3scale API Management vs IBM API Connect comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between 3scale API Management and IBM API Connect based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two API Management solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed 3scale API Management vs. IBM API Connect Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"To me, the most valuable feature of 3scale API Management is that it lets you add a backend to the product. I also like that you can integrate it well with OpenShift clusters, making 3scale API Management a useful solution.""The gateway is the most valuable feature because it makes it possible for us to gather all traffic into one proxy, which is a good thing.""The standard deployment is very simple.""The solution is quite lightweight, and the installation is very easy. It's like a two-click installation.""It's good that they aren't adding a lot of features like ESP, etc. It's okay with just being a gateway.""I like the API automation.""The most valuable features are the gateway and security features.""The product is stable."

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"It is a very scalable solution.""Publishers can easily identify, create, and publish APIs on the developer portal, defining plans, packages, and potentially billing rules.""Its speed and performance are valuable.""Scalable and stable API platform for creating and managing APIs.""The solution is very scalable because it's on the cloud.""The gateway is the most valuable aspect of this solution.""IBM API Connect is a reliable and scalable solution.""I have found the API Management to be most valuable."

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Cons
"The user experience could be better. The developer portal is too complex and hard to configure.""What I'd like to improve in 3scale API Management is its route-limiting feature. Currently, I don't know how to do that effectively on the solution, but in Kong, I know how to do it, so I would love to see route-limiting being easily done on 3scale API Management. It would also be good if there was some authentication that you could do from 3scale API Management because Kong offers that functionality out of the box. What I'd love to see in the next release of 3scale API Management is the ability to integrate more plug-ins easily onto the platform, so you'll be able to extend it, and even do customs management. If Red Hat could offer that extension where it allows the internal organization where 3scale API Management is deployed on-premise to integrate its tools on top of 3scale API Management and provide an API for that, that will make the solution very powerful.""It would be helpful to improve the customization features so that the customer can do it based on their own needs.""The product is not that flexible for developers. It's less flexible and rigid. It's not easy to make changes or customize it.""3scale API Management only supports restful APIs and doesn't support SOAP.""What was suggested by Red Hat was a crucial part of the configuration, but when we started to ask about the supportability of this configuration, Red Hat said only some parts of the configuration would be supported.""We tried to use the portal, but we decided that it wasn't enough. The content management system (CMS) is not easy to use if you want to customize things, and it's hard to get someone who has the knowledge to work with the CMS.""I believe the CMS part of it has room for improvement though. That is where you write a couple of things if you want to publish your API. It's based on liquid scripting, which doesn't seem like the obvious ones to script with."

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"There is room for improvement regarding the connectivity of the DevOps.""The installation process could use improvement. I hope that in the next release, the installation process is easier.""The monetization of the API could be improved. The pricing for the consumer is also very important to improve this solution.""The only disadvantage I can see is that it requires heavy hardware support.""I would like to see automation of the installation. If there could be a single-click function where you could automate everything, that would be helpful.""The documentation needs to be a bit better.""It would be helpful to have access monitoring.""In the next version, I don't know if they've already been included it or not, but the designer and all the tools should be on the cloud. I don't want any external installation or local installation."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "I don't think that 3scale is very expensive."
  • "3scale API Management has reasonable pricing, judging from its competitor, Kong. My organization pays yearly for the 3scale API Management license, though I'm unable to give the exact figure because every single day there are new clusters deployed. I'm in charge of three to four clusters in my team, but give or take, it costs a few thousand lakhs."
  • "The cost was around $45,000 per year."
  • "The pricing is affordable, it's cheap."
  • More 3scale API Management Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "API Connect is quite pricey."
  • "I haven't seen anyone go from on-premise to the cloud. In fact, I am seeing people go from the cloud to on-premise because the costs can quickly grow on the cloud."
  • "It would be a good idea to bring down the pricing by at least 20 to 30 percent."
  • "The pricing is too expensive with IBM. Sometimes, we prefer to go with an open source or something more lightweight."
  • "It is expensive when compared to other products in this class. There were no extra fees for add-ons or technical support."
  • "It's an expensive product."
  • "IBM API Connect could be cheaper."
  • "It is quite an expensive product."
  • More IBM API Connect Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The solution is affordable. I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten, where one is expensive, and ten is cheap.
    Top Answer:The tool can improve API management and UI.
    Top Answer:Publishers can easily identify, create, and publish APIs on the developer portal, defining plans, packages, and potentially billing rules.
    Top Answer: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.
    Top Answer:The platform’s integration with the payment gateway needs enhancement. The setup process and support services could be improved.
    Ranking
    11th
    out of 64 in API Management
    Views
    5,412
    Comparisons
    3,726
    Reviews
    6
    Average Words per Review
    441
    Rating
    7.2
    5th
    out of 64 in API Management
    Views
    12,746
    Comparisons
    9,726
    Reviews
    21
    Average Words per Review
    536
    Rating
    7.9
    Comparisons
    Learn More
    Overview

