WSO2 API Manager OverviewUNIXBusinessApplication

WSO2 API Manager is the #7 ranked solution in top API Management tools. PeerSpot users give WSO2 API Manager an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. WSO2 API Manager is most commonly compared to Apigee: WSO2 API Manager vs Apigee. WSO2 API Manager is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 61% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 20% of all views.
Buyer's Guide

Download the API Management Buyer's Guide including reviews and more. Updated: April 2023

What is WSO2 API Manager?

WSO2 API Manager is an open source approach that addresses full API lifecycle management, monetization, and policy enforcement. It allows extensibility and customization, and ensures freedom from lock-in.

WSO2 API Manager is a unique open approach to full lifecycle API development, integration and management. As part of the larger WSO2 Integration Agile Platform, it is a central component used to deploy and manage API-driven ecosystems. It’s hybrid integration capabilities further simplify projects that span traditional as well as microservice environments. And unlike other API and lifecycle management products, it is fully open-source allowing for extensibility and customization.

WSO2 API Manager Customers

StubHub, Dialog

WSO2 API Manager Video

WSO2 API Manager Pricing Advice

What users are saying about WSO2 API Manager pricing:
  • "The solution costs less than 20,000 euros a year. I'm not sure of the exact number."
  • "We use the open-source version of WSO2 API Manager, there is no cost."
  • "I think the other competitors that are providing the same solution are quite expensive. WSO2 API Manager is quite cheap."
  • WSO2 API Manager Reviews

    Filter by:
    Filter Reviews
    Industry
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Company Size
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Job Level
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Rating
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Considered
    Loading...
    Filter Unavailable
    Order by:
    Loading...
    • Date
    • Highest Rating
    • Lowest Rating
    • Review Length
    Search:
    Showingreviews based on the current filters. Reset all filters
    PeerSpot user
    Vice President at Exzatech Consulting And Services Pvt Ltd.
    Reseller
    Top 5Leaderboard
    WSO2 API Manager for Enterprise Digital Transformation
    Pros and Cons
    • "Helped us to quickly publish our Microservice APIs and enforcing different policies against them, it comes up with features like Security, Throttling policy and it provides complete access to customize API's which actually saves development effort and time."
    • "Providing easy configuration for email and SMS notifications, layout and customization of admin and developer landing pages."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have developed a slew of applications for Bank, that helped transform multiple core banking processes, such as customer onboarding, account servicing, and rapid loan request fulfillment. The solution, which is powered by WSO2’s API management and enterprise integration technologies, seamlessly bridges systems while paving the digital path to a connected financial ecosystem.

    How has it helped my organization?

    • Reduced operating costs by using open-source technology solutions
    • Enhanced customer trust built through multi-channel communication
    • Shortened delivery time for client services
    • Improved compliance and reduced risk exposure

    What is most valuable?

    Helped us to quickly publish our Microservice APIs and enforcing different policies against them, it comes up with features like Security, Throttling policy and it provides complete access to customize API's which actually saves development effort and time.

    The solution offers a simple and easy configuration. You can get it working up within one or two days' time. It's very fast, simple to use, and you can deploy things quickly. Its very easy to configure and takes less time to create customize policies across the API Gateway.  

    The solution is very stable and can scale well.

    What needs improvement?

    Providing easy configuration for email and SMS notifications, layout and customization of admin and developer landing pages.

    Buyer's Guide
    API Management
    April 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about WSO2, Kong, Google and others in API Management. Updated: April 2023.
    706,775 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been using this solution for last 5 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's stable. There is no issue with it in that sense at all. That said, some of the customers who have faced issues have had problems in the updating part. For example, when they update something, something goes wrong. However, if they are following a proper process, they should be okay. Whenever you have to do an upgrade you should first do it in a staging environment to test it and make sure you won't have issues. If everything works properly there only then should you move into production. If somebody follows a proper IT process, then they will have no issues. We have never faced any issues and it's a perfectly stable platform as far as we are concerned.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    WSO2 API Management platform can be deployed in a scalable manner where the system can handle 1000RPS with 10 - 20 KB payloads.
    WSO2 API Manager can be deployed in a way where auto scaling is there so whenever there is a traffic spike the deployment can auto scale.
    Also, APIs can be deployed across multiple gateways so one APIs traffic spike won't affect the rest of the gateways.

