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APIs · head to head

WSO2 API Manager vs Zeplo

WSO2 API Manager logo

WSO2 API Manager

APIs

Complete API management platform for designing and managing APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zeplo logo

Zeplo

APIs

Message queue as a URL prefix, adding retries and delays to any HTTP request

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: WSO2 API Manager the free open source distribution does not include a subscription to the WSO2 Update service, so continuous improvements and security patches require a paid subscription; Zeplo zeplo sits directly in the execution path of your background work, so an outage at a very small vendor means your jobs do not run at all, and there is no published SLA below Enterprise.
  • They diverge on capability: WSO2 API Manager covers API Gateway, Zeplo covers URL prefix interface.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which WSO2 API Manager and Zeplo actually diverge.

Attributes where WSO2 API Manager and Zeplo differ
AttributeWSO2 API ManagerZeplo
Pricing modelopen-sourcePer month by request count
PlatformsJava, Linux, Docker, KubernetesWeb, Cloud
Founded2005Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 WSO2 API Manager

  • API Gateway
  • API Designer
  • Developer Portal
  • LDAP
  • Okta
  • Keycloak
  • Microservices
  • Java support

Only in Zeplo

  • URL prefix interface
  • Retries with backoff
  • Delayed delivery
  • Cron scheduling
  • Concurrency limits
  • Deduplication keys
  • Request logs
  • Team workspaces

What people use each for

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

WSO2 API Manager

  • Publishing, securing and rate limiting APIs behind a gatewaynot Zeplo
  • Running an API developer portal with subscription key managementnot Zeplo
  • Self hosting an open source API management layer on premisesnot Zeplo

Zeplo

  • A Vercel or Cloudflare Workers application that needs retried background jobs without deploying a separate always-on workernot WSO2 API Manager
  • A team that wants a webhook receiver protected by a concurrency limit so a burst does not overwhelm a downstream APInot WSO2 API Manager
  • A small product needing cron jobs against HTTP endpoints without adding a scheduler to its infrastructurenot WSO2 API Manager
  • A developer adding idempotent retries to an unreliable third-party API call with a one-line URL changenot WSO2 API Manager

Where each one falls short

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

WSO2 API Manager

  • The free open source distribution does not include a subscription to the WSO2 Update service, so continuous improvements and security patches require a paid subscription
  • A commercial production licence is not part of the free download and comes only with a subscription
  • No subscription price is published; Basic Support and Enterprise Support both require contacting sales for a quote
  • 24x7x365 coverage requires Enterprise Support; the general query SLA is one business day
  • A Customer Success Manager is a paid optional add on covering business hours only
  • Consulting services and WSO2 Private Cloud hosting are quoted separately

Zeplo

  • Zeplo sits directly in the execution path of your background work, so an outage at a very small vendor means your jobs do not run at all, and there is no published SLA below Enterprise.
  • The free Developer tier includes only 500 requests a month and one team member, so it is a demonstration allowance rather than a usable free plan for anything real.
  • Overage on the Developer tier is 20 US dollars per 100,000 requests, two hundred times the marginal rate on the Company tier, so exceeding the free allowance without upgrading is expensive.
  • Team members cost 15 US dollars each beyond the plan allowance, which is an odd charge on an infrastructure product billed by request volume.
  • Log retention is 30 days on both published tiers, so anything requiring longer audit trails on job execution has to be logged separately.

Pricing, plan by plan

WSO2 API Manager

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Core API management
    • Community support
  • Commercial$undefined/monthly
    • Enterprise features
    • Technical support
    • SLA

Zeplo

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • 500 requests a month included
    • $20 per additional 100,000 requests
    • 1 team member
  • Company$39/month
    • 1,000,000 requests a month included
    • $10 per additional million requests
    • Up to 3 team members
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Volume discounts
    • Custom team size
    • Support with SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose WSO2 API Manager if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Java, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want api designer.
WSO2 API Manager review

Choose Zeplo if

  • You need url prefix interface.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want retries with backoff.
Zeplo review

Questions people ask

Is WSO2 API Manager or Zeplo better?
Neither clearly leads. WSO2 API Manager starts at Free and Zeplo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, WSO2 API Manager or Zeplo?
WSO2 API Manager starts at Free and Zeplo at Free.
Does WSO2 API Manager or Zeplo run on more platforms?
WSO2 API Manager runs on Java, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Zeplo runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use WSO2 API Manager for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is WSO2 API Manager best used for?
WSO2 API Manager is most often used for publishing, securing and rate limiting apis behind a gateway, running an api developer portal with subscription key management, self hosting an open source api management layer on premises. Of those, publishing, securing and rate limiting apis behind a gateway and running an api developer portal with subscription key management are not what Zeplo is typically brought in for.
What can WSO2 API Manager do that Zeplo cannot?
WSO2 API Manager covers API Gateway, API Designer, Developer Portal, LDAP. Zeplo covers URL prefix interface, Retries with backoff, Delayed delivery, Cron scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

WSO2 API Manager: How is WSO2 API Manager priced?

WSO2 API Manager pricing is not published on their website. As an enterprise API management platform, pricing is custom-quoted based on deployment model and organizational requirements.

Source
Zeplo: How does Zeplo work?

You prefix your endpoint URL with zeplo.to and add query parameters for retries, delay, cron or concurrency. No SDK or broker is needed.

WSO2 API Manager: Does WSO2 API Manager offer different pricing for on-premises versus cloud deployments?

WSO2 API Manager supports multiple deployment options including on-premises and cloud, but pricing structures for different deployment models are not publicly disclosed.

Source
Zeplo: What does it cost?

Free for 500 requests a month; 39 US dollars a month for a million requests, then 10 dollars per additional million.

WSO2 API Manager: What deployment flexibility does WSO2 API Manager provide?

WSO2 API Manager enables flexible deployment on-premises or in cloud environments, but specific pricing tiers for each deployment model require contacting WSO2 sales.

Source
Zeplo: Is it suitable for critical jobs?

It is a small vendor in your execution path with no published SLA below Enterprise, so weigh that against the convenience.

WSO2 API Manager: How would I request a WSO2 API Manager pricing quote?

Organizations can request pricing quotes by contacting WSO2 sales through their website. Custom quotes depend on API volume, deployment model, and feature requirements.

Source
Zeplo: Does it work with serverless platforms?

Yes, that is its main use, covering Vercel, Cloudflare Workers, Netlify and similar environments that lack long-running workers.

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