Best API Management Tools

What is API Management?

API (application programming interface) management is the process of managing different API functions, such as designing, releasing, documenting, analyzing, and monitoring APIs in a safe environment.

To learn more, read our API Management Buyer's Guide (Updated: December 2023).

By implementing an API management solution, companies can guarantee that both the public and internal APIs they create are secure and consumable. API management also pertains to how APIs are developed, updated, controlled, and stored. It is also a key component related to many businesses’ success, since data integration is central to the relationships between API providers and users and can positively impact business results.

What is an API? An API, otherwise known as an application programming interface, makes it possible for disparate applications to communicate with one another. APIs provide access to another app’s data or functionality and are key to helping your business connect, communicate, and integrate your products and services with different software programs. By gaining accessibility, minimizing programming complexities, and automating repetitive tasks, APIs make data and applications more useful - both internally and externally. Because the need for speed and agility has become an essential requirement for enterprises, nearly every industry depends on APIs and can’t do without them.

API Management refers to the practices and tools that enable an organization to govern and monitor its Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Today, the term almost always means management of RESTful APIs using the JSON language.

API Management controls how the gateway passes calls to the back-end service and then hands off the response back to the invoker site. Most large companies have built out APIs for their customers and for internal use. There is a choice to have the data on-premise or in the cloud, whichever works best for the situation.

API management tools typically allow for security policy definition and enforcement, including authentication and authorization of API consumers. They can throttle API calls and limit usage based on established SLAs and resource allocation agreements.

PeerSpot users are looking for a healthy API gateway that manages transformation engines to modify requests and responses in real time. Publishing tools report access and usage policies, and manage the API lifecycle. API Management is responsible for collecting data analytics and other metrics, and monitors load balancers and debugging, especially e-mail notifications, error logs and validation errors. Clients using APIs have access to better insights into their usage because APIs impact many products and services, and API Management is critical to agile operations.

PeerSpot users want ease of use in API Management for monitoring these security gateways against malicious attacks. Aspects most important to IT include Directory Authentication, API Security, Life Cycle Management, Deployment Management and Service Registry, discovery and a repository. There should be built in API Aggregation, Traffic Management, Mobile Optimization, HTTP Acceleration and Data Caching.

IT teams specifically look for API Management to oversee encryption, decryption, credential management, URL management and prevention against XSS and SQL Injection threats. API Management will monitor exposed functionality and monetization. API Management solutions are integral to a 24/7 need to keep everything running, and running well. Good planning and project management will help IT choose the best combination of monitoring tools for API Management.

Buyer's Guide

API Management

December 2023

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Top API Management products

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#1 Ranked

Microsoft Azure API Management

Microsoft Azure API Management is a reliable and scalable way to publish, consume, and manage APIs running on an Microsoft Azure platform. Azure API Management provides all essential tools required for end-to-end management of APIs. It ensures optimal performance of the APIs by tracking and enforcing usage and authentication. Microsoft Azure API Management is primarily used to provide a central interface to create, provision, and manage APIs for web and cloud applications and services. Today's innovative enterprises are adopting API architectures to accelerate growth. With Microsoft Azure API Management, businesses can streamline their work across hybrid and multi cloud environments with a unified place to manage all their APIs. Microsoft Azure API Management Features Microsoft Azure API Management has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include: Manage APIs across clouds and on premises: Optimize API traffic flow by deploying API gateways side by side with the APIs hosted in Azure, other clouds, and on premises. Meet security and compliance requirements with a unified management experience and full visibility across all APIs. Customized usage limits: By applying authentication, authorization, and usage limits, you can protect your resources by controlling how data and services are exposed to employees, partners, and customers. API-first approaches: Accelerate your business by building apps faster and delivering immediate value to customers through API-first approaches. This helps you decouple front- and back-end teams through API mocking, API revisions and versioning, and automated API documentation. Customizable developer portal: Improve API discoverability by creating a customizable developer portal for all your APIs. This enables you to simply manage and share APIs with internal teams, external partners, and customers. Facades for back-end services: Transform your existing services and automatically turn legacy web services into modern REST-based APIs using facades. Security for your API’s: Keep all your APIs behind a single static IP or domain, and help protect them with tokens, keys, and IP filtering. Microsoft Azure API Management BenefitsThere are many benefits to implementing Microsoft Azure API Management. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include: Monitor the health of APIs, configure throttling, identify errors, and rate limits. Enforce flexible and fine-grained quotas and rate limits. Modify the shape and behavior of your APIs using policies. Improve latency and scale your APIs with response caching. Connect on-premises APIs to cloud services by creating a façade that lets you safely integrate. Create and manage user roles and define end-to-end API usage policies. Consolidate and manage thousands of APIs across multiple platforms in a central interface. Reviews from Real Users Microsoft Azure API Management stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Some of these include its DevOps integration, its easy setup, and its dynamic pricing. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews: Cecil S., a Software Engineer, writes of the solution, “The most valuable feature of Microsoft Azure API Management is the developer portal because it's very quick and easy to get something published." Dmitri E., an Integration Architect at MiBanco, notes, “In particular, in API Management, used as front-end APIs, it's easy to manage. We use Microsoft due to the stability of the company. It is easy to set up. The solution is scalable. It is stable as a product as well.”

7.9

Rating

Reviews

445

Words/ Review

39,327

Total Views

32,283

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Leader

Apigee

Apigee is a platform for developing and managing APIs. Apigee offers an interface for your core services by wrapping them with a proxy layer which is then accessed by other developers. With Apigee, you can design and build APIs and then securely share their services and data without exposing any code. Because app developers make HTTP requests to an API proxy rather than directly to your services, your services are separated from the developers. All the developer needs to know is the URL of the API proxy endpoint, necessary query parameters, authorization credentials (if they exist), and the response data format. The API proxy isolates the app developer from your backend service. Therefore, you are free to change the service implementation if the public API remains consistent. By maintaining a consistent frontend API, existing client apps will continue to work regardless of changes on the backend. Key capabilities of the Apigee API management platform include: Security: Protect APIs, messages, and backends with configurable policies such as OAuth, API key verification, XML/JSON threat protection, and access control. API gateway: Secure and mediate the traffic between clients and backends, and between a company’s APIs and the developers who use the APIs. Developer portal: Attract and engage application developers, enabling them to discover, explore, purchase, and test APIs and register to access and use the APIs. API console: The console helps developers learn and work with APIs. API lifecycle management: Manage the process of designing, developing, publishing, deploying, and versioning APIs. Automated documentation: Automate the development of API documentation and software development kits. Machine learning: Utilize machine learning and analytics to generate actionable insights and reports. API monitoring: Apigee offers monitoring tools for API troubleshooting, security, and optimization. Reviews from Real Users: Apigee stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Several major ones are its rich developer portal, its advanced analytics, and its central monitoring system. Carlos R., a software architect at Caja Los Andes writes, “The central monitoring feature is the most valuable. It also provides security for the APIs and high availability for our use cases. Apigee is the best product in the industry in comparison to other API management solutions. It helps in fast development, which is a top point. It also supports a lot of industry standards and has excellent documentation.” An associate vice president at a tech services company notes, “The analytics function and the developer portal are the two valuable features of Apigee. The analytics part is very good, and the developer portal is quite rich in features. The authentication mechanisms are quite easily built into Apigee, which is something that most of the other products have also now started supporting.”

