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APIs · head to head

Microsoft Azure API Management vs Swan

Microsoft Azure API Management logo

Microsoft Azure API Management

APIs

Hybrid, multi-cloud API management service on Azure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swan logo

Swan

APIs

European banking-as-a-service platform for embedding accounts, cards and payments into other products

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; Swan its regulatory base and strongest local account coverage are French and European, so companies needing US, UK-post-Brexit-specific, or broader global banking-as-a-service need an additional provider.
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Swan covers Embedded business accounts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft Azure API Management and Swan differ
AttributeMicrosoft Azure API ManagementSwan
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloudWeb, 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 Swan

  • Embedded business accounts
  • Card issuing
  • SEPA payments
  • Local account localisation
  • ACPR regulation
  • Usage-based pricing

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 Swan
  • Throttling, keys and policies in front of backend servicesnot Swan
  • Developer portal for internal and partner APIsnot Swan
  • Hybrid deployments using self-hosted gatewaysnot Swan

Swan

  • A vertical SaaS platform wanting to embed business bank accounts under its own brandnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • A marketplace wanting to issue cards to sellers or partners without becoming a licensed banknot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • A company wanting SEPA payment initiation embedded directly into its own productnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • A European fintech wanting to avoid a six-figure setup fee and long lock-in typical of legacy banking-as-a-service dealsnot 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

Swan

  • Its regulatory base and strongest local account coverage are French and European, so companies needing US, UK-post-Brexit-specific, or broader global banking-as-a-service need an additional provider.
  • Pricing is described only philosophically (usage-based, no big setup fee) rather than published as an actual rate card, so a company still needs a sales conversation to get real numbers.
  • Embedding banking features into a product is a substantial compliance and design undertaking regardless of the vendor, and Swan handling the licence does not remove a platform's own KYC, AML and customer support obligations for the accounts it offers.
  • As a comparatively young, single-country-licensed e-money institution, its balance sheet and regulatory standing carry more concentration risk than a banking-as-a-service offering backed by an established, multi-jurisdiction bank.
  • Local account depth is explicitly limited to France, Germany and Spain, so a platform needing native local accounts in other European countries may find coverage thinner than expected.

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

Swan

On request
  • Swan$undefined/month
    • Usage-based pricing, no published rate card
    • No long-term contract or large setup fee required
    • Custom quote based on current, not forecast, usage

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 Swan if

  • You need embedded business accounts.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want card issuing.
Swan review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Azure API Management or Swan better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Azure API Management starts at Free and Swan 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 Swan?
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 Swan.
Does Microsoft Azure API Management or Swan run on more platforms?
Microsoft Azure API Management runs on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud. Swan runs on Web, 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. Swan 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 Swan is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Azure API Management do that Swan cannot?
Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Policies, Azure services. Swan covers Embedded business accounts, Card issuing, SEPA payments, Local account localisation.

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
Swan: Which countries does Swan offer local accounts in?

France, Germany and Spain specifically, alongside broader SEPA payment coverage.

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
Swan: Is pricing published?

No, Swan describes a usage-based, no-large-setup-fee philosophy but requires a quote for actual numbers.

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
Swan: Who regulates Swan?

France's ACPR (Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Resolution), as a licensed e-money institution.

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