environments separately from API calls, with a Base environment costing $365 per month per region
  • The Base environment is capped at 50 QPS with an SLA of up to 99%
  • Standard API Proxy calls are billed at $20 per 1M calls up to 50M, and Extensible API Proxy calls at $100 per 1M calls up to 50M
  • API Analytics is a paid add-on at $20 per 1M API calls and cannot be bought on a Base environment
  • Advanced API Security is a paid add-on at $350 per 1M API calls and cannot be bought on a Base environment
  • Monetization is unavailable on pay-as-you-go and requires a subscription tier
  • Additional API proxy deployments beyond those included cost $0.04 per hour per region on a Comprehensive environment
  • Subscription tiers Standard, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus are quote only with no published price
  • Google Cloud networking charges for IP addresses, data transfer out and forwarding rules are billed on top of Apigee usage

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • Prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales
  • Two parallel generations of tiers, classic and v2, so the choice is which lineage before which size
  • The Developer tier is explicitly not for production
  • Self-hosted gateways and workspace gateways are charged separately from the service

Pricing, plan by plan

Apigee

$500/monthly
  • Starter$500/monthly
    • API gateway
    • Analytics
    • Developer portal
  • Professional$2500/monthly
    • Advanced security
    • Traffic management
    • Monetization
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • SLA
    • Dedicated support

Microsoft Azure API Management

Free
  • ConsumptionFree
    • 0-1 million API operations free monthly per subscription
  • Basic v2$undefined/mo
    • 10 million API requests included monthly
  • Standard v2$undefined/mo
    • 50 million API requests included monthly
  • Premium v2$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited included API requests

Which should you pick?

Choose Apigee if

  • You need api analytics.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid, On-premises.
  • You also want google cloud services.
Apigee review

Choose Microsoft Azure API Management if

  • You need api policies.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
  • You also want azure services.
Microsoft Azure API Management review

Questions people ask

Is Apigee or Microsoft Azure API Management better?
Neither clearly leads. Apigee starts at $500/monthly and Microsoft Azure API Management at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apigee or Microsoft Azure API Management?
Microsoft Azure API Management has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/monthly for Apigee and Free for Microsoft Azure API Management.
Does Apigee or Microsoft Azure API Management run on more platforms?
Apigee runs on Cloud, Hybrid, On-premises. Microsoft Azure API Management runs on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
Can I use Microsoft Azure API Management for free?
Yes. Microsoft Azure API Management has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Apigee starts at $500/monthly.
What is Apigee best used for?
Apigee is most often used for publishing, securing and versioning apis for an enterprise api program, monetizing apis and running a developer portal, analyzing api traffic and defending apis against bots and abuse. Of those, publishing, securing and versioning apis for an enterprise api program and monetizing apis and running a developer portal are not what Microsoft Azure API Management is typically brought in for.
What can Apigee do that Microsoft Azure API Management cannot?
Apigee covers API Analytics, Google Cloud services, Azure, Okta. Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Policies, Azure services, Google Cloud, On-premises. Both handle API Gateway, Developer Portal, AWS, Cloud support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apigee: Does Apigee offer a free tier?

Yes, Apigee offers an always-free tier with access to 20+ products for common API management use cases, and a separate free trial providing $300 in credit for proof-of-concept projects.

Source
Microsoft Azure API Management: Is Azure API Management free?

Azure API Management offers a Consumption tier with a free tier that includes 0-1 million API operations per subscription monthly at no cost, then charges per operation beyond that. Classic Consumption tier is pay-as-you-go billing.

Source
Apigee: What is Apigee's pricing model?

Apigee uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model where customers pay based on API calls and usage, with a new pay-as-you-go model designed to optimize costs.

Source
Microsoft Azure API Management: What are the API request limits for Azure API Management's v2 tiers?

Basic v2 includes 10 million API requests monthly, Standard v2 includes 50 million monthly, and Premium v2 includes unlimited API requests. Additional requests beyond included amounts incur standard rates.

Source
Apigee: Is there a commitment required to start with Apigee?

No. The free trial provides $300 in credit with no automatic charges or commitment required, allowing customers to evaluate the platform risk-free.

Source
Microsoft Azure API Management: What cache capacity does each Azure API Management tier provide?

Basic v2 provides 250 MB built-in cache, Standard v2 provides 1 GB cache, and Premium v2 provides 5 GB cache capacity for response caching.

Source
Apigee: Are there usage limits I should know about?

Apigee documentation includes a limits page covering usage constraints, though specific limits are not detailed in the pricing section.

Source
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