8.2

Rating

Reviews

429

Words/ Review

37,194

Total Views

26,458

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Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Google, Amazon and others in API Management. Updated: December 2023.

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Leader

Amazon API Gateway

Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed service that makes it easy for developers to create, publish, maintain, monitor, and secure APIs at any scale. With a few clicks in the AWS Management Console, you can create an API that acts as a "front door" for applications to access data, business logic, or functionality from your back-end services, such as workloads running on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), code running on AWS Lambda, or any Web application.

8.6

Rating

Reviews

435

Words/ Review

27,011

Total Views

23,428

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Leader

MuleSoft Anypoint API Manager

Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager is the portion of the Anypoint Platform that is used for the designing, building, managing, and publishing of APIs. Anypoint Platform uses Mule as its core runtime engine. Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager is an extremely versatile solution. It offers users the ability to deploy their APIs in a number of different settings. You can use API Manager on a public cloud, a private cloud, or a hybrid. Additionally, users can use the solution to manage their deployments with ease. A few clicks are all you need to alter your deployment. Benefits of Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager Some of the benefits of using Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager include: The ability to deploy APIs and integrations in the location of your choice. Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager enables users to deploy APIs on their own servers or on the cloud via Mulesoft’s cloud service. It also allows users to change the deployment location with only a few clicks.The ability to automatically protect your APIs with cutting-edge security software and protocols. Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager’s security software can automatically detect attacks against your APIs. This triggers an escalation of security protocols that push the attack to the perimeter of the system. The solution then proceeds to seal up any vulnerabilities. Mulesoft uses machine learning in order to adapt to any new threat that emerges. Reviews from Real Users Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager is a highly effective piece of software whose purpose is to enable users to design, build, manage, and publish APIs. It stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are the ease with which users can connect it to their applications and the high level of value that its support offers. It provides users with the ability to easily connect this solution with whatever program they need to join it with. Users can create connections without having to write code. It offers different types of support which ensure that users have a high level of understanding about the product and how to use it. PeerSpot user Tolulope A., a technical lead specializing in integration and middleware at a financial services firm, notes the ease with which users can connect Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager to their applications. He writes, “One good thing about MuleSoft is that they have a lot of connectors to those back-end applications. We don't really need to write code to be able to connect to a database or to connect with SAP. You just need credentials and the connectivity details. Most of the development of what we do is just drag and drop. They're able to connect with applications using standard connectors that are provided by ESB, by MuleSoft.” The CEO & Co-Founder at a computer retailer notes the value of Mulesoft’s supporting documentation. They write, “The documentation is great; it is always up-to-date and well-presented. If any details are missing, then there is a blog available that contains a lot of details. There are also channels on YouTube to help you better understand the solution and what some of the processes look like.”

8.3

Rating

Reviews

425

Words/ Review

19,347

Total Views

15,591

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IBM API Connect

IBM API Connect is a stable API management solution that facilitates a robust intuitive protocol to enable users to easily and continuously monetize, socialize, create, manage, and secure APIs. The solution can also power digital transformation on premises and across various cloud environments. Users have the ability to seamlessly drive digital applications and stimulate modernization instantly. IBM API Connect is also available in many other iterations with multiple reliable capabilities as part of the IBM Cloud Pak, which provides for smooth integration and will allow users to better automate application innovation and API management as part of any organization's progressive journey to a cloud environment. IBM API Connect Benefits IBM API Connect has many valuable benefits. Some of its most useful benefits include: Robust: The solution is loaded with many solid, value-added API management features essential for today’s busy organizations to instantly complete next-generation API strategy with the control and stability necessary to stay competitive in today’s marketplace and provide easy self-service for developers. Reliable: IBM API Connect utilizes an innovative microservices-based architecture to seamlessly scale structures to adhere to organizational SLAs on the backend and to consistently administer and secure all services throughout each and every endpoint. Intuitive: The solution implements API management with an award-winning user experience and the industry’s best developer portal to quickly socialize, create, manage and secure APIs across an organization's complete API lifecycle. Secure: Blends trusted API management with a robust enterprise-grade API gateway to minimize any cybersecurity risks and protect organizational data across all cloud environments. IBM API Connect Features IBM API Connect has many value-added features. Some of its most desirable features include: Development made easy: Users can easily share APIs with other team members and developers via the IBM-branded developer portal. On the portal, approved users are able to discover and subscribe to APIs in addition to being able to deploy and register coordinating applications. Deployment flexibility: IBM API Connect is able to seamlessly run in almost any environment, such as cloud, on-premises, and also hybrid cloud. Dynamic dashboard: Users have access to robust dashboards providing comprehensive visualization that allows users to fully comprehend and appraise API usage and how it affects the productivity and profitability of the organization. Reviews from Real Users “We use this solution for rest-based, micro services to complete authentication. We are able to gather statistics and audit and throttle traffic. It also has a developer portal that allows users to browse their APIs and develop applications on them. It has solid features compared to some of the API services management services out there.” - Chong S., Sr Technical Specialist at a financial services firm “API Connect is mainly used as a gateway solution to expose, secure, and manage APIs. Using API Connect allows us to quickly create proxy APIs and saves time on end-to-end testing, which lets us deliver quickly to clients. API Connect's most valuable features are API management and creation.” - A PeerSpot user who is an Associate Manager at a tech services company

