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IBM API Connect Reviews

Vendor: IBM
4.0 out of 5
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What is IBM API Connect?

IBM API Connect is an API management tool providing robust security, seamless REST and SOAP conversion, and flexible deployment options for diverse cloud environments. It aids organizations in securing and monetizing their APIs while streamlining the development process.

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IBM API Connect is the #8 ranked solution in top API Management solutions and top Integration Platform as a Service providers. PeerSpot users give IBM API Connect an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. IBM API Connect is most commonly compared to Microsoft Azure API Management: IBM API Connect vs Microsoft Azure API Management. IBM API Connect is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 69% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 19% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
IBM API Connect
September 2025
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IBM API Connect mindshare

Product category:
API Management
As of September 2025, the mindshare of IBM API Connect in the API Management category stands at 6.1%, down from 6.4% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
API Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM API Connect6.1%
Microsoft Azure API Management16.5%
Amazon API Gateway12.9%
Other64.5%
API Management

PeerResearch reports based on IBM API Connect reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryAPI ManagementSep 14, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersSep 14, 2025Download
ComparisonIBM API Connect vs Microsoft Azure API ManagementSep 14, 2025Download
ComparisonIBM API Connect vs Amazon API GatewaySep 14, 2025Download
ComparisonIBM API Connect vs ApigeeSep 14, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Microsoft Azure API Management3.916.5%91%82 interviewsAdd to research
Apigee4.111.5%92%89 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

IBM API Connect offers valuable features like enhanced security with OAuth, easy service cataloging, robust API management, and seamless integration with various platforms. Its intuitive interface simplifies deployment and configuration while ensuring high performance and scalability. Users appreciate the centralized governance, role differentiation, efficient API creation, monitoring, and analytics. The DataPower Gateway integration enhances enterprise security, and the comprehensive suite supports monetization, self-service portals, and API lifecycle management for both internal and external stakeholders.
  • "Overall, I rate it nine out of ten."
  • "The solution's technical support team is good."
  • "The main benefits of IBM API Connect for our API life cycle management are the core API functionalities, the developer's portal, and robust security capabilities.IBM API Connect's security protocols enhance our data protection strategies by offering end-to-end security, mechanisms to counter common attacks like DDoS, and the ability to define policies for API groups to control traffic and prevent unwanted access to our systems."

Room for Improvement

Users suggest that IBM API Connect could improve its integration with other systems, particularly Exchange Server and various cloud platforms. Enhancements in stability and user-friendliness, especially for setup and administration, are needed. Customization options and monetization features require attention. Documentation could be more comprehensive and supportive of interactive learning. Users call for better automation, flexibility, performance enhancements, security configurations, and more straightforward troubleshooting. Generic support services and licensing processes could also see improvements. Pricing and support for newer technologies are additional concerns.
  • "When comparing API Gateway with DataPower Gateway, several features in DataPower Gateway are absent in the APIC layer. Examples include the lack of connectivity to MQ."
  • "The only downside where improvements are needed is probably on the licensing side."
  • "We have encountered challenges with IBM API Connect, particularly during significant upgrades.These upgrades demand substantial labour and financial resources, including consulting services from IBM.I'd like to see increased flexibility, more frequent updates with new features, an efficient upgrade process, and additional AI capabilities for future releases."

ROI

Organizations experience significant time savings and monetary benefits using IBM API Connect, as monetization of data has become possible. Services are now exposed quickly, enhancing governance and security across organizations. An API gateway allows new applications and products to seamlessly integrate using APIs. Substantial reductions in development efforts were achieved by reusing existing scripts. Financial and operational advantages emerged within approximately two years, providing substantial return on investment and improving integration across systems.

Pricing

IBM API Connect offers SaaS and on-premise versions with Essentials, Professional, and Enterprise plans. Pricing is typically high, with variations based on licensing and deployment needs, often negotiable through IBM partners. Licensing models include PVU and consumption-based options. Users report the product as expensive, impacting smaller-scale implementations, though it provides comprehensive features. Subscription costs range from $20,000 to $40,000 annually, but specifics can vary, and cloud services offer flexible pay-as-you-go options.
  • "It is a pretty expensive tool."
  • "It can be quite expensive. It's okay for large-scale usage but quite expensive for smaller-scale implementations."
  • "I rate the product price a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price."

Popular Use Cases

IBM API Connect is primarily utilized for API management, security, and integration in banking and financial sectors. It serves as an API gateway, handling API monetization, transformation, and orchestration. Organizations use it to comply with regulations like PSD2 and for external communication and open banking. It facilitates exposing backend services, integrating applications, and supporting cloud and on-premise deployments, providing flexibility in deploying and consuming APIs across various platforms.

Service and Support

IBM API Connect technical support is generally viewed as responsive and knowledgeable, with fast issue resolution and proactive assistance. However, experiences vary, with some noting slow response times and challenges due to insufficient documentation. Customers appreciate the engagement during complex migrations and find IBM's assistance effective, though procedures can be cumbersome. Customer service during implementation and requests for new features is deemed helpful, yet responsiveness varies based on location and support levels.

Deployment

Initial setup experiences with IBM API Connect vary. Some find it straightforward with existing infrastructure, while others encounter complexity due to multiple components and configurations. Documentation is helpful, but expertise may be needed for optimization. Technical challenges like security and integration with platforms such as Kubernetes arise. Deployment times can range from minutes to weeks, influenced by organizational dependencies and environment scale. Teams involved can range from small groups to larger cross-functional units.

