IBM API Connect vs Layer7 API Management comparison

IBM and Broadcom are both solutions in the API Management category. IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.0, while Broadcom is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.3. IBM holds a 5.4% mindshare in APIM, compared to Broadcom’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

IBM API Connect

Read 79 IBM API Connect reviews

6,314 Views
5,998 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Layer7 API Management

Read 112 Layer7 API Management reviews

3,571 Views
3,571 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

IBM API Connect

Layer7 API Management

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

Layer7 API Management and IBM API Connect are competitors in the API management category. Based on the available data, IBM API Connect appears to have an edge due to its strong integration with legacy systems and robust features suitable for large enterprises.

Features: Layer7 API Management supports REST-to-SOAP conversions and security token translation, essential for mobile-first strategies. It offers built-in identity management, content-based routing, and comprehensive security features. IBM API Connect integrates well with IBM DataPower for enhanced security and monitoring, supports strong enterprise integration, and facilitates efficient legacy system integration.

Room for Improvement: Layer7's documentation and developer portal need improvements, and additional purchases might be required for complete functionality. IBM API Connect faces challenges with pricing complexity and requires better documentation and feature enhancements like API rate-limiting and non-Java service support.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Layer7 is flexible across multiple deployment environments, including on-premises and hybrid cloud. However, inconsistencies in technical support were noted post-Broadcom acquisition. IBM API Connect supports cloud-native solutions with broad deployment options, offering robust technical support, though pricing issues were mentioned.

Pricing and ROI: Layer7 is seen as cost-effective with varied licensing models, although some consider it pricey. It delivers good value with proper negotiations. IBM API Connect is generally perceived as expensive, posing a barrier for smaller businesses, yet justifies its cost with enterprise-level features and the potential for high ROI depending on use case and scale.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM API Connect vs. Layer7 API Management Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM API Connect vs. Layer7 API Management

December 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 879,259 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

5.9

IBM API Connect saves time and costs, enhances integration, and improves ROI, though microservices' profitability is still unclear.

Sentiment score

6.7

Layer7 API Management offers business growth and protection, with varying ROI timelines; quick benefits are observed by many users.

Reducing development hours from eighty to four for an API was possible due to reusing existing scripts from DataPower.

KANCHAN CHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at Royal Cyber Inc.

I have seen a return on investment from using IBM API Connect, as we created multiple plans based on customer usage.

Sairathish Murugesan

Works at a outsourcing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Layer7 API Management report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.2

IBM API Connect's support is responsive and knowledgeable but can be slow, lacking documentation with varied customer service experiences.

Sentiment score

7.3

Layer7 API Management is praised for support and resources, though some users note post-acquisition service challenges.

Support is extremely good, especially with Sev 1 issues.

KANCHANCHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Support is excellent when it comes to APIC.

KANCHAN CHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at Royal Cyber Inc.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

Technical support is excellent, and I would rate them as ten.

C Vvanigalla

Works

For more quotes and insights, download the Layer7 API Management report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.3

IBM API Connect offers scalable API management, supporting large transactions and customizable deployments, making it ideal for enterprises.

Sentiment score

7.3

Layer7 API Management efficiently scales to handle significant traffic, supporting millions of daily requests with proper configuration.

With container versions, scaling up or down the gateways deployed into pods is a two to three-minute task for the operations team.

KANCHAN CHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at Royal Cyber Inc.

It is not tied to a single product.

KANCHANCHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

IBM API Connect's scalability is good, as you can handle it easily similar to how you manage cloud providers.

Sairathish Murugesan

Works at a outsourcing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

All nodes communicate with one primary database, affecting connections and causing crashes under high load.

C Vvanigalla

Works

For more quotes and insights, download the Layer7 API Management report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.3

IBM API Connect is highly stable and reliable, with minimal issues, especially improved in recent versions, despite initial concerns.

Sentiment score

7.6

Layer7 API Management is stable and reliable, with minor scalability issues, often resolved through updates and support.

If it is functioning well, you won't have a bad experience and your application becomes more reliable.

Sairathish Murugesan

Works at a outsourcing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

The runtime engine for the APIC Gateway is still a DataPower component, which has been stable in the industry for about fifteen years.

KANCHAN CHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at Royal Cyber Inc.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

Without rebooting for ninety to one hundred eighty days, cache builds up in Linux boxes, causing memory utilization issues.

C Vvanigalla

Works

For more quotes and insights, download the Layer7 API Management report

Room For Improvement

IBM API Connect requires improvements in integration, usability, scalability, support, monetization, documentation, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness across environments.

Layer7 API Management needs improvements in UI, documentation, integration, functionality, training, policy tools, monitoring, reporting, and migration.

Following this approach, you should be able to optimize costs and satisfy customer experience.