7.8

Rating

Reviews

482

Words/ Review

13,410

Total Views

9,989

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IBM DataPower Gateway

IBM DataPower Gateway is a robust, secure next-generation enterprise-grade single multichannel API gateway that supplies dynamic access, integration, control, and outstanding security. The solution is available in a broad range of workload capabilities, including application programming interface (API), service oriented architecture (SOA), B2B, cloud, web, and mobile. These dynamic capabilities ensure users are able to quickly increase the reach of an organization's critical IT resources to new channels, which will provide shareholders, team members, and clients with safe, secure access at all times. DataPower Gateway is very flexible and is widely available in virtual, cloud, traditional, physical, Docker, and Linux form factors. IBM DataPower Gateway Features IBM DataPower Gateway has many value-added features. Some of these features are included below: Control: The solution provides decision point authorization and authentication for all standards, including Lightweight Direct Access Protocol (LDAP) and Open Authorization (OAuth), which allow for better access control across an organization’s entire network. DataPower dashboard: The dashboard is specifically designed to enhance performance and determine problematic processes. The solution provides intuitive real-time performance transparency to diagnose operational and performance anomalies and offer repair and restoration recommendations. Enhanced messaging: Users are able to easily mediate messaging and protocols by incorporating the best of today’s traditional and modern application standards. Integration: IBM DataPower Gateway offers super fast mainframe connectivity, database connectivity, transport protocol bridging, content-based routing, and any-to-any message transformation, ensuring secure and immediate connect service. IBM DataPower Gateway Benefits IBM DataPower Gateway provides many benefits. Some of those benefits include: Flexibility: The solution is easy to use and configure and provides for a pleasant, intuitive overall user experience. The solution can immediately be used out of the box, which makes overall process management simple. Protection: The solution provides sturdy continuous service protection and application performance using robust powerful routing and traffic control. Security: The solution’s enterprise-grade De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) ready gateway enables users to enforce the desired runtime application security across all messaging protocols. Profitability: The solution’s design ensures significant reduction of development costs in addition to the streamlining of overall operations. Users are able to achieve reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) and experience a near-immediate ROI. Reviews from Real Users “My company has a good impression of IBM DataPower Gateway. What I like about it is that because it's an appliance, it's a turnkey solution that's very fast and out of the box. Another valuable feature of IBM DataPower Gateway is that it's easy to integrate with other products.”- Bálint T., Solution Manager at Intalion “You don't have to have a separate DMC proxy because DataPower Gateway is an appliance and will take care of a lot of security features. These include data validations, encryption, as well as XML or any type of scripting or security threats that are present. From a security point of view, being an appliance in the DMC zone, IBM DataPower Gateway will take care of the entire security angle for the infrastructure.” - Sathyan K., Founder/Director at perfTech Solutions Pvt Ltd

8.5

Rating

Reviews

357

Words/ Review

11,381

Total Views

5,690

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See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which API Management solutions are best for your needs.

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745,775 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Layer7 API Management

Layer7 API Management is a comprehensive solution that enables organizations to securely expose, manage, and monetize their APIs. It provides features such as API gateway, developer portal, analytics, and security to ensure seamless integration and control over API traffic. With Layer7 API Management, businesses can streamline their API operations and drive innovation.

8.4

Rating

105

Reviews

438

Words/ Review

7,437

Total Views

5,559

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WSO2 API Manager

WSO2 API Manager is a comprehensive platform that allows organizations to design, publish, and manage APIs. It provides a centralized interface for API governance, security, and analytics. With features like API monetization and developer portal, it enables businesses to drive innovation and create new revenue streams.

7.9

Rating

Reviews

350

Words/ Review

10,605

Total Views

7,068

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Postman

Postman's Tools Support Every Stage of the API Lifecycle. Through design, testing and full production, Postman is there for faster, easier API development - without the chaos.

8.1

Rating

Reviews

378

Words/ Review

14,304

Total Views

620

Category Comparisons

Kong Enterprise

Kong delivers a next generation API platform built for modern architectures. With a lightnight-fast, lightweight, and flexible core, Kong delivers sub-millisecond latency across all your services. Kong's is deployment-, vendor-, and pattern-agnostic, allowing you to run your services how you want, where you want, and with who you want - from baremetal to cloud, monolith to microservices, service mesh, and beyond.

7.9

Rating

Reviews

373

Words/ Review

15,597

Total Views

11,779

Category Comparisons

Axway AMPLIFY API Management

Axway API Management Plus combines API lifecycle management, secure integration services, monitoring and analytics to help you innovate faster and heighten ecosystem engagement. It is part of the Axway AMPLIFY data integration and engagement platform, which also includes unified app development for mobile to provide a complete solution for rapid change and innovation.

8.4

Rating

Reviews

666

Words/ Review

3,869

Total Views

2,664

Category Comparisons

3scale API Management

3scale is an API management platform that delivers flexible, highly scalable solutions to package, distribute, control, and monetize your APIs, giving you the power to make the most of your API program. Share company data, content, or services through Web or mobile applications. Provide an API to external organizations, internal teams, or both. Avoid the hassle and constant maintenance of building a solution from scratch. 3scale delivers centralized API management features through a distributed, cloud-hosted layer. The platform includes built-in features to help you build a more successful API program, including access control, rate limits, payment gateway integration, and developer experience tools.

7.2

Rating

Reviews

627

Words/ Review

5,696

Total Views

3,919

Category Comparisons

webMethods API Gateway

Once your APIs are “out there,” hackers have a “way in” to your business. Lock that door! Protect your data, applications—even your company’s reputation—with robust API runtime security. The right API gateway will keep out wrong-doers and welcome only authorized consumers. With cybercrime costs surging to $2 trillion by 2019, look for the most impermeable API gateway you can find. You’ll need basic security features, like authentication, authorization, digital encryption and digital signatures. You’ll get that with Software AG’s end-to-end API management solution—and another lock on top. Our webMethods API Gateway uses reverse invoke, or inside-out, service invocations. This protective technique reduces the need to open holes in your firewall. It’s one more way we help you lock down your APIs—and protect your business from malicious attacks.

8.0

Rating

Reviews

539

Words/ Review

1,620

Total Views

952

Category Comparisons

Coralogix

Coralogix is a stateful streaming data platform that provides real-time insights and long-term trend analysis with no reliance on storage or indexing, solving the monitoring challenges of data growth in large-scale systems. Ingest log, metric, and security data from any source for a single, centralized platform to monitor and alert on your applications. As data is ingested, Coralogix instantly narrows millions of events down to common patterns for deeper insights and faster troubleshooting. Proactive data storage optimization enables up to 70% savings on monitoring costs with better performance.

8.0

Rating

Reviews

566

Words/ Review

1,960

Total Views

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webMethods.io Integration

Software AG (Frankfurt MDAX: SOW) offers Freedom as a Service. We reimagine integration, spark business transformation and enable fast innovation on the Internet of Things so you can pioneer differentiating business models. We give you the freedom to connect and integrate any technology—from app to edge. We help you free data from silos so it’s shareable, usable and powerful—enabling you to make the best decisions and unlock entirely new possibilities for growth. Software AG has more than 4,700 employees, is active in 70 countries and had revenues of € 866 million in 2018.

8.0

Rating

Reviews

341

Words/ Review

3,047

Total Views

1,070

Category Comparisons

SwaggerHub

SwaggerHub is an integrated API Development platform, built for teams, that brings the core capabilities of the Swagger framework to design, build, document and deploy APIs. SwaggerHub enables development teams to collaborate and coordinate the entire lifecycle of an API with the flexibility to integrate with the toolset of your choice.

8.0

Rating

Reviews

404

Words/ Review

4,409

Total Views

3,385

Category Comparisons

Frends

Frends integration platform as a service (iPaaS), you can develop, manage and secure all APIs integrations and process automation within one lean, low-code, and intuitive platform.

