Is AWS API Gateway or Portkey better?

Neither clearly leads. AWS API Gateway starts at Free and Portkey at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, AWS API Gateway or Portkey?

AWS API Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AWS API Gateway and On request for Portkey.

Does AWS API Gateway or Portkey run on more platforms?

AWS API Gateway runs on AWS Cloud. Portkey runs on Web.

Can I use AWS API Gateway for free?

Yes. AWS API Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Portkey starts at On request.

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 Portkey is typically brought in for.

What can AWS API Gateway do that Portkey cannot?

AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, WebSocket APIs, HTTP APIs, Lambda.

APIs · head to head

AWS API Gateway vs Portkey

AWS API Gateway

APIs

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

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Portkey

APIs

Observe, govern, and secure every AI interaction across your enterprise

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

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; Portkey the free Developer tier records only 10,000 logs per month with 3 day log retention; the $49 per month Production tier raises that to 100,000 logs with $9 per additional 100,000 requests, as of August 2026.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where AWS API Gateway and Portkey differ
Attribute	AWS API Gateway	Portkey
Starting price	Free	On request
Pricing model	usage-based	Unknown
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	AWS Cloud	Web
Founded	2006	Unknown

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 Portkey

Nothing recorded that AWS API Gateway does not also cover.

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

Portkey

Accessing 1,600+ language models through unified API gatewaynot AWS API Gateway
Monitoring and observing LLM behavior in production environmentsnot AWS API Gateway
Managing costs and setting budget limits for AI spendingnot AWS API Gateway
Implementing guardrails and PII redaction for secure AI interactionsnot 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

Portkey

The free Developer tier records only 10,000 logs per month with 3 day log retention; the $49 per month Production tier raises that to 100,000 logs with $9 per additional 100,000 requests, as of August 2026.

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

Portkey

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Portkey 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 Portkey if

Nothing in the data separates Portkey from AWS API Gateway on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Portkey review

Questions people ask

Is AWS API Gateway or Portkey better?: Neither clearly leads. AWS API Gateway starts at Free and Portkey at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS API Gateway or Portkey?: AWS API Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AWS API Gateway and On request for Portkey.
Does AWS API Gateway or Portkey run on more platforms?: AWS API Gateway runs on AWS Cloud. Portkey runs on Web.
Can I use AWS API Gateway for free?: Yes. AWS API Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Portkey starts at On request.
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 Portkey is typically brought in for.
What can AWS API Gateway do that Portkey cannot?: AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, WebSocket APIs, HTTP APIs, Lambda.

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

Portkey: What happens if I exceed my Portkey plan's request limit?

Production tier ($49/month) charges $9 per additional 100,000 requests beyond the included 100,000. Enterprise customers have custom limits determined through their service agreement. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

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

Portkey: Can I self-host Portkey to avoid per-request billing?

Yes. Portkey offers an Open Source self-hosted version with unlimited requests at no cost, including universal API, routing, guardrails, and load balancing features. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

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

Portkey: How long does Portkey retain my logs and metrics?

Free Developer tier retains logs 3 days and metrics 30 days. Production tier retains logs 30 days and metrics 90 days. Enterprise tier offers custom retention periods. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

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

Portkey: What compliance features are included in the Enterprise plan?

Enterprise tier includes SOC2 Type 2 certification, GDPR compliance, HIPAA compliance, VPC hosting, SSO, advanced guardrails, and dedicated support. Custom pricing required. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

Source

AWS API Gateway vs Portkey

AWS API Gateway

Portkey

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in AWS API Gateway

Only in Portkey

What people use each for

AWS API Gateway

Portkey

Where each one falls short

AWS API Gateway

Portkey

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS API Gateway

Portkey

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS API Gateway if

Choose Portkey if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on AWS API Gateway

More on Portkey

Keep looking

Other head to heads