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APIs · head to head

Apigee vs Stoplight

Apigee logo

Apigee

APIs

API management platform for designing, securing, and scaling APIs

From
$500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stoplight logo

Stoplight

APIs

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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apigee and Stoplight actually diverge.

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

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 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

  • API design and documentationnot Apigee
  • API governance and standardsnot Apigee
  • Team collaboration on API developmentnot Apigee
  • API mocking and testingnot 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
    • 1 project
    • 1 user
    • Basic API design and documentation features
  • Basic$56/month
    • Annual: $44/user/year
    • 3 included users; $14 per additional user (monthly)
    • Unlimited projects
  • Startup$147/month
    • Annual: $113/user/year
    • 8 included users; $14 per additional user (monthly)
    • Private projects
  • Pro Team$453/month
    • Annual: $362/user/year
    • 15 included users; $27 per additional user (monthly)
    • Up to 20 teams

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.

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
Stoplight: How much does Stoplight cost?

Stoplight starts with a free plan (1 project, 1 user), then Basic at $56/month per user (or $44/year), Startup at $147/month per user (or $113/year), Pro Team at $453/month per user (or $362/year), and Enterprise at custom pricing.

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
Stoplight: How many included users are in each Stoplight plan?

Basic includes 3 users, Startup includes 8 users, and Pro Team includes 15 users. Additional users beyond the included count cost $14/month for Basic and Startup, or $27/month for Pro Team.

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
Stoplight: Does Stoplight offer a free trial?

Yes, all paid Stoplight plans include a 14-day free trial. The free plan has no trial period as it is always available.

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
Stoplight: Does Stoplight's free plan have limitations?

Yes, the free plan includes only 1 project and 1 user. Users viewing public documentation anonymously are not counted toward the 1-user limit.

Source
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