9.0

Rating

Reviews

1,023

Words/ Review

Total Views

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SEEBURGER Business Integration Suite

With SEEBURGER’s experienced team behind you, and SEEBURGER BIS as the foundation of your hybrid integration strategy, you’re prepared for whatever comes your way – even as your business gains complexity and integration requirements increase. SEEBURGER Business Integration Suite (BIS) is a unified, agile, secure and scalable platform that solves integration challenges across your business and ecosystem, so that you can make valuable connections between clouds, applications and people. Our platform provides integration across all scenarios, including B2B/EDI, MFT, API and ERP on-premises, in the cloud and hybrid, in addition to expert support that is unmatched in the industry for your simplest to your most complex integrations. Your APIs are likely multiplying quickly, and if you’re looking for a solution to manage, secure and scale them properly, you get all of the benefits and less of the hassle with our API Management toolkit. Bring us your toughest B2B/EDI challenges. We help with difficult onboarding and partner connections, and will save you time and effort to complete complex projects. We make B2B easy with pre-packaged, re-usable content and automation capability, so your team can make the connection, and move on to the next mission. Simplify your workload with our iPaaS solution. SEEBURGER iPaaS enables your team to save man-hours connecting data, applications and systems, by letting us handle all the time-consuming platform operations. We cover maintenance, updates, security, scalability and more. Did you know that without managed file transfer (MFT), your company is at greater risk for a data breach? It’s as simple, and as dangerous, as that. The security and control you get with our centralized, easy-to-use solution ensures less risk for the company, and more sleep at night for you. Our customers say it best! Check out our reviews you’ll see that SEEBURGER’s rock-solid, built-from-the-ground-up platform, is combined with an expert team, and stellar service. We power your connections, future-proof your vision and give you a competitive edge.

9.0

Rating

Reviews

446

Words/ Review

5,679

Total Views

393

Category Comparisons

webMethods API Portal

Software AG’s webMethods API-Portal provides a comprehensive solution that allows the developer community to find, learn about, discuss and test your APIs. This API portal not only exposes API documentation to developers inside and outside of your organization but also manages the developer on-boarding process and lets developers use exposed APIs for new and creative uses. Software AG’s new API portal offer significant benefits for companies working on API monetization, including: -An intuitive user interface and highly customizable “look and feel” -A single solution for both external and internal developers -Analytics at the API portal to help you better understand your users -Strong API security through the use of API keys and OAuth2 credentials support -Seamless integration with other webMethods components, including CentraSite, Software - AG’s SOA governance and SOA life-cycle management solution

9.0

Rating

Reviews

647

Words/ Review

470

Total Views

350

Category Comparisons

Informatica Cloud API and App Integration

Informatica Cloud’s Application Integration solution creates business processes that accelerate business response times, dramatically increase business efficiency and improves user effectiveness - all without writing a single line of code.

8.5

Rating

Reviews

538

Words/ Review

1,417

Total Views

Category Comparisons

TIBCO Cloud API Management

APIs are critical business assets that form the foundation of digital business enabling new business models, improved operational efficiency, and connected customer experiences. TIBCO Cloud API Management empowers users to maximize the business value of their APIs products through an end-to-end solution that provides full lifecycle API management alongside capabilities for API discovery, implementation and analytics that speed business value realization across your digital ecosystem.

7.3

Rating

Reviews

470

Words/ Review

2,275

Total Views

1,865

Category Comparisons

IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

IBM Cloud Pak for Integration gives you complete, flexible integration using capabilities you need to move at today's speed of business, including the tools to help you achieve your application modernization goals as part of your journey to the cloud.

8.5

Rating

Reviews

370

Words/ Review

2,238

Total Views

727

Category Comparisons

Tyk

Tyk is an open source API Gateway that is fast and scalable, an API management platform featuring an API gateway, analytics, developer portal and dashboard. Available in three flavours to best suit your architecture and governance. We offer full cloud or on-premises options, and the best of both worlds with our unique hybrid model. www.tyk.io

7.0

Rating

Reviews

658

Words/ Review

2,663

Total Views

2,065

Category Comparisons

Oracle API Platform Cloud Service

Oracle API Platform Cloud Service enables companies to thrive in the digital economy by comprehensively managing the full API lifecycle from design and standardization to documenting, publishing, testing and managing APIs. These tools provide API developers, managers, and users an end-to-end platform for designing, prototyping. Through the platform, users gain the agility needed to support changing business demands and opportunities, while having clear visibility into who is using APIs for better control, security and monetization of digital assets.

7.3

Rating

Reviews

478

Words/ Review

1,521

Total Views

1,227

Category Comparisons

Boomi AtomSphere API Management

Boomi API Management supports the full lifecycle of APIs in a hybrid environment. Configure APIs and expose real-time integrations effortlessly. Centrally test and deploy APIs and enforce contracts and policies with an API gateway. Monitor the health of APIs with usage dashboards and engage API developers using the catalog and developer portal.

7.3

Rating

Reviews

523

Words/ Review

1,294

Total Views

911

Category Comparisons

webMethods.io API

If you’re joining the API economy, you need an API management platform that brings it all together for you. API management powered by webMethods is a complete and end-to-end platform, covering design, development, deployment, security, publishing and monitoring of your APIs and services. Use it to unlock the business value of unique data and services, and take advantage of mobile first, open API, hybrid integration, Internet of Things (IoT) and service governance initiatives. Reach new customers and partners, find new sources of revenue and leverage your development community. Now available in the cloud!

8.0

Rating

Reviews

142

Words/ Review

253

Total Views

278

Category Comparisons

OpenLegacy

OpenLegacy helps organizations quickly launch innovative digital services by extending their core back-end systems to the web, mobile and cloud in days or weeks versus months. Our microservice-enabled API integration and management software quickly reduces project backlog by automating and accelerating microservices and API creation, deployment, testing and management from core applications, mainframes and databases. Together, business and IT teams can quickly, easily and securely meet consumer, partner or employee demands for digital services without modernizing or replacing core systems, and without special programming skills or invasive changes to existing systems and architectures. OpenLegacy is designed for ongoing management of microservices APIs and is based on open standards, so our software plays nice with your current technology stack and supports agile, DevOps and continuous development. Learn why leading companies choose OpenLegacy at www.openlegacy.com.

7.0

Rating

Reviews

288

Words/ Review

760

Total Views

508

Category Comparisons

Akana API Management

Akana helps businesses accelerate digital transformation by securely extending their reach across multiple channels – mobile, cloud and Internet of Things. Akana enables enterprises to share data as APIs, connect and integrate applications, drive partner adoption, monetize their assets, and provide intelligent insights into their business and operations.

Reviews

1,932

Total Views

1,710

Category Comparisons

RapidAPI

RapidAPI is the world’s largest API marketplace where over half a million developers find and connect to thousands of public APIs.

1,187

Total Views

1,010

Category Comparisons

Gravitee

Gravitee.io is an end-to-end solution for both synchronous and asynchronous API lifecycle management, built on an event-native API Gateway with support for REST, SOAP, Websockets, Webhooks, Kafka, MQTT, and more.Because of its breadth of capabilities and unique support for streaming data, Gravitee enables developers and business users all around the world to build, manage, and secure all their APIs in one place.

