Software · head to head
Apigee vs WSO2 API Manager
Apigee
Software
API management platform for designing, securing, and scaling APIs
- From
- $500/monthly
- Rated
- -
WSO2 API Manager
Software
Complete API management platform for designing and managing APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only WSO2 API Manager 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; WSO2 API Manager the free open source distribution does not include a subscription to the WSO2 Update service, so continuous improvements and security patches require a paid subscription
- They diverge on capability: Apigee covers API Analytics, WSO2 API Manager covers API Designer.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apigee and WSO2 API Manager actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apigee | WSO2 API Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $500/monthly | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud, Hybrid, On-premises | Java, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes |
| Founded | 2006 | 2005 |
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 Analytics
- Google Cloud services
- Azure
- AWS
- Cloud support
- Hybrid support
- On-premises support
Only in WSO2 API Manager
- API Designer
- LDAP
- Keycloak
- Microservices
- Java support
- Linux support
- Docker support
- Kubernetes support
Both cover
- API Gateway
- Developer Portal
- Okta
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 WSO2 API Manager
- Monetizing APIs and running a developer portalnot WSO2 API Manager
- Analyzing API traffic and defending APIs against bots and abusenot WSO2 API Manager
WSO2 API Manager
- Publishing, securing and rate limiting APIs behind a gatewaynot Apigee
- Running an API developer portal with subscription key managementnot Apigee
- Self hosting an open source API management layer on premisesnot 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
WSO2 API Manager
- The free open source distribution does not include a subscription to the WSO2 Update service, so continuous improvements and security patches require a paid subscription
- A commercial production licence is not part of the free download and comes only with a subscription
- No subscription price is published; Basic Support and Enterprise Support both require contacting sales for a quote
- 24x7x365 coverage requires Enterprise Support; the general query SLA is one business day
- A Customer Success Manager is a paid optional add on covering business hours only
- Consulting services and WSO2 Private Cloud hosting are quoted separately
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
WSO2 API Manager
Free- CommunityFree
- Core API management
- Community support
- Commercial$undefined/monthly
- Enterprise features
- Technical support
- SLA
Which should you pick?
Choose Apigee if
- You need api analytics.
- You work on Cloud, Hybrid, On-premises.
- You also want google cloud services.
Choose WSO2 API Manager if
- You need api designer.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Java, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- You also want ldap.
Questions people ask
- Is Apigee or WSO2 API Manager better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apigee starts at $500/monthly and WSO2 API Manager at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apigee or WSO2 API Manager?
- WSO2 API Manager has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/monthly for Apigee and Free for WSO2 API Manager.
- Does Apigee or WSO2 API Manager run on more platforms?
- Apigee runs on Cloud, Hybrid, On-premises. WSO2 API Manager runs on Java, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- Can I use WSO2 API Manager for free?
- Yes. WSO2 API Manager 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 WSO2 API Manager is typically brought in for.
- What can Apigee do that WSO2 API Manager cannot?
- Apigee covers API Analytics, Google Cloud services, Azure, AWS. WSO2 API Manager covers API Designer, LDAP, Keycloak, Microservices. Both handle API Gateway, Developer Portal, Okta.