Side by side
Apache APISIX vs Contour
Both stand on kubernetes ingress controllers. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted
APISIX combines API and AI gateway functions with broad protocol and plugin support. Its self-managed model and separate commercial support are important considerations for teams evaluating it.
Visit Apache APISIX
Free plan Self-hosted
Contour brings several Kubernetes ingress configuration models and documented security controls under an Envoy control plane. It is a free, self-hosted option for clusters running Kubernetes 1.21 or later.
Visit ContourThe facts
| Apache APISIX | Contour | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | apisix.apache.org | projectcontour.io |
| On kubernetes ingress controllers | #7 of 28 | #11 of 28 |
Apache APISIX: what it does well
- Free plan; licensed under Apache 2.0.
- More than 100 open-source plugins.
- Supports bare metal and Kubernetes deployments.
- Configuration updates across clusters without restarts.
- AI gateway includes retries and fallback.
What to know first
- Teams are responsible for self-management.
- Commercial support is separate.
- Integration Hub lists two integrations as validation in progress.
Contour: what it does well
- Supports Ingress v1, HTTPProxy, and Gateway API.
- Can deploy as a Kubernetes deployment or daemonset.
- Includes TLS, authorization, rate limiting, and JWT features.
- Prometheus can scrape Contour and Envoy metrics.
What to know first
- Self-hosted deployment.
- Tested with Kubernetes 1.21 and later.
- Support is community-based through GitHub.
Alternatives to Apache APISIX Alternatives to Contour The whole list