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APIs · head to head

AWS API Gateway vs Firebolt

AWS API Gateway logo

AWS API Gateway

APIs

Fully managed API gateway service for creating and managing APIs at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Firebolt logo

Firebolt

Databases

Sub-second analytics at cloud data warehouse scale

From
$1.84/hour
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AWS API Gateway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AWS API Gateway rEST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer; Firebolt compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop
  • They diverge on capability: AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS API Gateway and Firebolt actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS API Gateway and Firebolt differ
AttributeAWS API GatewayFirebolt
Starting priceFree$1.84/hour
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAWS CloudCloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes
CategoryAPIsDatabases
Founded20062019

Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 AWS API Gateway

  • REST APIs
  • WebSocket APIs
  • HTTP APIs
  • Lambda
  • EC2
  • DynamoDB
  • CloudWatch
  • IAM

Only in Firebolt

  • Sub-second Queries
  • Sparse Indexes
  • Data Pruning
  • Decoupled Storage/Compute
  • SQL Support
  • Semi-structured Data
  • Workload Isolation
  • Airflow

What people use each for

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

AWS API Gateway

  • Fronting Lambda functions with an HTTP endpointnot Firebolt
  • REST and HTTP API management with throttling and keysnot Firebolt
  • WebSocket APIs for real-time clientsnot Firebolt
  • Private APIs reachable only inside a VPCnot Firebolt
  • Publishing a developer portal for API consumersnot Firebolt

Firebolt

  • Data analytics teams running gigabyte-to-petabyte datasets with sub-second query requirementsnot AWS API Gateway
  • Real-time business intelligence platforms requiring ACID transactions and snapshot isolationnot AWS API Gateway
  • Applications needing vector search on analytical data for similarity queriesnot AWS API Gateway

Where each one falls short

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

AWS API Gateway

  • REST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer
  • Data transfer out is charged at $0.09 per GB on top of request pricing
  • WebSocket APIs bill connection minutes as well as messages, at $0.25 per million minutes
  • Private APIs avoid data transfer charges but incur AWS PrivateLink costs instead
  • The developer portal is $125 a month, with additional portal products at $12.50 each
  • The free tier lasts 12 months rather than being ongoing

Firebolt

  • Compute billed per second on Arm-based processors; small instances still incur measurable costs during idle periods despite auto-stop
  • Storage pass-through charged at $0.0264/GB monthly on compressed data; uncompressed storage could exceed this
  • Azure deployment currently in Preview status; production recommendations unclear
  • Vector indexes limited to float arrays; other data types require alternative indexing strategies
  • Free tier credits ($200) limited; no perpetual free tier for production use

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS API Gateway

Free
  • Free Tier (12 months)Free
    • 1M REST API calls per month
    • 1M HTTP API calls per month
    • 1M WebSocket messages plus 750K connection minutes per month
  • HTTP APIs$1/per million requests (first 300M)
    • First 300M: $1.00 per million
    • Next 132M: $0.90 per million
    • Data transfer varies by volume
  • REST APIs$3.5/per million API calls
    • Edge Optimized and Regional: $3.50 per million (first tier)
    • Higher volumes: $2.80 then $2.38 per million
    • Data transfer: $0.09 per GB
  • WebSocket APIs$1/per million messages
    • Messages: $1.00 per million
    • Connection minutes: $0.25 per million minutes

Firebolt

$1.84/hour

No published plan breakdown. See the Firebolt review.

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS API Gateway if

  • You need rest apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS Cloud.
  • You also want websocket apis.
AWS API Gateway review

Choose Firebolt if

  • You need sub-second queries.
  • You work on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want sparse indexes.
Firebolt review

Questions people ask

Is AWS API Gateway or Firebolt better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS API Gateway starts at Free and Firebolt at $1.84/hour, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS API Gateway or Firebolt?
AWS API Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AWS API Gateway and $1.84/hour for Firebolt.
Does AWS API Gateway or Firebolt run on more platforms?
AWS API Gateway runs on AWS Cloud. Firebolt runs on Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure preview), Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use AWS API Gateway for free?
Yes. AWS API Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Firebolt starts at $1.84/hour.
What is AWS API Gateway best used for?
AWS API Gateway is most often used for fronting lambda functions with an http endpoint, rest and http api management with throttling and keys, websocket apis for real-time clients, private apis reachable only inside a vpc. Of those, fronting lambda functions with an http endpoint and rest and http api management with throttling and keys are not what Firebolt is typically brought in for.
What can AWS API Gateway do that Firebolt cannot?
AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, WebSocket APIs, HTTP APIs, Lambda. Firebolt covers Sub-second Queries, Sparse Indexes, Data Pruning, Decoupled Storage/Compute.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AWS API Gateway: How much does AWS API Gateway cost?

AWS API Gateway pricing varies by API type. HTTP APIs cost $1.00 per million requests for the first 300M monthly, then $0.90 per million. REST APIs cost $3.50 per million, and WebSocket APIs cost $1.00 per million messages plus $0.25 per million connection minutes. Data transfer charges ($0.09 per GB) apply separately.

Source
Firebolt: How does Firebolt's compute billing model work?

Firebolt uses per-second billing with scale-to-zero capability. The smallest S tier costs $1.84 per hour with 8 vCPU and 64GB memory, while the largest 4XL tier costs $58.88 per hour with 256 vCPU. Users only pay when compute is running.

Source
AWS API Gateway: Is AWS API Gateway free?

New AWS customers receive 12 months of free tier access including 1 million REST API calls, 1 million HTTP API calls, and 1 million WebSocket messages plus 750,000 connection minutes per month. Starting July 15, 2025, new customers receive up to $200 in AWS Free Tier credits.

Source
Firebolt: What is the cost for data storage on Firebolt?

Storage costs $0.0264 per GB per month on object storage, billed as pass-through cost at cloud provider rates.

Source
AWS API Gateway: What is the price difference between HTTP and REST APIs?

HTTP APIs are significantly cheaper at $1.00 per million requests compared to REST APIs at $3.50 per million (first tier). REST API pricing decreases to $2.80 and $2.38 per million for higher volumes, while HTTP API pricing drops to $0.90 per million after 300M monthly requests.

Source
Firebolt: What free credits or trial does Firebolt offer new users?

New users receive $200 free credits to get started with the platform.

Source
AWS API Gateway: How much does an API Gateway Portal cost?

API Gateway Portals require a base fee of $125 per month (includes 10 PortalProducts with 40 endpoints each) plus $12.50 per month for each additional PortalProduct beyond the included 10.

Source
Firebolt: Does Firebolt publish pricing for commitment-based discounts?

The pricing FAQ lists a question about commitment-based discounts but does not provide published answers on the pricing page. This requires direct inquiry with sales.

Source
Firebolt: What deployment options does Firebolt offer besides managed service?

Firebolt offers self-hosted open source deployment (unlimited) and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) options in addition to managed service.

Source
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