Frends vs Layer7 API Management comparison

Frends Enterprise iPaaS and Broadcom are both solutions in the API Management category. Frends Enterprise iPaaS is ranked #22 with an average rating of 8.7, while Broadcom is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.6. Frends Enterprise iPaaS holds a 0.2% mindshare in APIM, compared to Broadcom’s 2.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Frends Enterprise iPaaS users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

Frends

Read 3 Frends reviews

187 Views
91 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Layer7 API Management

Read 112 Layer7 API Management reviews

4,452 Views
3,228 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Frends

Layer7 API Management

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

Layer7 API Management and Frends compete in the API management space. Frends appears to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive feature set and cost-effectiveness, making it suitable for businesses prioritizing swift deployment and integration.

Features: Layer7 API Management offers robust security, an extensive policy library, and strong integration capabilities, providing a platform for managing APIs. Frends features an innovative low-code integration platform, ease of process automation, and flexibility in handling hybrid and cloud environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Frends provides a straightforward deployment model that enhances accessibility, especially for companies new to API management, along with proactive customer service. Layer7's deployment is more complex but is backed by extensive customer service that supports its comprehensive features.

Pricing and ROI: Layer7 incurs a higher initial setup cost but offers substantial ROI through its powerful features. Frends provides a more cost-effective setup with flexible pricing, delivering rapid ROI, beneficial to small and medium businesses.

To learn more, read our detailed Frends vs. Layer7 API Management Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Frends vs. Layer7 API Management

April 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Frends

Ranking in API Management

22nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Layer7 API Management

Ranking in API Management

12th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

112

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the API Management category, the mindshare of Frends is 0.2%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Layer7 API Management is 2.9%, down from 3.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

API Management

Featured Reviews

Kalle Reponen

Senior Integration Architect at Visma

Offers simplicity, ease of customization, and visibility of integrations

One thing is that Frends keep the integration, and that is something I know that it's coming, like, a later version; that is something we will be currently missing. So the end-users could take an interest in use by themselves, with the release thing some result flow. That is the most wanted and requested feature for now. Another enhancement includes the monitoring part. It would be nice to have some sort of maybe mobile app on which we can see how integrations are running if there are some problems, and getting those alerts on the mobile would be really nice.

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Ronald D'Souza

Presales Consultant for CA Southern Africa at Hyperion Holding Pty Ltd

Has great drag-and-drop features and it requires minimal coding

I have mainly implemented using Layer 7 API Management. Some of the major challenges we were able to meet with a quick release to market methodology. Some of the tasks which we achieved for our customers were: 1. Translation service from SOAP to REST and vice versa. 2. API service to DB (Oracle, MySQL, MSSQL, Snowflake, SAP HANA) -- Created Swagger APIs that were able to perform CRUD operation to the backend API mentioned above and provided routes to query and get data. 3. Integration with Payment gateway service providers to perform (transaction on behalf of the customer with third-party payment gateway service providers white labeled with our APIs ) -- Followed TMF standards for payment gateway integration with the Telcom world. 4. Orchestration of the API. Build multiple microservers and provided orchestration based on route, path, and data in the request and perform actions that would be communicated with multiple APIs and provide a single consolidated response. 5. Provided API-driven security (Oauth 2.0, JWT, SAML, Basic, and a variety of means) to access the API giving the developer the freedom to concentrate only on application/service/microservice and let the gateway handle the threat. 6. Seamless Mutual Authentication allowed good segregation between APIs in the DMZ and internal network.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"One of the benefits is the speed of creating something new. Second, it's replacing the old integration quite fast. Then it is like the visibility of the integration and the possibility to see what is happening in the integration."

"The product has valuable features for version control."

"The user-friendly interface for constructing integration solutions is also a notable benefit."

"There are a couple aspects of performance. One is just speed and uptime, and it's stellar in that regard. The other is, how much effort is it to put it in place in the first place, and then how much effort is it to keep it operational. That's where its real strength is. I'm able to do things quickly and easily that I couldn't do before."

"The most valuable feature is that it enables me to present data in the format that the client wants to consume it. That client might be a visualization tool, that client might be a report, that client might be a customer's API requirements."

"Has great drag-and-drop features and requires minimal coding."

"Security is the most important parameter of the solution, for me, because whenever you are exposing your APIs to third-parties, it is critical that the data remains anonymous and that data is retained within the system, that it is not leaked. CA API Management provides good security features."

"The level of technical support is good."

"I love the API Gateway, especially the architecture, in terms of the composability of the policies. We approach it from a very software-engineering approach.We build on the policies, like legal blocks, and we deploy them throughout different environments. It's been working out great for us."

"Every API that we get from external or from internal goes through this layer first, and it should not be a bottleneck. That was the problem we had before. Now it's no longer a bottleneck. It's more like a throughput, this process is less than 10 milliseconds for any particular API."

"The Gateway can front our APIs very easily."

More Layer7 API Management pros

Cons

"One of the primary areas for improvement is a more mobile-friendly interface for the control center."

"Another enhancement includes the monitoring part. It would be nice to have some sort of maybe mobile app on which we can see how integrations are running if there are some problems, and getting those alerts on the mobile would be really nice."

"It is a new application and lacks some essential features compared to competitors."

"I would like for the new release to allow us to speed up code generation. The integration with CICD could also be more seamless."

"The implementation of CA API Management was complex. It is a complicated solution. You have to know so much IT knowledge to do the implementation."

