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APIs · head to head

Janus Gateway vs Portkey

Janus Gateway logo

Janus Gateway

APIs

WebRTC gateway and media server for real-time communication

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Portkey logo

Portkey

APIs

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Janus Gateway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Janus Gateway no commercial pricing published; open-source project without official commercial offerings; 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 Janus Gateway and Portkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Janus Gateway and Portkey differ
AttributeJanus GatewayPortkey
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourceUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, MacOS, BSDWeb
Founded2010Unknown

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 Janus Gateway

  • WebRTC Gateway
  • Media Routing
  • Video Conferencing
  • RTP
  • SRTP
  • REST API
  • Linux support
  • MacOS support

Only in Portkey

Nothing recorded that Janus Gateway does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Janus Gateway

  • API Developmentnot Portkey
  • API Gatewaynot Portkey
  • API Testingnot Portkey
  • API Documentationnot Portkey
  • Microservicesnot Portkey

Portkey

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

Where each one falls short

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

Janus Gateway

  • No commercial pricing published; open-source project without official commercial offerings
  • Community-supported only; no vendor commercial support or SLA available

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

Janus Gateway

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Core WebRTC gateway
    • Community support

Portkey

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Portkey review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Janus Gateway if

  • You need webrtc gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, MacOS, BSD.
  • You also want media routing.
Janus Gateway review

Choose Portkey if

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

Portkey review

Questions people ask

Is Janus Gateway or Portkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Janus 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, Janus Gateway or Portkey?
Janus Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Janus Gateway and On request for Portkey.
Does Janus Gateway or Portkey run on more platforms?
Janus Gateway runs on Linux, MacOS, BSD. Portkey runs on Web.
Can I use Janus Gateway for free?
Yes. Janus Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Portkey starts at On request.
What is Janus Gateway best used for?
Janus Gateway is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Portkey is typically brought in for.
What can Janus Gateway do that Portkey cannot?
Janus Gateway covers WebRTC Gateway, Media Routing, Video Conferencing, RTP.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Janus Gateway: How much does Janus Gateway cost?

Janus Gateway has no pricing model; it is a free open-source WebRTC server developed by Meetecho. The general-purpose server is available for download at no cost. There are no subscription tiers or commercial licensing fees.

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
Janus Gateway: Is Janus Gateway supported commercially?

Janus Gateway is community-supported open-source software with no official commercial support or SLA from the vendors. While Meetecho developed the project, users must rely on community documentation and forums for assistance.

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
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
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
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