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IBM API Connect vs Postman Enterprise comparison

IBM and Postman are both solutions in the API Management category. IBM is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.3, while Postman is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.7. IBM holds a 6.0% mindshare in APIM, compared to Postman’s 1.2% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Postman users who would recommend it.
IBM API Connect
Read 76 IBM API Connect reviews
  • 6,620 Views
  • 6,421 Comparison Views
90% willing to recommend
Postman Enterprise
Read 65 Postman Enterprise reviews
  • 4,440 Views
  • 888 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 2025

IBM API Connect and Postman Enterprise operate in the API management and testing space. IBM API Connect appears to have the edge with its advanced security features, robust API lifecycle management, and integration capabilities.

Features: IBM API Connect focuses on an advanced security gateway, integration with DataPower for optimized performance, and comprehensive tools for API lifecycle management. It supports microservices exposure and enables API monetization through service plans. Postman Enterprise is appreciated for its ease of use, featuring API testing with Collections and workspace management that facilitates collaboration and continuous testing within teams.

Room for Improvement: IBM API Connect users seek improved integration simplicity, better caching and monitoring features, and enhanced DevOps compatibility, along with more user-friendly documentation. Postman Enterprise could benefit from better integration with external tools, expanded documentation, and improved reporting capabilities, especially for SOAP APIs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM API Connect offers flexible deployment models, including on-premises, hybrid, and various cloud options. User experiences with technical support are mixed, with calls for improved documentation. Conversely, Postman Enterprise is recognized for its quick setup but requires enhancements in customer support and problem resolution.

Pricing and ROI: IBM API Connect offers comprehensive capabilities with higher pricing, posing challenges for smaller businesses. It provides flexible licensing but can be costly for both on-premises and cloud solutions. ROI primarily comes from integration and security advancements. Postman Enterprise, being open-source, offers cost advantages and is widely adopted for its free version, providing a quicker ROI through time savings in testing cycles.

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To learn more, read our detailed IBM API Connect vs. Postman Enterprise Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
IBM API Connect vs. Postman Enterprise
September 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.9
IBM API Connect enhances profitability and efficiency by reducing development time, improving security, and enabling seamless system integration.
Sentiment score
4.1
Postman's streamlined API workflows enhance collaboration, reduce manual testing time, minimize errors, and improve productivity, leading to cost savings.
Reducing development hours from eighty to four for an API was possible due to reusing existing scripts from DataPower.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report
A minimum of 50% time is saved when comparing manual to automation.
For more quotes and insights, download the Postman Enterprise report
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
IBM API Connect support is proactive and expert but variable in speed, with regional availability challenges noted by users.
Sentiment score
5.7
Postman's documentation and forums effectively resolve most issues, though some users desire improved support responsiveness and enhanced technical support.
Support is excellent when it comes to APIC.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report
I appreciate the ease of using Postman, especially its desktop version, due to the features it offers such as cookie management and environment synchronization.
There is a lot of support available through forums and user groups, which has been sufficient for me.
For more quotes and insights, download the Postman Enterprise report
AC
SM
VP
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
IBM API Connect offers excellent scalability through on-premise and cloud solutions, supporting enterprise-level operations and customization features.
Sentiment score
7.2
Postman Enterprise excels in scalability and adaptability for various teams, despite noted areas for performance improvement.
With container versions, scaling up or down the gateways deployed into pods is a two to three-minute task for the operations team.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report
Postman does not have database validation available, which affects its scalability.
This solution is scalable.
For more quotes and insights, download the Postman Enterprise report
AC
VP
Anagha Mahadik - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
IBM API Connect is generally stable and reliable, especially in government and banking, despite occasional upgrade issues.
Sentiment score
8.0
Postman Enterprise is highly reliable, stable, and handles daily use well, with minimal issues and rare glitches.
The runtime engine for the APIC Gateway is still a DataPower component, which has been stable in the industry for about fifteen years.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report
I rate it ten out of ten for stability.
I have not experienced any issues or downtimes.
During the development phase, you will face issues, but once it goes to production, you won't face such issues.
For more quotes and insights, download the Postman Enterprise report
AC
Anagha Mahadik - PeerSpot reviewerMOHAMED RAMIGARALI - PeerSpot reviewer
VK
 