    How are customer service and support?

    Tech support is very good. The open-source version means you have to get support from the community. However, if you have a subscription, they provide the support portal and everything is solved there. Therefore you get support directly from the project team. The engineers who developed the product directly support you sometimes and you get very good support from them. 

    There are no issues with support at all. Even if you need some sort of customized help, the engineers will assist. It's very helpful.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    have used 3scale earlier, to lower costs, simplify maintenance, and because WSO2 API Manager is open-source

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is not complex or overly difficult. In fact, it's pretty straightforward. The solution offers a simple and easy configuration. You can get it up and running within one or two days. The deployment doesn't take very long.

    We have implemented both all-in-one deployments and distributed setup. The distributed setup is a little more complex, most of the time takes in network configurations. That said, the basic setup is very simple and fast.

    What about the implementation team?

    We have a dedicated lab setup for trying new features, and we provide implementation and support solution to our customers.

    What was our ROI?

    Complete feature set in the open source version

    Flexibility and extensibility

    Complete platform with built-in integration and security

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Single GA (generally available) edition with all features. Subscription model

    Simple pricing model with per core pricing. No licensing fees for development

    Each subscription also covers, at no extra fee:

    • Bursting of on-premise production systems by up to two times the subscribed cores, lasting for up to 3 cumulative days during the subscription year.

    • Up to 3 pre-production environments

    • Individual development machines, though please note that issues arising on such systems qualify for query support rather than incident support SLAs

    • Analytics Profiles

    • Passive instances in an active/passive deployment

    • Disaster recovery systems

    • Query support hours up to a level proportional to the subscription fee

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We evaluated 3scale, Apigee and Tibco

    What other advice do I have?

    I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. We've been extremely happy with it so far. It's affordable and pretty easy to use overall.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
    PeerSpot user
    Chief Technology Officer at Swifta Systems and Services
    Real User
    Top 20
    Easy setup and stable
    Pros and Cons
    • "Most of the time, we need to install a plug-in without having any lapse in services or restarting the application. The WSO2 platform can do all deployments without any downtime."
    • "I can say that user management is not really flexible. So, if I want to create 1,000 store users, I can't do it as a publisher. You have to register as a store user using the store URL."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our normal use case for API Manager is to create pre-configured store users. The administrator who creates those users then sends them their credentials and secure links.  We are running API Manager on a Tomcat server. Currently, I am the main person who works with API Manager, because it requires a proper understanding of the APIs. 

    How has it helped my organization?

    When looking at things from an enterprise point of view, it's often difficult to see the benefit of a tool. Most of the time, we need to install a plug-in without having any lapse in services or restarting the application. The WSO2 platform can do all deployments without any downtime.

    What is most valuable?

    API Manager upgraded to 3.2 recently, and it has more flexibility in terms of authentication methods. In the version we're currently using, there is only a token. We couldn't do basic authentication.

    What needs improvement?

    In version 2.5, there is room for improvement on the UI. That may have been addressed in the upgrade to 3.2, which uses the latest front-end framework that's commonly used in other solutions like JIRA. I would need to play around with the upgrade, but I believe the UI issue has been addressed. I can only speak about my experience with the 2.5 version because that's the one I've been able to use extensively. I can say that user management is not really flexible. So, if I want to create 1,000 store users, I can't do it as a publisher. You have to register as a store user using the store URL. It would be nice if API Manager had that functionality as an administrator, so you would have a user management interface where you can create store users.  