1,060

Total Views

919

Category Comparisons

Apiary

Apiary's pioneering APIFlow solution provides the framework and tools for developing application programming interfaces (APIs) that share enterprise services and data and help create modern, cloud-based applications and experiences. APIFlow spans the API creation lifecycle, including design, governance, testing, and documentation, while supporting API Blueprint and OpenAPI industry standardsץ

Reviews

897

Total Views

664

Category Comparisons

Oracle API Management

Oracle API Management enable you to streamline business and IT objectives by managing the lifecycle of your APIs, outsource application enhancement by empowering developers through API adoption, and add a mobile front to your applications and capture new revenue opportunities with seamless API enablement.

Reviews

817

Total Views

640

Category Comparisons

Traefik Enterprise

Traefik Enterprise is a unified cloud-native networking solution that brings API management, ingress control, and Service Mesh all together in one simple control plane. Traefik Enterprise eases microservices networking complexity for developers and operations teams across the organization.

1,295

Total Views

665

Category Comparisons

Apache APISIX

Apache APISIX provides rich traffic management features like Load Balancing, Dynamic Upstream, Canary Release, Circuit Breaking, Authentication, Observability, etc.

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Stoplight

We're the platform to design, test, mock, & document APIs. Leading with a design-first approach saves time, saves money, & promotes creativity.

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Sensedia API Management Platform

For companies that need to develop an agile and modern integration architecture to faster deliver digital experiences, integrate and monitor digital channels and boost partner ecosystems, Sensedia recommends using APIs and offers a powerful API Management Platform. We provide API Analytics with Real-Time Dashboards and a Low Code Interface.

254

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Software AG Natural API Management

WEBMETHODS API MANAGEMENT: FOUNDATION FOR INNOVATION APIs have become the standard way of accessing applications, data and devices. They make it possible to free your data to deliver innovative digital products and services that are self-service, personalized and automated. The challenge is in creating APIs that users and partners will be attracted to, revisit, and share so you can promote new business models. End-to-end lifecycle management is the foundation for rapid, secure delivery of high-quality APIs. With webMethods API Acceleration Platform, you’ll be ready to move your business to the fast lane. We’ve helped thousands of organizations across nearly every industry achieve success and re-invent themselves as innovators and marketplace disrupters. As the leader and recognized experts in integration and APIs─with iPaaS, hybrid integration, API management, B2B, cloud integration and on-premises integration offerings─Software AG’s webMethods API Acceleration Platform can turn your data into value.

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webMethods Microgateway

Rapid development, rapid deployment. Continuous delivery, continuous integration. Today’s shorter innovation cycles are driving the demand for scalable microservices built around business capabilities. Now you can secure API access to those microservices easily without worry using Software AG’s API microgateway. Designed to sit closer to business logic and protect it, webMethods Microgateway is independent—lightweight, agile and fast—and works with webMethods API Gateway or as a standalone solution to control API access to microservices in a distributed environment. Highly efficient, the microgateway uses a very small footprint, and it’s fast to deploy. Gain the freedom you need to quickly innovate—choose from multiple form factors (standalone applications and Docker® container) and different deployment options. Support east-west traffic while preventing overloading main gateways.

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Talena

Talena integrates machine learning with unique storage optimization technology to dramatically reduce the costs associated with backup, recovery, and other data management functions across NoSQL, Hadoop and modern data warehouse products.

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CentraSite

CentraSite is an enterprise API catalog and SOA registry / repository and can provide a central, platform-indenpendent application for defining, describing and storing assets. It can help to catalog all services, APIs, business process and related assets, such as XML scheme and business rules.

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Gloo Platform

By addressing both internal and external communication security, the unified Gloo Platform UI and API leads to more automation and faster app deployment times, reduces time-to-value for new applications and services deployments, and makes you more competitive in your markets. Customers may start by addressing one challenge, but the unified nature of Gloo Platform makes it easy to solve your next challenge using the same solution. This makes it easier to introduce concepts like zero trust security to your modern infrastructure today.

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Sikka Software

The Sikka Platform Cloud uses a single API so you can quickly build secure apps for over 96% of dental, veterinary, audiology and optometry industries. Those apps are included in the Sikka Marketplace.

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Fiorano API Management

Fiorano API Management provides deep integration capabilities to enterprises to build APIs on top of existing applications, offering a range of capabilities including protocol transformation, mobile backend-as-a-service (MBaaS), standards-based access management, version management, API rate limiting, and metering (analytics). Fiorano transforms backend and third-party web services into easily consumable APIs, governed by self-service policies.

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Zuplo

Zuplo's API Gateway helps small and large teams get APIs to production that are fast, secure and with game-changing Developer Experience.

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PokitDok

The PokitDok API allows you to transmit X12 transactions, schedule appointments into a number of EMRs, as well as search our curated databases of healthcare providers, procedure pricing, medical procedure codes, and more. The API is designed according to REST (Representational State Transfer) principles. The API uses JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) for requests and responses, and also allows batch processing of ASC X12 5010 compatible EDI files. All API traffic is encrypted over HTTPS and authentication is handled with OAuth2.

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Scheer API Management

API-Management from Scheer PAS offers you maximum control with the administration and optimization of your programming interfaces. This comes from the differing levels of access rights for the use and administration of API’s, services and clients. The supply and publishing of agreements (contracts) can also be controlled flexibly and in real time. Access to interfaces is possible via (fixed) contracts as well as via the use of open API’s. The documentation of your API’s is secured over their complete lifecycle with the help of Swagger (Open API Specification) You benefit from the comprehensive functionality of the Process Automation Suite integration platform. All connected REST and SOAP interfaces are secured via API Management. In addition, REST and SOAP interfaces from other systems can also be administered. You can now offer the flexible use of individual API’s to your developers and partners as well as to your end-customers. Scheer PAS API Management makes possible the direct import of xUML Service endpoints into API-Management. The availability of policies offers additional benefits for your agility. These are a succession of differing statements that are applied sequentially at diverse points (API, plan, client etc.) and which can be adapted flexibly to specific needs. Policies in API-Management offer the opportunity to adapt the behaviour of an interface quickly and easily.

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SAP Integration Suite

Connect and automate business processes to innovate now with proven pre-built integrations, APIs, connectors, and best practices.

