Software · head to head
Asyncapi vs Akana
Asyncapi
Software
Specification and tools for defining asynchronous APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Asyncapi has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Asyncapi complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature; Akana owned by Perforce and sold within their portfolio rather than independently, and akana.com redirects to perforce.com
- They diverge on capability: Asyncapi covers API Specification, Akana covers API Lifecycle Management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Asyncapi and Akana actually diverge.
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 Asyncapi
- API Specification
- Code generation
- Documentation
- Multiple messaging protocols
- Code generators
- Specification support
- Tools support
- CLI support
Only in Akana
- API Lifecycle Management
- API Security
- Governance Controls
- OAuth
- SAML
- LDAP
- Active Directory
- Cloud support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Asyncapi
- API Developmentnot Akana
- API Gatewaynot Akana
- API Testingnot Akana
- API Documentationnot Akana
- Microservicesnot Akana
Akana
- API lifecycle management across REST, SOAP and GraphQLnot Asyncapi
- Applying OAuth, JWT and SAML policies at the gatewaynot Asyncapi
- Running the same platform on-premises, in Kubernetes or across cloudsnot Asyncapi
- Developer portal and API monetisationnot Asyncapi
- Monitoring API traffic and enforcing quotasnot Asyncapi
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Asyncapi
- Complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature
- Keeping AsyncAPI documents up to date is challenging as systems evolve
- Tracing and debugging asynchronous operations is more difficult than synchronous request-response patterns
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Asyncapi
Free- Open SourceFree
- AsyncAPI specification
- Tools
- Community support
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Asyncapi if
- You need api specification.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions.
- You also want code generation.
Choose Akana if
- You need api lifecycle management.
- You work on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
- You also want api security.
Questions people ask
- Is Asyncapi or Akana better?
- Neither clearly leads. Asyncapi starts at Free and Akana at $2500/monthly, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Asyncapi or Akana?
- Asyncapi has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Asyncapi and $2500/monthly for Akana.
- Does Asyncapi or Akana run on more platforms?
- Asyncapi runs on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions. Akana runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
- Can I use Asyncapi for free?
- Yes. Asyncapi has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Akana starts at $2500/monthly.
- What is Asyncapi best used for?
- Asyncapi is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Akana is typically brought in for.
- What can Asyncapi do that Akana cannot?
- Asyncapi covers API Specification, Code generation, Documentation, Multiple messaging protocols. Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, API Security, Governance Controls, OAuth.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Asyncapi: What is AsyncAPI used for?
AsyncAPI is an open-source specification for defining and documenting asynchronous APIs, message-driven systems, and event-driven architectures. It serves the same purpose for async APIs as OpenAPI does for REST APIs, providing standardized documentation, code generation, and tooling.
SourceAsyncapi: Is AsyncAPI free to use?
Yes, AsyncAPI is completely free and open-source. It is hosted by the Linux Foundation and supported by community contributions and sponsorships from companies like Postman, IBM, IQVIA Technology, and Solace.
SourceAsyncapi: What protocols and technologies does AsyncAPI support?
AsyncAPI supports multiple protocols and technologies including Kafka, RabbitMQ, MQTT, Socket.IO, AWS EventBridge, and others. It provides language support for JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, C#/.NET, Kotlin, and PHP.
SourceAsyncapi: Does AsyncAPI have IDE support?
Yes, AsyncAPI has IDE extensions available for VSCode and IntelliJ, along with CLI utilities and GitHub Actions integration for developers.
Source