Sairathish Murugesan

Works at a outsourcing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Connectivity to MQ is not available in IBM API Connect.

KANCHANCHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Examples include the lack of connectivity to MQ.

KANCHAN CHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at Royal Cyber Inc.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

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.

C Vvanigalla

Works

For more quotes and insights, download the Layer7 API Management report

Setup Cost

IBM API Connect is pricey, favoring larger enterprises, but negotiating with IBM can reduce costs for smaller businesses.

Layer7 API Management offers competitive pricing with Essential and Enterprise tiers, though perceived costly for smaller enterprises.

Pricing depends on how many instances run across environments.

KANCHAN CHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at Royal Cyber Inc.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

Seeing other products makes the tool's pricing seem high.

C Vvanigalla

Works

For more quotes and insights, download the Layer7 API Management report

Valuable Features

IBM API Connect provides secure, efficient API management with advanced analytics, multi-cloud support, and intuitive functionality for enterprises.

Layer7 API Management excels with robust security, scalability, and features like content routing and drag-and-drop functionality.

It offers significant development efficiency, reducing man-hours from eighty to four when creating APIs.

KANCHAN CHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at Royal Cyber Inc.

It simplifies processes by using AI to help automate tasks and work.

reviewer2784489

operations Manager at a university with 10,001+ employees

IBM API Connect provides policy management features. We can achieve centralized control over API policies for governance and compliance.

KANCHANCHALASANI

Software Engineer IV at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

The flexibility to develop APIs for various platforms, from front-end applications to ATM machines, is valuable.

C Vvanigalla

Works

For more quotes and insights, download the Layer7 API Management report

Categories and Ranking

IBM API Connect

Ranking in API Management

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) (10th)

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 December 2025, in the API Management category, the mindshare of IBM API Connect is 5.4%, down from 6.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Layer7 API Management is 2.4%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

API Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM API Connect	5.4%
Layer7 API Management	2.4%
Other	92.2%

API Management

Featured Reviews

Sairathish Murugesan

Works at a outsourcing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Have addressed performance challenges while benefiting from flexible subscription models and reliable user access

To improve IBM API Connect, based on customer experience, you could work on latency. You can increase scalability and availability. If you're connecting with any other cloud, it connects to the infrastructure which needs to be managed with the customers and cloud providers, so if you have a setup, we can handle it easily. I have faced latency issues on the server, related to our management. If you need to stabilize your server based on peak traffic, you need to configure the scalability model. You need to know when traffic peaks, so use auto-scaling when traffic comes. If the application is not in use, the value should be zero, and it starts from zero. Based on customer experience, the value will increase, and when there is no customer servicing, the peak would be reduced, making the value remain zero. Following this approach, you should be able to optimize costs and satisfy customer experience.

Read full review

C Vvanigalla

Works

Integration capabilities excel and support for varied platforms enhances communication across backend systems

We mainly use REST APIs, and the solution's integration capabilities are excellent. It allows communication with a number of back-end providers and data consolidation. The flexibility to develop APIs for various platforms, from front-end applications to ATM machines, is valuable. Code changes and migration are straightforward, and it supports identity and access management integration.

Read full review

See which vendors are best for you

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

See recommendations

879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

19%

Insurance Company

12%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	61

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	84

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM API Connect?

Publishers can easily identify, create, and publish APIs on the developer portal, defining plans, packages, and potentially billing rules.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM API Connect?

I do not handle the pricing, setup cost, and licensing details.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM API Connect?

We are relatively new to IBM API Connect, so I do not have significant improvements to suggest at this time.

See all answers

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

IBM DataPower Gateway vs IBM API Connect

Compared 30% of the time

Apigee vs IBM API Connect

Compared 19% of the time

Microsoft Azure API Management vs IBM API Connect

Compared 13% of the time

Amazon API Gateway vs IBM API Connect

Compared 6% of the time

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform vs IBM API Connect

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM API Connect Competitors

Apigee vs Layer7 API Management

Compared 23% of the time

MuleSoft API Manager vs Layer7 API Management

Compared 13% of the time

Kong Gateway Enterprise vs Layer7 API Management

Compared 13% of the time

Amazon API Gateway vs Layer7 API Management

Compared 11% of the time

IBM DataPower Gateway vs Layer7 API Management

Compared 4% of the time

More Layer7 API Management Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM API Connect

December 2025

Download IBM API Connect product report

Buyer's Guide

Layer7 API Management

December 2025

Download Layer7 API Management product report

Also Known As

No data available

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

Overview

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.

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

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

Heineken, Tine, Finologee, Axis Bank

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

IBM API Connect vs. Layer7 API Management

December 2025

Free Report: IBM API Connect vs. Layer7 API Management

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM API Connect vs. Layer7 API Management and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our IBM API Connect vs. Layer7 API Management 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.