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APIs · head to head

AWS API Gateway vs Moov

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
Moov logo

Moov

APIs

Payments API with a published rate card covering card acceptance, ACH and instant payouts

From
$500/month
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; Moov the 500 US dollar monthly minimum makes Moov unattractive below roughly 80,000 dollars a month of card volume, since the minimum rather than the rate becomes your effective price.
  • They diverge on capability: AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, Moov covers Interchange-plus card acceptance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where AWS API Gateway and Moov differ
AttributeAWS API GatewayMoov
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelusage-basedPer transaction plus monthly minimum
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAWS CloudWeb, API, iOS, Android
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: 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 AWS API Gateway

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

Only in Moov

  • Interchange-plus card acceptance
  • ACH transfers
  • Instant payments
  • Wallets
  • Payment links and invoices
  • Virtual cards
  • Account verification
  • Card account updater

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 Moov
  • REST and HTTP API management with throttling and keysnot Moov
  • WebSocket APIs for real-time clientsnot Moov
  • Private APIs reachable only inside a VPCnot Moov
  • Publishing a developer portal for API consumersnot Moov

Moov

  • A vertical SaaS company embedding payments that needs published unit economics to price its own product before signing anythingnot AWS API Gateway
  • A marketplace paying contractors that wants same-day ACH and instant push-to-card in one API with the cost of each visiblenot AWS API Gateway
  • A platform that must hold balances for end users between collection and payout without becoming a money transmitternot AWS API Gateway
  • A software company moving off a legacy gateway that wants interchange-plus transparency instead of a blended rate that hides interchange increasesnot 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

Moov

  • The 500 US dollar monthly minimum makes Moov unattractive below roughly 80,000 dollars a month of card volume, since the minimum rather than the rate becomes your effective price.
  • The 50 cent monthly charge per active wallet penalises platforms with many end users who transact rarely, and that cost grows with your user base rather than your revenue.
  • United States only, so any platform with international sellers or buyers needs a second provider and a second reconciliation process.
  • At very high volume the published interchange-plus markup is less competitive than a directly negotiated acquiring relationship, so success eventually creates a reason to leave.
  • The ecosystem of prebuilt integrations, plugins and third-party tooling is far smaller than Stripe's, so anything outside the core API, from tax handling to subscription logic, is work you build yourself.

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

Moov

$500/month
  • Standard$500/month
    • 500 USD monthly minimum, no setup fee
    • Card online at interchange plus 0.60% and 15c
    • Tap to pay at interchange plus 0.50% and 15c
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • Negotiated rates for high volume
    • Specialised business models
    • Dedicated support

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 Moov if

  • You need interchange-plus card acceptance.
  • You work on Web, API, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ach transfers.
Moov review

Questions people ask

Is AWS API Gateway or Moov better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS API Gateway starts at Free and Moov at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS API Gateway or Moov?
AWS API Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AWS API Gateway and $500/month for Moov.
Does AWS API Gateway or Moov run on more platforms?
AWS API Gateway runs on AWS Cloud. Moov runs on Web, API, iOS, Android.
Can I use AWS API Gateway for free?
Yes. AWS API Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Moov starts at $500/month.
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 Moov is typically brought in for.
What can AWS API Gateway do that Moov cannot?
AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, WebSocket APIs, HTTP APIs, Lambda. Moov covers Interchange-plus card acceptance, ACH transfers, Instant payments, Wallets.

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
Moov: Does Moov publish its prices?

Yes, in unusual detail: interchange-plus card rates, per-transaction ACH and RTP charges, dispute and return fees, and the monthly minimum are all on the pricing page.

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
Moov: What is the monthly minimum?

500 US dollars, with no setup fee. Wallet charges and transaction fees count towards it.

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
Moov: Can I use Moov outside the United States?

No. Moov handles US payments only, though it accepts international cards at an extra 1.5 percent.

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
Moov: Is Moov a bank?

No. It is a payments platform working with partner financial institutions, so account and settlement arrangements depend on those partners.

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