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APIs · head to head

Microsoft Azure API Management vs i2c

Microsoft Azure API Management logo

Microsoft Azure API Management

APIs

Hybrid, multi-cloud API management service on Azure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
i2c logo

i2c

APIs

Configurable card issuing and banking processing platform for banks and programme managers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Azure API Management has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Azure API Management prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales; i2c developer experience lags API-native competitors, and teams expecting Stripe-grade documentation and sandboxes find an enterprise integration project instead.
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, i2c covers Configurable product engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Azure API Management and i2c actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Azure API Management and i2c differ
AttributeMicrosoft Azure API Managementi2c
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloudWeb, REST API
Founded1975Unknown

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 Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • API Policies
  • Azure services
  • AWS
  • Google Cloud
  • On-premises
  • Cloud support

Only in i2c

  • Configurable product engine
  • Credit and instalments
  • Multi-currency
  • Fraud and risk tooling
  • Digital banking front ends
  • Global scheme connectivity

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API gateway and lifecycle management on Azurenot i2c
  • Throttling, keys and policies in front of backend servicesnot i2c
  • Developer portal for internal and partner APIsnot i2c
  • Hybrid deployments using self-hosted gatewaysnot i2c

i2c

  • A bank wanting credit, debit and prepaid portfolios on one processor rather than threenot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • An issuer in a market where local scheme and currency support rules out US-centric processorsnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • A programme manager launching instalment products without building a lending corenot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • A credit union replacing an ageing processor without writing custom code for product rulesnot Microsoft Azure API Management

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • Prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales
  • Two parallel generations of tiers, classic and v2, so the choice is which lineage before which size
  • The Developer tier is explicitly not for production
  • Self-hosted gateways and workspace gateways are charged separately from the service

i2c

  • Developer experience lags API-native competitors, and teams expecting Stripe-grade documentation and sandboxes find an enterprise integration project instead.
  • Implementations lean on i2c or partner professional services, so timelines and costs are set by a services queue rather than by your own engineering speed.
  • Pricing is per active card and per transaction with monthly minimums, none of it published, so comparing bids requires modelling your own portfolio carefully.
  • Configuration flexibility means product behaviour lives in platform settings rather than in your repository, which complicates version control, testing and audit trails.
  • As a private company with a broad global footprint, regional support depth is uneven, and a programme in a smaller market may get thinner service than a flagship account.

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft Azure API Management

Free
  • ConsumptionFree
    • 0-1 million API operations free monthly per subscription
  • Basic v2$undefined/mo
    • 10 million API requests included monthly
  • Standard v2$undefined/mo
    • 50 million API requests included monthly
  • Premium v2$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited included API requests

i2c

On request
  • i2c processing platform$undefined/year
    • Per-active-card and per-transaction processing fees
    • Minimum monthly commitments by programme
    • Implementation and configuration professional services

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Azure API Management if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
  • You also want developer portal.
Microsoft Azure API Management review

Choose i2c if

  • You need configurable product engine.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want credit and instalments.
i2c review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Azure API Management or i2c better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Azure API Management starts at Free and i2c at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Azure API Management or i2c?
Microsoft Azure API Management has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Azure API Management and On request for i2c.
Does Microsoft Azure API Management or i2c run on more platforms?
Microsoft Azure API Management runs on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud. i2c runs on Web, REST API.
Can I use Microsoft Azure API Management for free?
Yes. Microsoft Azure API Management has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. i2c starts at On request.
What is Microsoft Azure API Management best used for?
Microsoft Azure API Management is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management on azure, throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services, developer portal for internal and partner apis, hybrid deployments using self-hosted gateways. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management on azure and throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services are not what i2c is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Azure API Management do that i2c cannot?
Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Policies, Azure services. i2c covers Configurable product engine, Credit and instalments, Multi-currency, Fraud and risk tooling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Azure API Management: Is Azure API Management free?

Azure API Management offers a Consumption tier with a free tier that includes 0-1 million API operations per subscription monthly at no cost, then charges per operation beyond that. Classic Consumption tier is pay-as-you-go billing.

Source
i2c: Does i2c issue the cards itself?

No. It processes; issuance sits with a bank or licensed issuer, and in most markets you need that relationship separately.

Microsoft Azure API Management: What are the API request limits for Azure API Management's v2 tiers?

Basic v2 includes 10 million API requests monthly, Standard v2 includes 50 million monthly, and Premium v2 includes unlimited API requests. Additional requests beyond included amounts incur standard rates.

Source
i2c: Can it handle revolving credit?

Yes. Credit, instalments and buy-now-pay-later sit on the same platform as debit and prepaid, which is unusual among modern processors.

Microsoft Azure API Management: What cache capacity does each Azure API Management tier provide?

Basic v2 provides 250 MB built-in cache, Standard v2 provides 1 GB cache, and Premium v2 provides 5 GB cache capacity for response caching.

Source
i2c: Is it self-serve?

No. Expect a configuration-led implementation with professional services rather than signing up and calling an API.

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