Compare API gateway services across AWS, Azure, and GCP.
Last verified: May 2026
| Feature | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service name | Amazon API Gateway | Azure API Management | API Gateway / Apigee |
| REST API support | Full REST support via REST APIs and HTTP APIs | Full REST support with policy-based request/response handling | Full REST support via API Gateway; advanced features via Apigee |
| GraphQL support | Supported via AppSync integration or HTTP proxy passthrough | GraphQL API type with synthetic GraphQL support and schema import | Passthrough proxy only; no native GraphQL. Use Apigee for mediation |
| WebSocket support | Native WebSocket APIs with route-based message handling | WebSocket passthrough via self-hosted gateway; no native management | No native WebSocket support; use Cloud Run or Compute Engine directly |
| gRPC support | gRPC passthrough via HTTP/2 on HTTP APIs; no native transcoding | gRPC passthrough via self-hosted gateway (preview) | Native gRPC support with automatic JSON/gRPC transcoding via Apigee |
| Feature | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authentication | IAM auth, Cognito user pools, Lambda authorizers | Azure AD, OAuth 2.0, client certificates, subscription keys | Firebase Auth, Google ID tokens, API keys, JWT validation |
| Rate limiting | Usage plans with API keys; throttling per stage or per method | Built-in rate-limit and quota policies per subscription or API | API Gateway quotas; Apigee SpikeArrest and Quota policies |
| Request transformation | Velocity templates for request/response mapping in REST APIs | Powerful policy expressions for header, body, and URL transforms | Limited in API Gateway; full mediation and transformation in Apigee |
| Feature | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caching | Built-in API cache (0.5 GB - 237 GB) per stage; TTL configurable | Built-in response caching policy with internal or external Redis cache | No native caching in API Gateway; Apigee provides built-in response cache |
| Custom domains | Custom domain names with ACM certificates; base path mapping | Custom domains with managed or uploaded TLS certificates | Custom domains via Cloud Endpoints or Apigee environment groups |
| Developer portal | No built-in portal; use third-party solutions or API Gateway exports | Built-in customizable developer portal with API documentation | Apigee integrated developer portal with self-service API catalog |
| OpenAPI import | Import OpenAPI 3.0 / Swagger definitions with API Gateway extensions | Import OpenAPI 2.0/3.0 specs to auto-generate API facades | API Gateway uses OpenAPI 2.0 specs; Apigee supports OpenAPI 3.0 import |
| Monitoring | CloudWatch metrics, access logs, X-Ray tracing integration | Azure Monitor, Application Insights, built-in analytics dashboard | Cloud Logging and Cloud Monitoring; Apigee Analytics for business metrics |
| Feature | AWS | Azure | GCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per-request pricing ($1.00-$3.50 per million requests depending on API type) | Tier-based per-unit-hour pricing (Developer, Basic, Standard, Premium) | API Gateway: per-call pricing; Apigee: subscription-based with usage tiers |
| Cost example (1M requests/month) | ~$3.50 (REST API) or ~$1.00 (HTTP API) per million requests + data transfer | ~$50/month (Developer tier) flat; includes 1 unit with unlimited calls | API Gateway ~$3.00 per million calls; Apigee starts at ~$500/month (eval tier) |
[
{
"feature": "Service name",
"category": "General",
"aws": "Amazon API Gateway",
"azure": "Azure API Management",
"gcp": "API Gateway / Apigee"
},
{
"feature": "REST API support",
"category": "General",
"aws": "Full REST support via REST APIs and HTTP APIs",
"azure": "Full REST support with policy-based request/response handling",
"gcp": "Full REST support via API Gateway; advanced features via Apigee"
},
{
"feature": "GraphQL support",
"category": "General",
"aws": "Supported via AppSync integration or HTTP proxy passthrough",
"azure": "GraphQL API type with synthetic GraphQL support and schema import",
"gcp": "Passthrough proxy only; no native GraphQL. Use Apigee for mediation"
},
{
"feature": "WebSocket support",
"category": "General",
"aws": "Native WebSocket APIs with route-based message handling",
"azure": "WebSocket passthrough via self-hosted gateway; no native management",
"gcp": "No native WebSocket support; use Cloud Run or Compute Engine directly"
},
{
"feature": "gRPC support",
"category": "General",
"aws": "gRPC passthrough via HTTP/2 on HTTP APIs; no native transcoding",
"azure": "gRPC passthrough via self-hosted gateway (preview)",
"gcp": "Native gRPC support with automatic JSON/gRPC transcoding via Apigee"
},
{
"feature": "Authentication",
"category": "Security",
"aws": "IAM auth, Cognito user pools, Lambda authorizers",
"azure": "Azure AD, OAuth 2.0, client certificates, subscription keys",
"gcp": "Firebase Auth, Google ID tokens, API keys, JWT validation"
},
{
