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APIs · head to head

Paw vs Portkey

Paw logo

Paw

APIs

Full-featured REST client for macOS with powerful scripting and testing

From
$99/one-time
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

  • Each has a real cost: Paw no specific pricing amounts published for subscription tiers; 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 Paw and Portkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Paw and Portkey differ
AttributePawPortkey
Starting price$99/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsMacOSWeb
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Paw

  • REST Client
  • Scripting
  • Dynamic Values
  • Slack
  • GitHub
  • Custom extensions
  • MacOS support

Only in Portkey

Nothing recorded that Paw does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Paw

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

Portkey

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

Where each one falls short

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

Paw

  • No specific pricing amounts published for subscription tiers
  • Individual and volume licensing requires direct contact
  • Limited details on team subscription pricing

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

Paw

$99/one-time
  • Standard$99/one-time
    • Full REST client
    • Advanced scripting
    • Extensions
  • Annual License$49/yearly
    • All features
    • Updates
    • Priority support

Portkey

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Portkey review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Paw if

  • You need rest client.
  • You work on MacOS.
  • You also want scripting.
Paw review

Choose Portkey if

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

Portkey review

Questions people ask

Is Paw or Portkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Paw starts at $99/one-time and Portkey at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paw or Portkey?
Paw starts at $99/one-time and Portkey at On request.
Does Paw or Portkey run on more platforms?
Paw runs on MacOS. Portkey runs on Web.
What is Paw best used for?
Paw 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 Paw do that Portkey cannot?
Paw covers REST Client, Scripting, Dynamic Values, Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Paw: How much does RapidAPI for Mac (Paw) cost?

Paw offers a free tier for personal and professional use. Paid subscription plans are available on monthly and yearly billing, but specific pricing amounts are not disclosed and require direct contact with RapidAPI.

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
Paw: Is there a free version of Paw?

Yes, RapidAPI for Mac (Paw) is free for both personal and professional use.

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
Paw: What features are included in the free version of Paw?

The free tier includes HTTP client capabilities for API testing, API documentation, personal sync across devices, and support for Swagger, RAML, and API Blueprint formats.

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
Paw: What additional features do Paw team subscriptions include?

Team subscription plans include all personal features plus collaborative tools, team project access, synchronized workflows with safe data merges, and real-time notifications and updates.

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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