Apigee vs SmartBear API Hub comparison

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.”

SmartBear API Hub provides robust solutions for API management, fostering collaboration and efficient API development for professional teams. It offers tools designed for creating, testing, and managing APIs swiftly and reliably.

SmartBear API Hub is designed to streamline the API lifecycle, enhancing collaboration by integrating with existing workflows. It supports end-to-end API management, focusing on simplifying complexity and driving productivity. Its comprehensive suite of tools helps teams to iterate swiftly, ensuring the development of high-quality APIs. With powerful testing and monitoring capabilities, teams can ensure API performance and reliability, enhancing overall API strategy effectiveness.

• Comprehensive Testing: Provides end-to-end testing solutions to ensure API functionality and reliability.
• Collaboration Tools: Facilitates team collaboration and integration into existing development workflows.
• Monitoring Capabilities: Offers real-time API performance monitoring and alerts.
• API Documentation: Enhances transparency and understanding with robust documentation tools.

• Increased Productivity: Streamlines workflow processes, resulting in time savings.
• Enhanced Quality: Provides tools for comprehensive testing leading to higher quality APIs.
• Improved Collaboration: Promotes better team communication and coordination.
• Cost Efficiency: Reduces operational costs through automation and efficient management.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, where precise data management is critical, SmartBear API Hub is often implemented to improve APIs' reliability and performance. It ensures secure and compliant data handling, which is crucial in these sectors. By integrating seamlessly, it aids in meeting industry standards and enhancing operational efficiency.