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using API Manager for more than five years. I was using the platform before the recent overhaul. They now have this new interface where they migrated the front end to using view. So I think view framework or react, one of the two, but it's been a while.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    API Manager is stable. We haven't had any stability issues at all. It has run on Tomcat for as long as I know, and it's a stable web service so.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    In terms of scalability, it has so far been able to handle the traffic on the platform. We haven't had any issues where we've had downtime because too many requests were coming in per second.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup was pretty straightforward. I asked my colleague to do the setup. Since I've been working on it for a while, it probably wouldn't be a challenge. We didn't use many resources to do the setup or spend much time setting up the application because they've added more deployment scripts to make the solution easier to deploy.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Maybe I lack the curiosity to push me to check other platforms. Even when I try checking them, I've not actually checked other competitors because the major competitor got acquired by another platform.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate API Manager eight out of 10. The advice I would give to anyone considering API Manager is to take the time to understand how the platform works. It doesn't matter how good a thing is if you don't understand the purpose. For example, you need to understand the use case for service orchestration. And once you know that, you know why it makes sense to bring in WSO2 API Manager. This is a better way to go about things than to force yourself into it, only to find out that it's not working for you at the end of the day. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Private Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    API Management
    April 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about WSO2, Kong, Google and others in API Management. Updated: April 2023.
    706,775 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Ilir Lazaj - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior Consultant at Capgemini
    Real User
    Top 5
    Reliable with good capabilities and good support
    Pros and Cons
    • "The scalability is fine for our purposes."
    • "The initial setup can be difficult."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the product mainly as a gateway. We use the Publisher feature, the Publisher module or mode, and the Store. We publish APIs after we configure them, and we expose them on the internet.

    What is most valuable?

    It's perfect for our use case. It has the capabilities we require.

    Technical support is fine.

    So far the solution has been stable.

    We use it on a daily basis. It handles millions of transactions of API calls per month in our reality, in the Lombardy region in Italy. It does its job as intended and handles everything pretty well.

    What needs improvement?

    I cannot recall coming across any missing features. 

    The initial setup and configuration can be difficult if a person is not well-versed in the product.

    The configuration could be improved. It should be more flexible and more elastic.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've used the solution since 2016.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution has been stable and reliable enough. the performance is good. We haven't had issues. There aren't bugs or glitches. We haven't faced the solution crashing. It doesn't freeze.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability is fine for our purposes. We haven't had a problem with it. 

    It's all a suite of products that work in unison as a whole. We have six people using the solution. 

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support has been fine. We are satisfied with their level of service.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    This is the only product that I've ever used of this type. I have not used something previously.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup can be difficult. It's not straightforward per se unless you can familiar with and comfortable with the solution. If you are not, the setup and configuration may be difficult. 

    What about the implementation team?

    The deployment was done in-house and was handled by our team. We didn't have any outside assistance. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The solution costs less than 20,000 euros a year. I'm not sure of the exact number. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. We've been pretty happy with the solution. Having nothing else to compare it to, I'm not sure if I would recommend it over other offerings, however, we have been pleased with its capabilities. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Eduardo-Perez - PeerSpot reviewer
    Public Procurement Area Consultant at Memorandum
    Consultant
    Top 10
    Easy to set up with a good enterprise integrator and great reliability
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is stable."
    • "The user interface could be a bit better."

    What is our primary use case?

    The solution is used mainly for API management. 

    What is most valuable?

    The main feature is the enterprise integrator. It's very important to API management. You can implement SOA strategy in the company using the API Manager. Some companies were just using enterprise integrators at the beginning. For implementers, they had to install it to use the API management and identity the server to have more security in the system.

    The solution is stable. 

    It's scalable. 

    It is easy to set up. 

    What needs improvement?

    They've already improved a lot of features between versions six and seven.

    The user interface could be a bit better. Sometimes you have different visual aspects when you change from one screen to another.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I'm implementing a WSO2 project right now. I've used the solution for the last six months. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a reliable, stable solution. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    You can scale the product. 

    We can install it in a cluster manner. We can use Docker to scale all of the systems. 

