Kong vs Apigee: Which one to choose for managing your API

API Management tools enable an organisation to achieve secure and scalable system that allows developers to write applications that comply with backend system as well as ensure data security. There is a wide range of API management tools available in the market that can be tailored on the basis of requirements.

However, it is very important to ensure that the API management tool you are using is efficient, secure and scalable as well. Here we discuss two of the best API management tools - Kong vs Apigee - to help you to opt a better one.

Kong

Kong is one such open source API management tool based on Nginx and OpenResty with easy installation and enterprise support when required. It manages API proxy by providing admin interface and developer portal. It lets you create new business scope, revenues and generates traffic by expanding partner network.

Apigee

Apigee is an API management software that offers API developer management, analytics and operations. It creates and deploys API proxies in a cloud from open source and covert into scalable, REST APIs in a diversified version.

Here is list of features provided by both software that would minimise your burden of choosing a better API management software.

Kong Features

API routing

An API object must specify some combination of host, URIs so as to easily retrieve the API when consumer is calling from proxy port.

User experience

User object represnts number of API users. You can store yor data with kong or map it with your primary storage to keep your data consistent.

Kong focuses on the core aspects of managing API effectively by rendering services such as authentication, traffic controlling,analytrics, transformation and loggings.

DNS-based load balancing

Kong solely will recieve updates from DNS server when DNS load balancing for backend service registration is done outside of Kong.

Plug-ins

The embedment of Ngnix and OpenResty extends the capabilities of APIs. Kong plugin templates lets you develop your own plugins. The Kong server processes the API requests and execute configured plugins to provide additional functions.

Clustering

It enhances the scalability of the system by adding more machines to the incoming requests and allows sharing of the same configuration in the database. The nodes pointing to the same database will belong to the same Kong cluster.

Command-Line Interface

The CLI allows you to start, stop, and manage Kong instances as well as local node.

Target object

This object represents the tasks completed and served with a Hostname and port. Upstream maintains the changes in the history of targets.

Monitoring

Kong lets you keep a live track on the key load and performance server metrics.

Kong admin GUI

It provides powerful one-click operations, manages API and consumers effectively.

Apigee features

Protocol transformation

Apigee lets you transform from or to any protocols like SOAP, REST, Binary, or custom and create your own API proxies from open source and deploy them in the cloud. Users can run API in reference to apps but can manage them centrally.

Traffic management

Apigee provides a flexible and distributed quota management for managing the traffic and requests and mechanisms enabling you to optimize traffic management to minimise latency of apps while maintaining services at the backend. It also includes a cache to manage traffic effectively.

Management of API life cycle

It aims at increasing agility and professional efficiency for your business by providing a platform optimised for API development, analytics processing and development management professional.

API monetisation

Apigee API management platform provides easy to use and flexible monetisation. It is the right way to unlock API programs and increase its adoption.API monetisation enables API provides to scale programs and open new opportunities for customers, developers and partners. Users can create billing documents and share them with developers. It offers a variety of customizable rate plans to meet developers need and lets you create revenue models, reports and payment gateway.

API security

The Apigee framework ensures use of security best practice with its two-way TLS, SML, 0Auth2.0 and encryption of data at rest from security threats against OWASP. Users can manage API credentials, developers apps through Edge management UI. It proactively addresses security needs and priorities integrating enhanced access control, identity management during run time. Apigee sense automatically analyzes threat patterns in the API layer and alerts on suspicious behaviour.

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API Monitoring

Apigee is deeply integrated with edge-cloud that provides a view of transparent API operations and insights into a higher level API metrics. It allows precision diagnosis and alerts enables quick identification of issues related to API making it cost-effective.

Developer portal

The developer portal comes with enhanced CMS, built-in app registration, supports API key approval and management layer letting the developers quick access to tools and information. Its customisable portal, limitless access to relevant information enhances user experience.

Microservices management

Microservices can be packed as API products with different capabilities, service and access levels. Its connection with Isito services communicates with the developers and exposes themselves as APIs required for API management.

As far as the services are concerned, Apigee takes the lead role in managing the API and is a future proof tool for your growing business.