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DigitMarket API Manager

DigitMarket API Manager (DM-APIM) is a complete package to help manage your APIs and make them into tools that propel your business forward. With DM-APIM, you’ll arm your business with: 1. Mature and marketable APIs, that accelerate your digital transformation program 2. Easy third-party collaboration, helping you create and expand your digital business ecosystem DigitMarket API Manager offers you a secure API Gateway, Authentication Server, Developer Portal or API Store and an API Publisher Portal. Components: 1. API Marketplace / Developer Portal -Access all your APIs in one place. This integrated API store and developer portal helps you monetize your APIs. The API Marketplace is easy to use, lets you track API usage and revenue share through a powerful analytics engine. 2. API Gateway -Deliver high performance using this secure and scalable API Gateway. Scale your APIs and expose them at lightning speed. 3. API Publisher Portal -Provides a simple, intuitive interface to publish and manage your APIs. It comes with dynamic visualizations and analytics to track usage. You can build your own custom reports and workflows.

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Spring Edge

Authentication, voice & SMS APIs for every platform. Enables you to communicate faster and easier, developed with tech innovations. Power-up your business applications to communicate worldwide. With our highly scalable APIs and web interface powered by instant alerts.

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Microshare.io

Microshare is a Data Governance Platform for the Internet of Every Thing, providing a solution to data privacy, security, audit, confidentiality and micro-sharing. The Policy Fabric platform and product suite can take massive amounts of data, stored in 1000’s of locations, generated from 1000’s of sources and put it into the hands of a single, empowered individual to use as needed. By combining into a single platform advanced integration techniques, deep knowledge of business process automation, sophisticated data filtering, rules, and cutting edge on-demand data, we can tame the data monster.

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Oracle Communications Services Gatekeeper

Leading the cloud. From intelligent business applications to infrastructure, we deliver tomorrow’s emerging technologies today, like the world’s first - and only - autonomous database.

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Huawei Cloud API Gateway

Securely build, manage, and deploy APIs with API Gateway, a fully managed API hosting service for selectively exposing and monetizing APIs.

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TPIsoftware digiRunner

digiRunner Saves You the Hassle of API Management Featuring full API lifecycle management, digiRunner optimizes your APIM and development efficiency.

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Pipedream

Pipedream is an innovative workflow automation platform designed to streamline and simplify complex data integrations and workflows. Its primary use case is to connect various applications, services, and APIs, enabling seamless data transfer and automation across different systems. The most valuable functionality of Pipedream is its ability to create and manage workflows using a visual interface. Users can easily build and customize workflows by connecting different actions and triggers, without the need for coding. Pipedream supports a wide range of triggers and actions, allowing users to automate tasks such as data extraction, transformation, and loading, as well as event-driven actions like sending notifications or updating databases. Pipedream helps organizations by reducing manual effort and improving efficiency. It enables teams to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable time and resources. With its extensive library of pre-built integrations and connectors, Pipedream simplifies the process of connecting and integrating various systems, eliminating the need for custom development. This empowers organizations to quickly build and deploy complex workflows, accelerating their digital transformation initiatives. Furthermore, Pipedream provides real-time monitoring and debugging capabilities, allowing users to track the execution of workflows and troubleshoot any issues. It also offers advanced features like version control and collaboration, enabling teams to work together on building and maintaining workflows.

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Document360

Document360 helps your team create, collaborate, and publish a self-service knowledge base for your software with ease. You can set up an internal knowledge base by gathering institutional knowledge and storing it centrally that can be accessed by the employees across the organization. No that it is limited for internal use, you can also create a public-facing help center and customer service portal. Having a customer-centric knowledge base helps you to improve efficiency of your support team and concentrate only on the queries that require agent attention and FAQs can be supported to self-service portal.Document360 also offers an API documentation feature, for developers to create high-quality API docs and stay up-to-date. Benefitting Features of Document360 Document360 has the ability to use in multiple Help Centers and customized landing pages to carry your brand. Simple, efficient, and clear design editor, allowing the user to choose between Markdown and WYSIWYG editor. A real-time preview panel on the editor allows seeing how the published article will look while editing. With the Category Manager, you can easily assign Articles to different Categories, and that you can re-arrange all of the content. Versioning-Product documentation requires version control features, with Document360 you can understand full version history to see what changes were made, by who with time stamp and revert back to any revision. The built-in analytics feature filters data and provides the report to derive actionable data and insights. Intelligent Search- Customers can use the smart instant search for quick help and dynamically look for the most relevant help articles. Good for collaboration among team members unites team to one platform for capturing, sharing, and gaining knowledge. Seamless navigation through articles, adding tags, meta description makes it easy to categorize and search. SEO settings-At document360 you can customize article metadata and add tags to the article for quick search and optimize article title to include more keywords that relate to your product. Document360 integrates with multiple third-party tools, thus making a single place to centralize the tools used by your teams Private Hosting options are also available for large Enterprises for more control and security. There are many other outstanding features to explore. With Document360 you can build better self-service support for your employees and extend the benefits of the Help Center for your customers.

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Red Hat Integration

Red Hat® Integration is a comprehensive set of integration and messaging technologies to connect applications and data across hybrid infrastructures. It is an agile, distributed, containerized, and API-centric solution. It provides service composition and orchestration, application connectivity and data transformation, real-time message streaming, change data capture, and API management—all combined with a cloud-native platform and toolchain to support the full spectrum of modern application development.

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TeejLab

TeejLab is changing the way APIs are managed at enterprises via state of the art Data Science and Machine Learning solutions.

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Bump.sh

Bump.sh helps you build a branded single source of truth, documenting and cataloging all your APIs. Teams now have a reference point for building and consuming APIs whether with OpenAPI, Swagger or AsyncAPI.

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Tencent Cloud API Gateway

Tencent Cloud API Gateway is an API hosting service that enables full lifecycle management of APIs, including the creation, maintenance, release, operation, and deactivation of APIs. It can be used to encapsulate your business so you can securely release your data, business logic, and functionality for system integration and partner connections.

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AppMaster.io

No coding skills are required to create a unique app ecosystem using only AppMaster

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DCKAP Integrator

Maximize efficiency & profitability by delivering a consistent customer experience across sales channels. DCKAP Integrator is the No. 1 ERP integration platform for distributors.

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Nevatech Sentinet

Nevatech is an innovative provider of SOA and API Management infrastructure and tools for on-premises, cloud and hybrid environments. Nevatech Sentinet™ platform helps organizations to connect, mediate, secure and manage interactions between services across the enterprise or in the cloud.

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APImetrics

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Twelve Labs

Whether you have terabytes or petabytes of video, Twelve Labs can help you make sense of it all. Our comprehensive AI extracts key features from video such as action, object, text on screen, speech, and people. It transforms all of that information into vector representations. Vectors enable fast and scalable semantic search.

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Related categories

ESB (Enterprise Service Bus)

Application Infrastructure

SOA Application Gateways

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS)

API Testing Tools

API Monitoring Software

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API Management more info

Why is API management important?

With an exploding number of applications taking over the digital world, companies are turning toward API management to expose more data so that they can provide more personalized app experiences for customers, partners, and internal users. APIs are creating exponential growth for companies and are enabling them to accomplish business goals faster than ever before. API management has proven to transform organizations by increasing efficiency, fostering innovation efforts, and helping them bring new services and products to market faster.

