Software · head to head
Stoplight vs Asyncapi
Asyncapi
Software
Specification and tools for defining asynchronous APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Stoplight the free plan allows one project and one user; Asyncapi complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature
- They diverge on capability: Stoplight covers API Design, Asyncapi covers API Specification.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Stoplight and Asyncapi actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Stoplight
- API Design
- API Documentation
- Governance
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Jenkins
- Azure DevOps
- Web support
Only in Asyncapi
- API Specification
- Code generation
- Documentation
- Multiple messaging protocols
- Code generators
- Specification support
- Tools support
- CLI support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Stoplight
- Designing and documenting OpenAPI specifications visuallynot Asyncapi
- Serving interactive API docs and instant mock servers from a specnot Asyncapi
Asyncapi
- API Developmentnot Stoplight
- API Gatewaynot Stoplight
- API Testingnot Stoplight
- API Documentationnot Stoplight
- Microservicesnot Stoplight
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Stoplight
- The free plan allows one project and one user
- Private projects, multi branch support and custom domains start at the Startup plan, $113 a month billed annually
- SSO and shared style guides are Pro Team only, at $362 a month billed annually
- Seats beyond each plan's allowance are $11 to $27 each per month depending on tier and billing period
Asyncapi
- Complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature
- Keeping AsyncAPI documents up to date is challenging as systems evolve
- Tracing and debugging asynchronous operations is more difficult than synchronous request-response patterns
Pricing, plan by plan
Stoplight
Free- FreeFree
- API design
- Documentation
- Community support
- Pro$75/monthly
- Governance
- Advanced testing
- Team collaboration
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Custom deployment
- SLA
- Priority support
Asyncapi
Free- Open SourceFree
- AsyncAPI specification
- Tools
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose Stoplight if
- You need api design.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want api documentation.
Choose Asyncapi if
- You need api specification.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions.
- You also want code generation.
Questions people ask
- Is Stoplight or Asyncapi better?
- Neither clearly leads. Stoplight starts at Free and Asyncapi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Stoplight or Asyncapi?
- Stoplight starts at Free and Asyncapi at Free.
- Does Stoplight or Asyncapi run on more platforms?
- Stoplight runs on Web, Cloud. Asyncapi runs on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions.
- Can I use Stoplight for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Stoplight best used for?
- Stoplight is most often used for designing and documenting openapi specifications visually, serving interactive api docs and instant mock servers from a spec. Of those, designing and documenting openapi specifications visually and serving interactive api docs and instant mock servers from a spec are not what Asyncapi is typically brought in for.
- What can Stoplight do that Asyncapi cannot?
- Stoplight covers API Design, API Documentation, Governance, GitHub. Asyncapi covers API Specification, Code generation, Documentation, Multiple messaging protocols.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Asyncapi: What is AsyncAPI used for?
AsyncAPI is an open-source specification for defining and documenting asynchronous APIs, message-driven systems, and event-driven architectures. It serves the same purpose for async APIs as OpenAPI does for REST APIs, providing standardized documentation, code generation, and tooling.
SourceAsyncapi: Is AsyncAPI free to use?
Yes, AsyncAPI is completely free and open-source. It is hosted by the Linux Foundation and supported by community contributions and sponsorships from companies like Postman, IBM, IQVIA Technology, and Solace.
SourceAsyncapi: What protocols and technologies does AsyncAPI support?
AsyncAPI supports multiple protocols and technologies including Kafka, RabbitMQ, MQTT, Socket.IO, AWS EventBridge, and others. It provides language support for JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, C#/.NET, Kotlin, and PHP.
SourceAsyncapi: Does AsyncAPI have IDE support?
Yes, AsyncAPI has IDE extensions available for VSCode and IntelliJ, along with CLI utilities and GitHub Actions integration for developers.
Source