Side by side
Azure API Management vs KrakenD API Gateway
Both stand on api security & management platforms. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Paid Web
Azure API Management offers a broad API management feature set with tiers for serverless, evaluation, production, and enterprise use. Buyers should match throughput, SLA, deployment, and isolation requirements to the selected paid tier.
Visit Azure API Management Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
KrakenD brings API composition, traffic controls, and multiple authentication options into a self-hosted gateway. Community Edition is free, while Enterprise is the option for commercial support and SLAs.
Visit KrakenD API GatewayThe facts
| Azure API Management | KrakenD API Gateway | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Web | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 6 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | azure.microsoft.com | krakend.io |
| On api security & management platforms | #8 of 12 | #4 of 12 |
Azure API Management: what it does well
- Provides API lifecycle management
- Includes developer portal and API catalog
- Supports hybrid deployment
- Offers analytics and access policies
- Includes enterprise multi-region tier
What to know first
- No free plan
- Pricing is on request
- Developer tier has no SLA
- Isolated tier is in preview
KrakenD API Gateway: what it does well
- Free Community Edition
- Unlimited requests, APIs, and AI workloads
- Supports API composition across multiple services
- Offers Docker and Kubernetes deployment
What to know first
- AI Gateway and AI security are Enterprise features
- Community does not include direct vendor support and SLAs
- KrakenD is self-hosted
Alternatives to Azure API Management Alternatives to KrakenD API Gateway The whole list

