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APIs · head to head

Gravitee vs Spring Cloud Gateway

Gravitee logo

Gravitee

APIs

Open source API management platform for event-native APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spring Cloud Gateway logo

Spring Cloud Gateway

APIs

API gateway built on Project Reactor for building microservices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gravitee the entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway; Spring Cloud Gateway released under the Apache 2.0 license, free and open source with no commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: Gravitee covers API Gateway, Spring Cloud Gateway covers Routing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gravitee and Spring Cloud Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where Gravitee and Spring Cloud Gateway differ
AttributeGraviteeSpring Cloud Gateway
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, KubernetesJava, Spring Boot
Founded20151998

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Gravitee

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

Only in Spring Cloud Gateway

  • Routing
  • Path Rewriting
  • Circuit Breaker
  • Spring Boot
  • Spring Security
  • Spring Cloud
  • Java support
  • Spring Boot support

What people use each for

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

Gravitee

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

Spring Cloud Gateway

  • API Developmentnot Gravitee
  • API Gatewaynot Gravitee
  • API Testingnot Gravitee
  • API Documentationnot Gravitee
  • Microservicesnot 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

Spring Cloud Gateway

  • Released under the Apache 2.0 license, free and open source with no commercial tier

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

Spring Cloud Gateway

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Core Spring Cloud Gateway
    • Community support

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 Spring Cloud Gateway if

  • You need routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Java, Spring Boot.
  • You also want path rewriting.
Spring Cloud Gateway review

Questions people ask

Is Gravitee or Spring Cloud Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. Gravitee starts at Free and Spring Cloud Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gravitee or Spring Cloud Gateway?
Gravitee starts at Free and Spring Cloud Gateway at Free.
Does Gravitee or Spring Cloud Gateway run on more platforms?
Gravitee runs on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes. Spring Cloud Gateway runs on Java, Spring Boot.
Can I use Gravitee for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Spring Cloud Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can Gravitee do that Spring Cloud Gateway cannot?
Gravitee covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, Analytics Dashboard, Kubernetes. Spring Cloud Gateway covers Routing, Path Rewriting, Circuit Breaker, Spring Boot.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Gravitee: What is Gravitee's pricing model?

Gravitee uses a tiered subscription model with monthly flat pricing. The Planet tier for API Management starts at $2,500/month with one production gateway, while the Comet tier for Event Management starts at $1,250/month.

Source
Spring Cloud Gateway: Is Spring Cloud Gateway free?

Yes, Spring Cloud Gateway is free and open-source software. It is part of the Spring ecosystem and available through GitHub repositories with open-source dependencies like spring-cloud-starter-gateway-server-webflux and spring-cloud-starter-gateway-server-webmvc.

Source
Gravitee: Are there hidden fees with Gravitee?

No. Gravitee explicitly states there are no hidden fees, and all tiers include unlimited users and unlimited APIs under management.

Source
Spring Cloud Gateway: What enterprise support is available for Spring Cloud Gateway?

Tanzu Spring provides optional enterprise support including Day 0 access to security patches for organizations requiring guaranteed support, but specific pricing is not published on the Spring Cloud Gateway project page.

Source
Gravitee: What does higher tier pricing include in Gravitee?

Higher tiers add more production gateways, enterprise plugins, and enhanced support levels ranging from Gold to Platinum/Diamond support.

Source
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