Room For Improvement

IBM API Connect needs better integration, automation, monitoring, documentation, and usability, facing issues in setup, costs, and support.
Postman Enterprise users request improved documentation, UI, integrations, automation, and pricing, while addressing compatibility, speed, and testing challenges.
Examples include the lack of connectivity to MQ.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report
One of the primary challenges with Postman is handling authentication issues, especially relating to tokens and passwords.
If they can enhance it to have a database kind of validation like we have in ReadyAPI, it would be better.
Maybe Postman can be a good contender and replicate some features such as more scripting and control over API calls.
For more quotes and insights, download the Postman Enterprise report
AC
SM
VP
reviewer1144818 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

IBM API Connect offers scalable solutions with high costs, suitable for large enterprises, available in SaaS and on-premise versions.
Postman Enterprise offers competitive pricing with free and paid plans for various team sizes, balancing cost with features.
Pricing depends on how many instances run across environments.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report
Postman's pricing model includes a basic free version, which is favorable given the Professional enterprise options offered.
Postman is open-source, so the cost is minimal compared to commercial platforms.
Postman is much cheaper than the other tools.
For more quotes and insights, download the Postman Enterprise report
AC
SM
VP
reviewer1144818 - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Valuable Features

IBM API Connect excels with strong security, integration, usability, analytics, flexibility, and scalability, enhancing API management and monetization.
Postman Enterprise offers user-friendly API testing with automation, collaboration, and integration features for streamlined team workflows and validation.
It offers significant development efficiency, reducing man-hours from eighty to four when creating APIs.
For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report
The desktop version's features like cookie management, environment compatibility, security settings, proxy integration, and data synchronization add significant value.
It's easy to navigate because tons of documentation and examples are available.
Postman's collaboration tools, such as version control and team workspaces, are particularly useful when working with teams of three to four people.
For more quotes and insights, download the Postman Enterprise report
AC
SM
reviewer1144818 - PeerSpot reviewer
MC
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM API Connect
Ranking in API Management
8th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
76
Ranking in other categories
Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) (9th)
Postman Enterprise
Ranking in API Management
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
API Monitoring Software (1st), API Testing Tools (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the API Management category, the mindshare of IBM API Connect is 6.0%, down from 6.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Postman Enterprise is 1.2%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
API Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM API Connect6.0%
Postman Enterprise1.2%
Other92.8%
API Management
 

Featured Reviews

Shanmugasundaram Shanmuganathan - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers basic API orchestration and provides robust security and governance features
While Azure API Management offers configurable scalability, IBM API Connect relies on Kubernetes clusters. This might seem manual and require defining cluster instances upfront, but it's completely customizable and not on-the-fly scaling. It's completely custom-driven, not on-the-fly scaling, which some may consider cumbersome. Overall, I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. Almost all applications we've been exposing lately go through this middleware, so it's used extensively. There are around sixty applications directly using it, but six Kubernetes clusters serve those applications. It's heavily used for integration, including system-to-system integration and product integrations. Our usage has been increasing year-on-year based on our needs.
Read full review
Anagha Mahadik - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution simplifies web service testing with impressive speed and accessibility
It is very easy for me to use and I highly prefer it compared to SoapUI and other products for performing its job. It is more handy and faster. It has impacted us very nicely. Postman is used for free by us. I'm not sure if there might be a paid version for multiple users. It is a very good product used for development. It is easy to install, as well as to learn, particularly for new users, even if they are not developers. I taught my business analyst to use it. I just showed them once, and it was easy for them to understand. For example, I gave them the URL and request format and asked them to test independently. They were able to use it on their own and do their testing as well. It was a good experience, especially for generally smart people, like those we usually hire in our company. It is pretty easy to explain, and learning it is not complex.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
20%
Insurance Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
20%
Computer Software Company
15%
Insurance Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise58
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise41
 