What is an API management gateway?

The tool that resides between a collection of backend services and a client is known as an API management gateway. Its programming is the single-entry point for back-end APIs and both internal and external microservices. An API management gateway enforces security, provides elastic scalability and high availability, and helps performance levels. By compiling all API requests from a client, an API gateway can determine which services are necessary and combines them into a single and seamless experience for the user.

What are the benefits of API management?

The benefits of API management include:

Improved customer experience: API management helps companies create a rich and personalized customer experience because it is easier to deliver new levels of convenience and responsiveness, thus enabling companies to create value-added services.
Security: Accessibility makes APIs vulnerable. With an API management solution, sensitive data is protected and permissions are assigned and managed to avoid any security oversights that would otherwise be challenging to manage at the enterprise level. Additionally, API security protects your company from internal and external threats. When critical business functionality is exposed to customers, an API management platform can control levels of access for each app to verify identification, and can also detect anomalies to eliminate fraud.
Scalability: In today’s day and age, companies and their employees interact with apps and data on a constant basis. API management increases accessibility, decreasing the technical burdens associated with the typical API lifecycle.
API usage: An API management solution should provide insights about a company’s API consumers, making strategic business decisions easier. By gaining a deeper understanding of usage patterns, and other analytics such as device types or geographical information, API management can help companies adjust business strategies to meet customer demands.
Agility: API management makes it possible to have an easily adaptable and agile ecosystem. Having an API management system helps companies create APIs in less time while simultaneously delivering services much faster. By being able to create new services quickly, customer satisfaction increases, and businesses benefit from more profits.
Flexible ecosystem: In order to succeed with a digital transformation, it is essential to have an ecosystem that lends itself to adaptability, innovation, and flexibility. An API management system is critical to an ecosystem, since it is the solution to helping enterprises achieve the business agility they need.
Leverage legacy systems: Organizations do not have to do away with existing legacy systems that may already be deeply embedded into their enterprise. Instead, legacy systems can be made API-accessible and can be used to only expose the legacy system’s functionality to internal and external stakeholders. API management makes it possible to translate outdated security protocols to more modern protocols that are standard and user-friendly.
Easily accessible services: With an API management system, you can guarantee a seamless user experience for your customers by making services accessible anytime, from any location.

Simple configuration: API management is easy to configure and can be applied to either new or existing APIs in a uniform manner.
Compliance: Compliance standards tend to be very strict for a lot of industries. API management ensures that API use is compliant with government and organizational standards.

How do I measure the success of my API management efforts?

To evaluate the success of your API management efforts, it is important to consider these key performance objectives:

Speed: Throughput and access latency can be used to measure speed. Throttling or caching can influence speed.
Flexibility: For developers, flexibility means greater effort as well as cost when adopting APIs.
Dependability: Simply put, dependability relates to the availability of an API to developers and is measured by downtime and quotas. How often an API is available for use and how many API calls a developer can make within a specific time frame makes its management more predictable. Developers need it to be easy to find APIs within the organization.
Quality is the rate at which the API’s behavior meets a developer’s expectations. Ideally, an API management platform should reduce the amount of time it takes for a developer to adopt an API.
Cost: Measuring costs is a way to get the best value for your money.

Features of API Management Software Tools and Platforms

Common features of an API management tool include:

Security
Sandbox environment
High availability
Usage reporting
Backward compatibility
Transformation of URLs and data
Dashboards and analytics
Routing and proxying
Policies and restrictions
Developer tools (like documentation generators)

What are the different types of API Management tools?

API Management tools are essential for businesses that rely on APIs to connect and integrate various software systems and services. These tools help organizations streamline designing, building, deploying, and managing APIs, ensuring security, scalability, and performance. Several types of API management tools are available in the market, each offering unique features and functionalities. Here are some of the most common types:

API Gateway: An API gateway acts as a single entry point for all API requests, providing a centralized platform to manage and control API traffic. It handles tasks like authentication, authorization, rate limiting, caching, and request/response transformations. Popular API gateway tools include Kong, Apigee, and AWS API Gateway.
API Design and Documentation: These tools assist in designing and documenting APIs, making it easier for developers to understand and consume them. They often include features like API mocking, code generation, and interactive documentation. Popular tools in this category include Swagger, Postman, and Stoplight.
API Lifecycle Management: These tools help manage the entire lifecycle of APIs, from design and development to deployment and retirement. They provide features like versioning, testing, monitoring, and analytics. Popular API lifecycle management tools include Apigee, Mulesoft Anypoint Platform, and Azure API Management.
API Security: API security tools focus on protecting APIs from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats. They provide features like authentication, authorization, encryption, and threat detection. Popular API security tools include Okta, Auth0, and Ping Identity.
API Monitoring and Analytics: These tools help monitor the performance and usage of APIs, providing insights into metrics like response time, error rates, and usage patterns. They enable organizations to identify and resolve issues quickly, optimize API performance, and make data-driven decisions. Popular API monitoring and analytics tools include New Relic, Datadog, and Splunk.
API Virtualization: API virtualization tools simulate the behavior of APIs that are not yet developed or are unavailable for testing. They enable developers to test and validate their applications without relying on the actual APIs. Popular API virtualization tools include WireMock, Hoverfly, and Postman.

How does API Management work?

API Management tools are software solutions that help organizations manage and control their APIs. These tools provide a centralized platform for API developers and administrators to design, build, deploy, and monitor APIs. Here is an overview of how API Management tools work:

1. API Design and Development:

- API Management tools offer a user-friendly interface for designing and developing APIs.

- Developers can define API endpoints, data models, request/response formats, and authentication mechanisms.

- Tools often support various API protocols and standards like REST, SOAP, GraphQL, and OpenAPI.

2. API Gateway:

- API Management tools include an API gateway component that acts as a mediator between clients and APIs.

- The gateway handles incoming API requests, performs security checks, and enforces policies.

- It can handle tasks like request routing, load balancing, caching, and protocol translation.

3. Security and Access Control:

- API Management tools provide security features to protect APIs from unauthorized access and attacks.

- Tools support authentication mechanisms like API keys, OAuth, and JWT tokens.

- Administrators can define access control policies to restrict API usage based on user roles and permissions.

4. API Lifecycle Management:

- API Management tools facilitate the entire API lifecycle, from development to retirement.

- Developers can version APIs, manage documentation, and handle API changes without disrupting clients.

- Tools often provide testing and debugging capabilities to ensure API functionality and performance.

5. Analytics and Monitoring:

- API Management tools offer comprehensive analytics and monitoring features.

- Administrators can track API usage, monitor performance metrics, and identify bottlenecks.

- Tools generate reports and visualizations to help organizations make data-driven decisions.

6. Developer Portal:

- API Management tools typically include a developer portal to engage with API consumers.

- The portal provides documentation, code samples, and interactive tools for developers to explore and consume APIs.