Scalability

IBM API Connect demonstrates strong scalability features through its architecture, allowing organizations to scale horizontally or vertically with ease. Companies report adding resources and integrating APIs simply, using capabilities like Bluemix and Kubernetes clusters. Although some find scaling expensive or complex, successful scaling is common. Its performance is reliable, supporting large numbers of users and transactions. Updates and configurations are manageable, contributing to its scalability reputation among enterprises of varying sizes.

Stability

IBM API Connect is generally viewed as stable, with users noting improvements in stability over time, especially since 2018. While there were initial issues and some instability in new versions, many have reported no major problems in recent iterations. Users have experienced stability in transaction handling and minimal disruptions, though occasional issues during upgrades and the need for frequent patches were acknowledged. Many rate its stability capabilities between seven and ten out of ten.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our IBM API Connect Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise43
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business265
Midsize Enterprise149
Large Enterprise921
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
19%
Insurance Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
Retailer
4%
Healthcare Company
4%
Comms Service Provider
3%
Energy/Utilities Company
3%
University
2%
Real Estate/Law Firm
2%
Construction Company
2%
Transportation Company
2%
Wholesaler/Distributor
2%
Media Company
2%
Hospitality Company
2%
Outsourcing Company
2%
Educational Organization
2%
Logistics Company
2%
Legal Firm
1%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Non Profit
1%
Performing Arts
1%
Wellness & Fitness Company
1%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
1%

Compare IBM API Connect with alternative products

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Learn more about IBM API Connect

IBM API Connect offers features like a security gateway, API lifecycle management, and integration with DataPower. Its intuitive interface enhances ease of use, supporting extensive analytics and traffic management. However, there are areas for improvement in automation, system integration, and user configuration. Organizations can deploy API Connect on-premises or in the cloud, delivering secure access control and analytics for banking, financial services, and government sectors. Compliance with standards like PSD2 ensures secure external API exposure and integration with multiple systems.

What are the most important features of IBM API Connect?
  • Security Gateway: Provides robust protection and data security for APIs.
  • Seamless Conversion: Facilitates easy conversion between REST and SOAP protocols.
  • API Management: Supports full API lifecycle management for efficient development.
  • DataPower Integration: Integrates seamlessly with DataPower for enhanced functionality.
  • Developer Portal: Offers a user-friendly interface for managing APIs and developers.
  • Analytics: Delivers powerful insights through comprehensive API analytics.
  • Flexible Deployment: Supports deployment on different cloud platforms for versatility.
What benefits and ROI can users expect from IBM API Connect?
  • Traffic Management: Efficiently manages high volumes of API traffic without compromising performance.
  • Data Protection: Ensures data is protected during API communication.
  • API Monetization: Facilitates API monetization strategies to drive revenue.
  • Scalability: Provides scalable solutions to handle growing demands seamlessly.

In specific industries like banking, financial services, and government sectors, IBM API Connect plays a crucial role in API management, orchestration, and regulation tasks. It provides secure access, control, and compliance with industry standards, serving as an essential gateway for data exchange and integration across multiple systems.

IBM API Connect customers

Heineken, Tine, Finologee, Axis Bank

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Product Categories

Product Categories
API Management
Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS)

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IBM API Connect Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Software Engineer IV at Royal Cyber Inc.4.5I use IBM API Connect primarily as an API Gateway to expose enterprise APIs externally. It boosts development efficiency significantly but lacks some features compared to DataPower Gateway. Our choice was influenced by existing IBM infrastructure after evaluating MuleSoft and Apigee.
Solutions Architect at Synechron4.0I primarily use IBM API Connect for API orchestration and gateway functionalities. It efficiently serves as a central gateway for external and internal APIs, enhancing security and governance. However, it lacks comprehensive API lifecycle management compared to Azure API.
Manager at Doudle4.0I find IBM API Connect easy to configure and user-friendly, with valuable features like a developer portal and API management. However, improvements are needed in analytics and setup, and I wish for hybrid cloud availability.
Sr Technical Specialist at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees4.0I use IBM API Connect to monitor, process, and manage API services. Its API lifecycle management aids version control, naming, and performance measurement, enhancing development. However, a SaaS cloud deployment option would improve the solution.
Director Software Development at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees4.0I use IBM API Connect primarily as an API Gateway and Manager in my company. Its most valuable aspect is the API Manager feature, though improvement is needed in scalability and licensing to enhance its overall effectiveness.
ICT Advisor at a consultancy with 1-10 employees3.5I used IBM API Connect for a logistics project in Greece. Its most valuable feature is its message transformation capability, supporting XML and JSON. Although scalable and robust, the user interface and technical documentation require improvement for better usability.
Senior Software Engineer at Systems Limited5.0We use IBM API Connect for API integration with the One Link solution in banking, ensuring seamless cross-bank transactions. DataPower Gateway enhances security and uptime, though understanding its architecture poses a learning challenge for new engineers.
Projects Delivery Director at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees4.0We oversee FinTech companies and use IBM API Connect for its powerful endpoint management and developer portal. It suits our needs but is complex and struggles with high traffic. We also considered Apigee for API management and security.