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?
Pricing depends on how many instances run across environments. I don't deal with licensing, but compared to other IBM products, the licensing is not significantly higher.
See all answers
What needs improvement with IBM API Connect?
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 ( /categories/message-queue-mq...
See all answers
How does Postman compare with Apache JMeter?
Postman lets you easily define variables, which then get updated automatically. This is a huge time-saver and makes processes very efficient. We can also export the test cases we create and share t...
See all answers
What do you like most about Postman?
The product is easy to implement.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Postman?
Postman is much cheaper than the other tools. I am not aware of the current pricing for Postman because that's taken care of by the client; we just pay and they simply create options. On a per-pers...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

IBM DataPower Gateway vs IBM API Connect Logo
IBM DataPower Gateway vs IBM API Connect
Compared 27% of the time
Apigee vs IBM API Connect Logo
Apigee vs IBM API Connect
Compared 20% of the time
Microsoft Azure API Management vs IBM API Connect Logo
Microsoft Azure API Management vs IBM API Connect
Compared 13% of the time
Amazon API Gateway vs IBM API Connect Logo
Amazon API Gateway vs IBM API Connect
Compared 6% of the time
Kong Gateway Enterprise vs IBM API Connect Logo
Kong Gateway Enterprise vs IBM API Connect
Compared 6% of the time
More IBM API Connect Competitors
Katalon Studio vs Postman Enterprise Logo
Katalon Studio vs Postman Enterprise
Compared 14% of the time
Tricentis Tosca vs Postman Enterprise Logo
Tricentis Tosca vs Postman Enterprise
Compared 14% of the time
Apache JMeter vs Postman Enterprise Logo
Apache JMeter vs Postman Enterprise
Compared 12% of the time
ReadyAPI Test vs Postman Enterprise Logo
ReadyAPI Test vs Postman Enterprise
Compared 10% of the time
Parasoft SOAtest vs Postman Enterprise Logo
Parasoft SOAtest vs Postman Enterprise
Compared 7% of the time
More Postman Enterprise Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
IBM API Connect
September 2025
IBM API Connect reportDownload IBM API Connect product report
Buyer's Guide
Postman Enterprise
September 2025
Postman Enterprise reportDownload Postman Enterprise product report
 

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

Postman Enterprise provides API testing capabilities with features like automation, integration, and shared environments, enhancing efficiency for REST and SOAP APIs. Teams benefit from its intuitive interface and support for automation and scripting.

Postman Enterprise is designed for API testing, supporting REST and SOAP APIs to enhance manual and automated testing. It offers endpoint validation, unit and integration testing, and data-driven testing. This platform is valued for its easy setup, flexibility in automation, and scripting, enabling collaborations through shared collections and generating reports. However, users find room for improvement in automation, integration with platforms, SOAP API testing, and collection management.

What are the key features of Postman Enterprise?
  • Intuitive Interface: Simplifies navigation and usage across teams.
  • Automation Capabilities: Speeds up testing processes.
  • Integration Support: Connects with tools like Jenkins and Newman.
  • Scripting and Version Control: Enhances collaboration.
  • Testing Flexibility: Supports REST and SOAP API testing.
What benefits can users expect from Postman Enterprise?
  • Efficiency Gains: Streamlines API testing processes.
  • Improved Collaboration: Facilitates teamwork through shared environments.
  • Better Testing Accuracy: Validates requests and responses thoroughly.

In industries relying on API development, Postman Enterprise aids in creating robust testing environments. Whether technology, finance, or healthcare, teams leverage its data-driven testing capability and collaboration features for comprehensive and accurate testing outcomes.

Postman
 

Sample Customers

Heineken, Tine, Finologee, Axis Bank
PayPal, Shopify, Microsoft, Adobe, Atlassian, Twitter, BestBuy, Coursera
Buyer's Guide
IBM API Connect vs. Postman Enterprise
September 2025
Free Report: IBM API Connect vs. Postman Enterprise
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM API Connect vs. Postman Enterprise and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
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