- Organizations can manage developer onboarding, API subscriptions, and community support through the portal.

7. Integration and Extensibility:

- API Management tools integrate with various backend systems, databases, and third-party services.

- Tools often provide connectors or plugins to enable seamless integration with popular platforms.

- Organizations can extend the functionality of API Management tools through customizations and integrations.

API Management tools simplify the process of designing, deploying, and managing APIs. They provide a centralized platform for API development, security, monitoring, and analytics and enable organizations to streamline their API operations, enhance security, and improve the developer experience.

Why is API management important?

What is an API management gateway?

What are the benefits of API management?

The benefits of API management include:

Improved customer experience: API management helps companies create a rich and personalized customer experience because it is easier to deliver new levels of convenience and responsiveness, thus enabling companies to create value-added services.
Security: Accessibility makes APIs vulnerable. With an API management solution, sensitive data is protected and permissions are assigned and managed to avoid any security oversights that would otherwise be challenging to manage at the enterprise level. Additionally, API security protects your company from internal and external threats. When critical business functionality is exposed to customers, an API management platform can control levels of access for each app to verify identification, and can also detect anomalies to eliminate fraud.
Scalability: In today’s day and age, companies and their employees interact with apps and data on a constant basis. API management increases accessibility, decreasing the technical burdens associated with the typical API lifecycle.
API usage: An API management solution should provide insights about a company’s API consumers, making strategic business decisions easier. By gaining a deeper understanding of usage patterns, and other analytics such as device types or geographical information, API management can help companies adjust business strategies to meet customer demands.
Agility: API management makes it possible to have an easily adaptable and agile ecosystem. Having an API management system helps companies create APIs in less time while simultaneously delivering services much faster. By being able to create new services quickly, customer satisfaction increases, and businesses benefit from more profits.
Flexible ecosystem: In order to succeed with a digital transformation, it is essential to have an ecosystem that lends itself to adaptability, innovation, and flexibility. An API management system is critical to an ecosystem, since it is the solution to helping enterprises achieve the business agility they need.
Leverage legacy systems: Organizations do not have to do away with existing legacy systems that may already be deeply embedded into their enterprise. Instead, legacy systems can be made API-accessible and can be used to only expose the legacy system’s functionality to internal and external stakeholders. API management makes it possible to translate outdated security protocols to more modern protocols that are standard and user-friendly.
Easily accessible services: With an API management system, you can guarantee a seamless user experience for your customers by making services accessible anytime, from any location.

Simple configuration: API management is easy to configure and can be applied to either new or existing APIs in a uniform manner.
Compliance: Compliance standards tend to be very strict for a lot of industries. API management ensures that API use is compliant with government and organizational standards.

How do I measure the success of my API management efforts?

To evaluate the success of your API management efforts, it is important to consider these key performance objectives:

Speed: Throughput and access latency can be used to measure speed. Throttling or caching can influence speed.
Flexibility: For developers, flexibility means greater effort as well as cost when adopting APIs.
Dependability: Simply put, dependability relates to the availability of an API to developers and is measured by downtime and quotas. How often an API is available for use and how many API calls a developer can make within a specific time frame makes its management more predictable. Developers need it to be easy to find APIs within the organization.
Quality is the rate at which the API’s behavior meets a developer’s expectations. Ideally, an API management platform should reduce the amount of time it takes for a developer to adopt an API.
Cost: Measuring costs is a way to get the best value for your money.

Features of API Management Software Tools and Platforms

Common features of an API management tool include:

Security
Sandbox environment
High availability
Usage reporting
Backward compatibility
Transformation of URLs and data
Dashboards and analytics
Routing and proxying
Policies and restrictions
Developer tools (like documentation generators)

What are the different types of API Management tools?

API Gateway: An API gateway acts as a single entry point for all API requests, providing a centralized platform to manage and control API traffic. It handles tasks like authentication, authorization, rate limiting, caching, and request/response transformations. Popular API gateway tools include Kong, Apigee, and AWS API Gateway.
API Design and Documentation: These tools assist in designing and documenting APIs, making it easier for developers to understand and consume them. They often include features like API mocking, code generation, and interactive documentation. Popular tools in this category include Swagger, Postman, and Stoplight.
API Lifecycle Management: These tools help manage the entire lifecycle of APIs, from design and development to deployment and retirement. They provide features like versioning, testing, monitoring, and analytics. Popular API lifecycle management tools include Apigee, Mulesoft Anypoint Platform, and Azure API Management.
API Security: API security tools focus on protecting APIs from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats. They provide features like authentication, authorization, encryption, and threat detection. Popular API security tools include Okta, Auth0, and Ping Identity.
API Monitoring and Analytics: These tools help monitor the performance and usage of APIs, providing insights into metrics like response time, error rates, and usage patterns. They enable organizations to identify and resolve issues quickly, optimize API performance, and make data-driven decisions. Popular API monitoring and analytics tools include New Relic, Datadog, and Splunk.
API Virtualization: API virtualization tools simulate the behavior of APIs that are not yet developed or are unavailable for testing. They enable developers to test and validate their applications without relying on the actual APIs. Popular API virtualization tools include WireMock, Hoverfly, and Postman.

How does API Management work?

1. API Design and Development:

- API Management tools offer a user-friendly interface for designing and developing APIs.

- Developers can define API endpoints, data models, request/response formats, and authentication mechanisms.

- Tools often support various API protocols and standards like REST, SOAP, GraphQL, and OpenAPI.

2. API Gateway:

- API Management tools include an API gateway component that acts as a mediator between clients and APIs.

- The gateway handles incoming API requests, performs security checks, and enforces policies.

- It can handle tasks like request routing, load balancing, caching, and protocol translation.

3. Security and Access Control:

- API Management tools provide security features to protect APIs from unauthorized access and attacks.

- Tools support authentication mechanisms like API keys, OAuth, and JWT tokens.

- Administrators can define access control policies to restrict API usage based on user roles and permissions.

4. API Lifecycle Management:

- API Management tools facilitate the entire API lifecycle, from development to retirement.

- Developers can version APIs, manage documentation, and handle API changes without disrupting clients.

- Tools often provide testing and debugging capabilities to ensure API functionality and performance.

5. Analytics and Monitoring:

- API Management tools offer comprehensive analytics and monitoring features.

- Administrators can track API usage, monitor performance metrics, and identify bottlenecks.

- Tools generate reports and visualizations to help organizations make data-driven decisions.

6. Developer Portal:

- API Management tools typically include a developer portal to engage with API consumers.

- The portal provides documentation, code samples, and interactive tools for developers to explore and consume APIs.

- Organizations can manage developer onboarding, API subscriptions, and community support through the portal.

7. Integration and Extensibility:

- API Management tools integrate with various backend systems, databases, and third-party services.

- Tools often provide connectors or plugins to enable seamless integration with popular platforms.

- Organizations can extend the functionality of API Management tools through customizations and integrations.

Best API Management Tools

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