"feature": "Rate limiting",
"category": "Security",
"aws": "Usage plans with API keys; throttling per stage or per method",
"azure": "Built-in rate-limit and quota policies per subscription or API",
"gcp": "API Gateway quotas; Apigee SpikeArrest and Quota policies"
},
{
"feature": "Request transformation",
"category": "Security",
"aws": "Velocity templates for request/response mapping in REST APIs",
"azure": "Powerful policy expressions for header, body, and URL transforms",
"gcp": "Limited in API Gateway; full mediation and transformation in Apigee"
},
{
"feature": "Caching",
"category": "Features",
"aws": "Built-in API cache (0.5 GB - 237 GB) per stage; TTL configurable",
"azure": "Built-in response caching policy with internal or external Redis cache",
"gcp": "No native caching in API Gateway; Apigee provides built-in response cache"
},
{
"feature": "Custom domains",
"category": "Features",
"aws": "Custom domain names with ACM certificates; base path mapping",
"azure": "Custom domains with managed or uploaded TLS certificates",
"gcp": "Custom domains via Cloud Endpoints or Apigee environment groups"
},
{
"feature": "Developer portal",
"category": "Features",
"aws": "No built-in portal; use third-party solutions or API Gateway exports",
"azure": "Built-in customizable developer portal with API documentation",
"gcp": "Apigee integrated developer portal with self-service API catalog"
},
{
"feature": "OpenAPI import",
"category": "Features",
"aws": "Import OpenAPI 3.0 / Swagger definitions with API Gateway extensions",
"azure": "Import OpenAPI 2.0/3.0 specs to auto-generate API facades",
"gcp": "API Gateway uses OpenAPI 2.0 specs; Apigee supports OpenAPI 3.0 import"
},
{
"feature": "Monitoring",
"category": "Features",
"aws": "CloudWatch metrics, access logs, X-Ray tracing integration",
"azure": "Azure Monitor, Application Insights, built-in analytics dashboard",
"gcp": "Cloud Logging and Cloud Monitoring; Apigee Analytics for business metrics"
},
{
"feature": "Pricing model",
"category": "Pricing",
"aws": "Per-request pricing ($1.00-$3.50 per million requests depending on API type)",
"azure": "Tier-based per-unit-hour pricing (Developer, Basic, Standard, Premium)",
"gcp": "API Gateway: per-call pricing; Apigee: subscription-based with usage tiers"
},
{
"feature": "Cost example (1M requests/month)",
"category": "Pricing",
"aws": "~$3.50 (REST API) or ~$1.00 (HTTP API) per million requests + data transfer",
"azure": "~$50/month (Developer tier) flat; includes 1 unit with unlimited calls",
"gcp": "API Gateway ~$3.00 per million calls; Apigee starts at ~$500/month (eval tier)"
}
]Your team is choosing between AWS API Gateway and Azure APIM for a new B2B API serving 50 partner companies. Initial intuition: AWS API Gateway HTTP API at ~$50/month for projected volume. The compare tool surfaces a critical gap: HTTP API has no API key management or usage plans for partners. Adding API keys would require building auth infrastructure separately. Azure APIM Standard at $700/month includes the developer portal, partner self-service onboarding, and per-partner rate limiting out-of-the-box. The $650/month delta is justified by saving 4-6 weeks of engineering work on the partner experience.
The Multi-Cloud API Gateway Compare tool compares managed API gateway services across AWS (API Gateway), Azure (API Management), and GCP (API Gateway/Apigee). It covers routing capabilities, authentication methods, rate limiting, caching, pricing models, and developer portal features. The tool helps you choose the right API management solution for your architecture.
The compare tool surfaces 25+ feature/pricing dimensions per gateway (request pricing, throughput limits, auth methods, transformation/policy support, caching, developer portal, multi-region, VNet/PrivateLink) and runs your usage profile through normalized cost models. It outputs a per-gateway monthly cost estimate and a feature-fit score relative to your stated requirements.
Apigee is fundamentally different from the other three — it's a full API management platform with policy framework, traffic management, and developer portal at enterprise pricing. If you're comparing Apigee to AWS API Gateway HTTP APIs purely on price, you're missing the value. The right comparison for Apigee is Azure APIM Premium tier or Kong Enterprise.
AWS API Gateway has THREE products: REST API ($3.50/M), HTTP API ($1.00/M), and WebSocket API. HTTP API supports 90% of REST features at 71% lower cost. The only reasons to use REST API in 2026 are: API caching (HTTP API has none), AWS WAF integration via the gateway directly, or API keys with usage plans.
Azure APIM Premium tier ($2,800/month base) is the only tier with VNet integration and multi-region deployment. Below that, Standard tier ($700/month) has no VNet integration. Many Azure-native architectures pick APIM and discover Premium is required only when they try to deploy — budget for Premium from day one if you need VNet.
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