    We have 1,000 users on the solution. 

    How are customer service and support?

    We had support every time we needed it; we could reach support without a problem.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is not complex. You can install everything together in what they call an all-in-one setup, or you can install each model separately. It's not difficult to install.

    If I had to rate the initial setup of WSO from one to five, I'd rate it a four out of five.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I don't deal with the licensing aspect of the product.

    What other advice do I have?

    I'm starting with Microsoft as our API manager on a daily basis.

    I'm working as a project manager and architect, so I don't install the products. However, I understand their texture and how the parts interact with each other.

    I'd advise new users to have a company that knows it very, very well. If you don't don't know the product at the beginning, you can make a mess of your project. Choose a good partner first to make everything easier.

    I would rate the solution eight out of ten. It's a good product.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    RomanFigurny - PeerSpot reviewer
    API Developer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Top 10
    Open-source, easy to use, and has excellent technical support
    Pros and Cons
    • "WSO2 API Manager is easy to use."
    • "I would improve the product documentation. There are some gaps, and it can be difficult to find the proper documentation for the product if you need to solve something."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use WSO2 API Manager for securing API calls for various applications.

    What is most valuable?

    WSO2 API Manager is easy to use.

    What needs improvement?

    I would improve the product documentation. There are some gaps, and it can be difficult to find the proper documentation for the product if you need to solve something.

    There are some new features, but we are not currently using the most recent version. We're looking forward to the new release.

    The initial setup could be simplified.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using WSO2 API Manager for one and a half years.

    We have a subcontractor who occasionally downloads new versions from the repository and dates them on a half-year basis.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is not scalable, in a specific way, but scalable in OCP.

    There are 20 to 40 applications and thousands of users who are working through the solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    We are quite satisfied with technical support. 

    I would rate technical support a four out of five.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I'm not currently working with IBM products because my job has changed. I'm now employed by a different company, and I'm now primarily working with WSO2 products.

    We mainly use API Management and Identity Server.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is medium, not easy, but also not difficult.

    It's a complicated product. There are numerous distinct connections.

    We have a maximum of ten engineers working on various parts of the solution and looking after deployment and maintenance.

    What about the implementation team?

    It was not done by me. I lack experience with the current setup.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We use the open-source version of WSO2 API Manager, there is no cost.

    What other advice do I have?

    I definitely recommend this solution.

    Because the complexity of the setup and the documentation could be improved, I would rate WSO2 API Manager an eight out of ten.

    I'm pleased with the WSO2 product, but there are some gaps in the documentation. It could be greatly improved in this case so that it is easier to deploy and maintain when there are issues.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Private Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Product Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Top 5
    Highly customizable, beneficial models, and scalable
    Pros and Cons
    • "I think the best part about WSO2 API Manager is that it's highly customizable because it's open-source. The partnership model is quite lucrative for us, it helps us to go and pitch to our customers. You can build a lot of business models yourself that you want to use. You are able to do a lot of the solutions."
    • "The user interface needs to improve, it is a bit outdated."

    What is our primary use case?

    WSO2 API Manager is a complete platform for managing APIs.

    What is most valuable?

    I think the best part about WSO2 API Manager is that it's highly customizable because it's open-source. The partnership model is quite lucrative for us, it helps us to go and pitch to our customers. You can build a lot of business models yourself that you want to use. You are able to do a lot of the solutions.

    What needs improvement?

    The user interface needs to improve, it is a bit outdated.

    There is an Affiliate Marketing monetization in Google Apigee that you would like to use in this solution but is not available. We end up having to build an alternative to get the job done. This feature should be added to this solution.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using WSO2 API Manager for approximately four months.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is scalable, my clients have been happy.

    Most of my customers are enterprise-sized companies.

    How are customer service and support?