"The delivery is bulky in terms of implementation. Its price could also be better. It is a very good product as compared to CA API, Google API, and WSO2 API, but its price is high. From the cloud-native perspective, some new features need to be added. It could also be made simpler to implement."

"Increase tools for manipulation of JSON messages."

"The Policy Manager tool that is used to manage the solution is very heavy to use because it is based in Java. Sometimes it takes a long time to load. There could be some improvements to it. If they could make Policy Manager on a web page that would be a good alternative."

"One day, where we can have a microservices gateway and we will not need the classic gateway at all, that is what we want to see."

"Layer7 API Management could be improved in its logging and alert mechanisms."

"It is not possible for clients to migrate to a newer version."

More Layer7 API Management cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is quite fair."

"Recent changes in their pricing have removed this benefit, moving towards process-specific pricing."

"It depends on your use case of course, how much you want to go with that, because it can get pricey and depends on the size of your company."

"Our customers found the product’s cost a little higher. They are looking for open-source solutions."

"APIs can be developed to provide security. We can show them in one single pane of glass, such as the CA API Management API Developer Portal. It is there that we can provide the monetization for their APIs and what is happening on third-party applications, like Paytm or BookMyShow."

"I think it's competitive. It's not that expensive when you compare CA with the Oracle product."

"CA API Management has a licensing path. If you want more features, it requires more licenses and more installation time."

"It has a reasonable pricing model by instance."

"If you do a TCO of more than five years, then you will see a big jump in costs for some vendors."

"This solution is a bit more expensive than competitors."

More Layer7 API Management pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

59%

Computer Software Company

14%

Construction Company

Insurance Company

Financial Services Firm

19%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Frends?

The product has valuable features for version control.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Frends?

The pricing is quite fair. It is quite low compared to competitors, especially when you consider that Frends is a US-based company. So, it's almost cheap compared to them. But, we have an unlimited...

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What needs improvement with Frends?

It is a new application and lacks some essential features compared to competitors. Basic features like reading and editing into Excel file format could be included.

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What do you like most about Layer7 API Management?

The solution's technical support is good.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Layer7 API Management?

Pricing is more than average. While I am used to Layer7 API Management ( /products/layer7-api-management-reviews ), seeing other products makes the tool's pricing seem high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Layer7 API Management?

Broadcom's push for upgrades from version nine to ten, ten to 10.3, and onwards to twelve needs improvement in migration processes, especially with service dependencies. The migration path sometime...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Azure API Management vs Frends

Compared 100% of the time

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Compared 31% of the time

Kong Gateway Enterprise vs Layer7 API Management

Compared 14% of the time

Amazon API Gateway vs Layer7 API Management

Compared 12% of the time

MuleSoft API Manager vs Layer7 API Management

Compared 12% of the time

Microsoft Azure API Management vs Layer7 API Management

Compared 8% of the time

More Layer7 API Management Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

API Management

April 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Layer7 API Management

April 2025

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Also Known As

No data available

CA API Management, CA Live API Creator, Espresso Logic, CA API Gateway

Overview

Frends is a versatile integration platform tailored for streamlined business operations, facilitating seamless automation and connectivity across systems. It effectively addresses integration challenges, providing a reliable foundation for efficient data flow and process enhancement.

Built to cater to complex business environments, Frends offers a comprehensive suite of integration solutions. Users appreciate its capability to simplify integration processes, leveraging robust tools and functionalities that enhance connectivity and automation. This adaptability makes it a preferred choice for enterprises aiming to boost efficiency in data management and workflow automation. Users value its easy-to-use yet powerful features that help bridge various IT systems and improve operational performance. Frends provides meaningful insights into data interactions, fostering informed decision-making and enabling strategic business growth.

What are the key features of Frends?

Intuitive Workflow Designer: Simplifies the creation and management of complex workflows through a user-friendly interface.
API Management: Offers comprehensive tools for designing, deploying, and monitoring APIs efficiently.
Scalability: Ensures the ability to grow with business needs by efficiently handling increasing data volumes.
Security: Provides robust security features to protect data and ensure compliance with industry standards.

What should users look for in terms of benefits and ROI?

Improved Efficiency: Automates processes reducing manual intervention and increasing productivity.
Reduced Costs: Streamlines operations to save resources and reduce operational expenses.
Enhanced Flexibility: Adapts to changing business environments and requirements smoothly.
Increased Data Accuracy: Ensures seamless data flow, enhancing the reliability and accuracy of business information.

In specific industries, Frends is implemented to address distinct challenges in sectors such as healthcare, finance, and logistics. In healthcare, it automates patient data management, enabling efficient record handling. Finance sectors utilize Frends for secure data exchange and compliance, while logistics firms leverage it for optimizing supply chain operations and enhancing tracking capabilities.

Frends Enterprise iPaaS

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.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

1. IBM 2. Microsoft 3. Oracle 4. Salesforce 5. SAP 6. Cisco 7. Dell 8. HP 9. Adobe 10. VMware 11. Accenture 12. Capgemini 13. Deloitte 14. PwC 15. Ernst & Young 16. Infosys 17. TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) 18. Wipro 19. Cognizant 20. HCL Technologies 21. Tech Mahindra 22. Fujitsu 23. Hitachi 24. NEC 25. NTT Data 26. Ericsson 27. Nokia 28. Siemens 29. AT&T 30. Verizon 31. Vodafone 32. Orange

Buyer's Guide

Frends vs. Layer7 API Management

April 2025

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