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Software · head to head

Gravitee vs Akana

Gravitee logo

Gravitee

Software

Open source API management platform for event-native APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Akana logo

Akana

Software

Enterprise API lifecycle management platform

From
$2500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Gravitee has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Gravitee the entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway; Akana owned by Perforce and sold within their portfolio rather than independently, and akana.com redirects to perforce.com
  • They diverge on capability: Gravitee covers API Gateway, Akana covers API Lifecycle Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gravitee and Akana actually diverge.

Attributes where Gravitee and Akana differ
AttributeGraviteeAkana
Starting priceFree$2500/monthly
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, KubernetesCloud, On-premise, Hybrid
Founded20152001

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Gravitee

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • Analytics Dashboard
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • Kafka
  • Kubernetes support

Only in Akana

  • API Lifecycle Management
  • API Security
  • Governance Controls
  • OAuth
  • SAML
  • Active Directory
  • Hybrid support

Both cover

  • LDAP
  • Cloud support
  • On-premise support

What people use each for

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

Gravitee

  • API gateway and lifecycle managementnot Akana
  • Exposing Kafka event streams as managed APIsnot Akana
  • Protocol mediation between event brokers and clientsnot Akana
  • Self-hosting an open source API gatewaynot Akana
  • Access control and authentication in front of internal APIsnot Akana

Akana

  • API lifecycle management across REST, SOAP and GraphQLnot Gravitee
  • Applying OAuth, JWT and SAML policies at the gatewaynot Gravitee
  • Running the same platform on-premises, in Kubernetes or across cloudsnot Gravitee
  • Developer portal and API monetisationnot Gravitee
  • Monitoring API traffic and enforcing quotasnot Gravitee

Where each one falls short

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

Gravitee

  • The entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway
  • Event management is priced separately, starting at $1,250 a month for the Comet tier
  • Tiers are gated on gateway and broker counts, so scaling horizontally means moving tier rather than paying incrementally
  • Data logging masking and other enterprise features are withheld from the lowest paid tier
  • 24/7 support requires the top Universe tier

Akana

  • Owned by Perforce and sold within their portfolio rather than independently, and akana.com redirects to perforce.com
  • Pricing is not published; only a 30 day trial is offered

Pricing, plan by plan

Gravitee

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • API Gateway
    • Basic analytics
    • Community support
  • Enterprise$1500/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • SLA support
    • SSO integration
  • Custom$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated support
    • Premium SLA

Akana

$2500/monthly
  • Professional$2500/monthly
    • API Gateway
    • Developer Portal
    • Basic analytics
  • Enterprise$5000/monthly
    • Advanced governance
    • Multi-cloud support
    • Premium support
  • Custom$undefined/monthly
    • Custom solutions
    • Dedicated support
    • SLA guarantee

Which should you pick?

Choose Gravitee if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes.
  • You also want developer portal.
Gravitee review

Choose Akana if

  • You need api lifecycle management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
  • You also want api security.
Akana review

Questions people ask

Is Gravitee or Akana better?
Neither clearly leads. Gravitee starts at Free and Akana at $2500/monthly, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gravitee or Akana?
Gravitee has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Gravitee and $2500/monthly for Akana.
Does Gravitee or Akana run on more platforms?
Gravitee runs on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes. Akana runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
Can I use Gravitee for free?
Yes. Gravitee has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Akana starts at $2500/monthly.
What is Gravitee best used for?
Gravitee is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management, exposing kafka event streams as managed apis, protocol mediation between event brokers and clients, self-hosting an open source api gateway. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management and exposing kafka event streams as managed apis are not what Akana is typically brought in for.
What can Gravitee do that Akana cannot?
Gravitee covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, Analytics Dashboard, Kubernetes. Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, API Security, Governance Controls, OAuth. Both handle LDAP, Cloud support, On-premise support.
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