API Management · head to head
Prisma vs AWS API Gateway
Prisma
API Management
Modern ORM and API client for Node.js and TypeScript
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
AWS API Gateway
API Management
Fully managed API gateway service for creating and managing APIs at scale
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Prisma prisma Postgres is billed per operation, with the free tier at 100,000 operations and 500 MB of storage; AWS API Gateway rEST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer
- They diverge on capability: Prisma covers ORM, AWS API Gateway covers WebSocket APIs.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Prisma and AWS API Gateway actually diverge.
| Attribute | Prisma | AWS API Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | usage-based |
| Platforms | Node.js, TypeScript | AWS Cloud |
| Founded | 2016 | 2006 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).
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 Prisma
- ORM
- Query builder
- Auto-migrations
- Node.js
- TypeScript
- GraphQL
- Node.js support
- TypeScript support
Only in AWS API Gateway
- WebSocket APIs
- HTTP APIs
- Lambda
- EC2
- DynamoDB
- CloudWatch
- IAM
- AWS Cloud support
Both cover
- REST APIs
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Prisma
- Using a type safe ORM and query layer against a Postgres databasenot AWS API Gateway
- Adding a managed connection pool and edge cache in front of an existing databasenot AWS API Gateway
AWS API Gateway
- Fronting Lambda functions with an HTTP endpointnot Prisma
- REST and HTTP API management with throttling and keysnot Prisma
- WebSocket APIs for real-time clientsnot Prisma
- Private APIs reachable only inside a VPCnot Prisma
- Publishing a developer portal for API consumersnot Prisma
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Prisma
- Prisma Postgres is billed per operation, with the free tier at 100,000 operations and 500 MB of storage
- Starter at $10 a month includes 1M operations then charges $0.0080 per 1,000
- Storage overage runs from $2.00 per GB on Starter down to $1.00 per GB on Business, so the unit cost depends on the plan
- Accelerate charges separately per operation and per GiB of query egress beyond the first 1 KiB
- Cache tag invalidations are not included below the Pro plan and are billed per thousand above it
AWS API Gateway
- REST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer
- Data transfer out is charged at $0.09 per GB on top of request pricing
- WebSocket APIs bill connection minutes as well as messages, at $0.25 per million minutes
- Private APIs avoid data transfer charges but incur AWS PrivateLink costs instead
- The developer portal is $125 a month, with additional portal products at $12.50 each
- The free tier lasts 12 months rather than being ongoing
Pricing, plan by plan
Prisma
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full Prisma ORM
- Community support
- Professional$50/monthly
- Extended browser
- Priority support
- Monitoring
AWS API Gateway
Free- Free TierFree
- 1M requests per month
- Basic API management
- Pay-as-you-go$3.5/per 1M requests
- Unlimited requests
- HTTP APIs
- REST APIs
Which should you pick?
Choose Prisma if
- You need orm.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Node.js, TypeScript.
- You also want query builder.
Choose AWS API Gateway if
- You need websocket apis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on AWS Cloud.
- You also want http apis.
Questions people ask
- Is Prisma or AWS API Gateway better?
- Neither clearly leads. Prisma starts at Free and AWS API Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Prisma or AWS API Gateway?
- Prisma starts at Free and AWS API Gateway at Free.
- Does Prisma or AWS API Gateway run on more platforms?
- Prisma runs on Node.js, TypeScript. AWS API Gateway runs on AWS Cloud.
- Can I use Prisma for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Prisma best used for?
- Prisma is most often used for using a type safe orm and query layer against a postgres database, adding a managed connection pool and edge cache in front of an existing database. Of those, using a type safe orm and query layer against a postgres database and adding a managed connection pool and edge cache in front of an existing database are not what AWS API Gateway is typically brought in for.
- What can Prisma do that AWS API Gateway cannot?
- Prisma covers ORM, Query builder, Auto-migrations, Node.js. AWS API Gateway covers WebSocket APIs, HTTP APIs, Lambda, EC2. Both handle REST APIs.
Related pages
More on AWS API Gateway
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