Softwr

Software · head to head

Apigee vs Stoplight

Apigee logo

Apigee

Software

API management platform for designing, securing, and scaling APIs

From
$500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stoplight logo

Stoplight

Software

API design, documentation, and governance platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stoplight 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; Stoplight the free plan allows one project and one user
  • They diverge on capability: Apigee covers API Gateway, Stoplight covers API Design.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apigee and Stoplight actually diverge.

Attributes where Apigee and Stoplight differ
AttributeApigeeStoplight
Starting price$500/monthlyFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, Hybrid, On-premisesWeb, Cloud
Founded20062014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Gateway
  • API Analytics
  • Developer Portal
  • Google Cloud services
  • Azure
  • AWS
  • Okta
  • Hybrid 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.

Apigee

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

Stoplight

  • Designing and documenting OpenAPI specifications visuallynot Apigee
  • Serving interactive API docs and instant mock servers from a specnot 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

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

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

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 Apigee if

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

Choose Stoplight if

  • You need api design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want api documentation.
Stoplight review

Questions people ask

Is Apigee or Stoplight better?
Neither clearly leads. Apigee starts at $500/monthly and Stoplight at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apigee or Stoplight?
Stoplight has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/monthly for Apigee and Free for Stoplight.
Does Apigee or Stoplight run on more platforms?
Apigee runs on Cloud, Hybrid, On-premises. Stoplight runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use Stoplight for free?
Yes. Stoplight 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 Stoplight is typically brought in for.
What can Apigee do that Stoplight cannot?
Apigee covers API Gateway, API Analytics, Developer Portal, Google Cloud services. Stoplight covers API Design, API Documentation, Governance, GitHub. Both handle Cloud support.
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