    The support system is not that great. The number of employees in the organization is perhaps too little that is providing training. This causes some problems.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I am working with Google Apigee and it is quite nice, but it's a bit expensive for the customers. Otherwise, Google Apigee has a lot of different features that the WSO2 API Manager doesn't provide.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is quite easy, the full implementation takes approximately three months.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I think the other competitors that are providing the same solution are quite expensive. WSO2 API Manager is quite cheap.

    What other advice do I have?

    WSO2 API Manager is very good for small and medium companies, but if you have an enterprise-level company, Google Apigee might be a better choice.

    I rate WSO2 API Manager an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
    PeerSpot user
    Viraj Dhanushka - PeerSpot reviewer
    Student at University of Peradeniya
    Real User
    Top 20
    It's a low-code platform that enables you to get things done easily
    Pros and Cons
    • "The user interface is easy to navigate, and the documentation is extensive. It's open-source, so everything is available, and we can create what we need. That's not necessarily a feature, but it's an advantage."
    • "They are developing another platform called Choreo that allows you to create API itself using the WSO2 programming language Ballerina. It would be great if they added a direct connection between Choreo and API Manager, that would be great. I think they are working on that, but I'm not sure."

    How has it helped my organization?

    WSO2 is accessible. Even a beginner can have an idea of what's going on.  It has a drag-and-drop graphical interface, so it's a low-code platform that enables you to effortlessly get things done.

    What is most valuable?

    The user interface is easy to navigate, and the documentation is extensive. It's open-source, so everything is available, and we can create what we need. That's not necessarily a feature, but it's an advantage. 

    What needs improvement?

    They are developing another platform called Choreo that allows you to create API itself using the WSO2 programming language Ballerina. It would be great if they added a direct connection between Choreo and API Manager, that would be great. I think they are working on that, but I'm not sure.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I used API Manager a few months ago. I briefly touched on those areas during my internship, but I haven't gone that deeply into the product. I don't have implementation knowledge, but I have a rough idea about what's going on.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I rate API Manager 10 out of 10 for stability. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I rate API Manager 10 out of 10 for scalability. It's suitable for small companies or large enterprises. 

    How are customer service and support?

    I haven't contacted WSO2, but I know that they provide good support. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The cost is reasonable even for Sri Lankan companies.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate WSO2 API Manager 10 out of 10. Don't hesitate to use it. Most people can start with WSO2 API Manager because it's easy to find what you need in the documentation. I recommend newbies start with WSO2 API Manager.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    Integration Architect at a tech consulting company with 201-500 employees
    Real User
    Top 20
    Helps to expose APIs to the outside world
    Pros and Cons
    • "WSO2 is very stable."
    • "We had some problems with the reverse proxy not being able to invoke fully qualified domain names, so we have to build some custom scripts to solve this issue."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are a banking solution and use WSO2 to offer our services to banks.

    How has it helped my organization?

    WSO2 helps to expose our internal APIs to the outside world.

    What needs improvement?

    We had some problems with the reverse proxy not being able to invoke fully qualified domain names, so we have to build some custom scripts to solve this issue. In the next release, WSO2 should make multifactor authentication simpler.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using WSO2 API Manager for two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    WSO2 is very stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    WSO2's scalability is very good because we deployed using a microgateway-driven approach on OCP, which takes care of scaling. I would rate its scalability as 4.5 out of five.

    How are customer service and support?

    WSO2's technical support is good.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I previously used IBM App Connect but switched to WSO2 for a number of reasons, including cost, complexity, technical resource availability, troubleshooting, and multiple practice.

    How was the initial setup?

    The pattern we followed to set up WSO2 was a bit complex, but the end goal was very clear, so the setup itself was straightforward and took about two days. I would rate the setup experience as four out of five.

    What about the implementation team?

    We used a third-party team.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would advise anybody thinking of implementing WSO2 to go for it. I would give WSO2 a rating of eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partners
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free API Management Report and find out what your peers are saying about WSO2, Kong, Google, and more!
    Updated: April 2023
    Product Categories
    API Management
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free API Management Report and find out what your peers are saying about WSO2, Kong, Google, and more!