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APIs · head to head

Tyk vs Zipkin

Tyk logo

Tyk

APIs

Open-source API gateway and API management platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zipkin logo

Zipkin

Cloud

Distributed tracing system for microservice latency

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Tyk professional and Enterprise plan pricing not published; contact required; Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
  • They diverge on capability: Tyk covers API Gateway, Zipkin covers Trace collection and search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tyk and Zipkin actually diverge.

Attributes where Tyk and Zipkin differ
AttributeTykZipkin
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, CloudLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
CategoryAPIsCloud
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Tyk

  • API Gateway
  • Rate Limiting
  • Authentication
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Linux support

Only in Zipkin

  • Trace collection and search
  • Dependency diagram
  • Simple deployment
  • Pluggable storage

What people use each for

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

Tyk

  • API gateway and API management platformsnot Zipkin
  • Microservices architecture orchestrationnot Zipkin
  • High-growth teams standardizing on API platformsnot Zipkin
  • Enterprises requiring advanced security and governancenot Zipkin

Zipkin

  • Adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructurenot Tyk
  • Java and Spring Boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-establishednot Tyk
  • Small deployments where Jaeger is more than the problem requiresnot Tyk

Where each one falls short

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

Tyk

  • Professional and Enterprise plan pricing not published; contact required
  • Core plan uses consumption-based model with variable costs
  • No upfront pricing transparency for production deployments

Zipkin

  • Less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
  • Fewer features: sampling, storage options and UI are all more limited
  • The interface is dated and slower to work with on large trace volumes
  • Tracing alone still leaves metrics and logs in separate tools during an incident

Pricing, plan by plan

Tyk

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Fully featured 48-hour trial
    • No credit card required
    • Tyk Cloud access
  • Core Plan$null/month
    • Usage-based flexible pricing
    • Cloud, Hybrid, or Self-managed deployment
    • Unlimited API gateways
  • Professional Plan$null/month
    • One fixed price with unlimited access
    • All deployment options
    • Unlimited APIs and requests
  • Enterprise Plan$null/month
    • Custom pricing required
    • Advanced governance and security
    • Premium support with custom SLAs

Zipkin

Free
  • ZipkinFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Tyk if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want rate limiting.
Tyk review

Choose Zipkin if

  • You need trace collection and search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want dependency diagram.
Zipkin review

Questions people ask

Is Tyk or Zipkin better?
Neither clearly leads. Tyk starts at Free and Zipkin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tyk or Zipkin?
Tyk starts at Free and Zipkin at Free.
Does Tyk or Zipkin run on more platforms?
Tyk runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud. Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use Tyk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Tyk best used for?
Tyk is most often used for api gateway and api management platforms, microservices architecture orchestration, high-growth teams standardizing on api platforms, enterprises requiring advanced security and governance. Of those, api gateway and api management platforms and microservices architecture orchestration are not what Zipkin is typically brought in for.
What can Tyk do that Zipkin cannot?
Tyk covers API Gateway, Rate Limiting, Authentication, Kubernetes. Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Tyk: How much does Tyk cost?

Tyk offers a free 48-hour trial with no credit card required. The Core plan uses usage-based pricing on a flexible model. Professional plan offers unlimited access at a fixed price (amount not published). Enterprise plans require custom pricing.

Source
Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Tyk: Is there a free trial of Tyk?

Yes, Tyk provides a fully featured 48-hour free trial of Tyk Cloud that requires no credit card to start.

Source
Zipkin: Zipkin or Jaeger?

Jaeger has more momentum, more features and CNCF backing. Zipkin is lighter and quicker to stand up, and remains well supported in the Java and Spring ecosystem.

Tyk: What deployment options are included in Tyk pricing?

All Tyk plans support Cloud, Hybrid, or Self-managed deployment options without feature restrictions, allowing flexible infrastructure choices across pricing tiers.

Source
Zipkin: Does Zipkin work with OpenTelemetry?

Yes. OpenTelemetry can export to Zipkin, which is now the usual way to instrument for it.

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