    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.

    IBM API Connect is an enterprise-grade platform that provides a comprehensive solution for creating, securing, managing, sharing, monetizing, and analyzing APIs. Designed for cloud and on-premises deployment, it integrates seamlessly with various systems, ensuring robust security and enabling efficient API lifecycle management. The user feedback underscores its efficiency, user-friendly aspects, and practical customer support, making it a reliable choice for enterprises seeking to optimize their API strategies.

    IBM API Connect provides end-to-end management of APIs, facilitating the creation, security, management, sharing, monetization, and analysis​​. It allows the creation of custom APIs, exposing the full capabilities of applications and ensuring thorough testing before deployment.​ The platform offers robust security features, applying out-of-the-box and custom gateway policies to protect back-end data and services. Users can manage the entire lifecycle of their APIs, including publishing, replacing, migrating, deprecating, and retiring.

    API Connect includes a customizable portal for sharing APIs with developers, complete with built-in communication tools like blogs and forums​​. The solution offers comprehensive analytics for managing service levels, setting quotas, establishing controls, and analyzing trends.

    IBM API Connect stands out as a versatile and robust API management solution. It is well-suited for organizations looking for a comprehensive tool to handle the entire lifecycle of their APIs with a focus on integration, security, and analytics.

    Sample Customers
    Victor Ops, Coca Cola, The Telegraph, Skava, Orange, Typeform
    Heineken, Tine, Finologee, Axis Bank
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Financial Services Firm16%
    Government9%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm41%
    Computer Software Company16%
    Retailer9%
    Insurance Company7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm20%
    Educational Organization17%
    Insurance Company10%
    Computer Software Company10%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business45%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise36%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business18%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise65%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise11%
    Large Enterprise67%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business13%
    Midsize Enterprise24%
    Large Enterprise63%
    Buyer's Guide
    3scale API Management vs. IBM API Connect
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about 3scale API Management vs. IBM API Connect and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    3scale API Management is ranked 11th in API Management with 10 reviews while IBM API Connect is ranked 5th in API Management with 73 reviews. 3scale API Management is rated 7.4, while IBM API Connect is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of 3scale API Management writes "Useful as it lets you add a backend to the product, it integrates well with clusters, and it has exceptional technical support, but route-limiting isn't easy to do on it". On the other hand, the top reviewer of IBM API Connect writes "Good speed and performance, but it's based on a bit dated architecture". 3scale API Management is most compared with Amazon API Gateway, Kong Enterprise, Apigee, Microsoft Azure API Management and WSO2 API Manager, whereas IBM API Connect is most compared with IBM DataPower Gateway, Apigee, Microsoft Azure API Management, MuleSoft Anypoint API Manager and Layer7 API Management. See our 3scale API Management vs. IBM API Connect report.

    See our list of best API Management vendors.

    We monitor all API Management reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.