Apache APISIX
UnclaimedCloud-native API Gateway and AI Gateway for managing APIs and AI workloads.
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5 reviews trackedThe Bottom Line
Entry price
Free, no paid tier
Biggest pro
Ultimate performance with low latency (0.2 ms)
Biggest con
Requires familiarity with NGINX and etcd for advanced configurations
TL;DR - Apache APISIX
- Open-source, cloud-native API Gateway and AI Gateway.
- Provides dynamic traffic management, security, and observability for microservices.
- Offers high performance, scalability, and hot-loading plugins for continuous updates.
Pricing: Free forever
Best for: Individuals & startups
4.8/5 across review platforms
What is Apache APISIX?
Apache APISIX is an open-source, cloud-native API Gateway and AI Gateway designed for managing microservices and AI workloads. It provides comprehensive traffic management features such as load balancing, dynamic upstream, canary release, circuit breaking, authentication, and observability. Built on NGINX and etcd, APISIX offers dynamic routing and hot-loading plugins, enabling continuous configuration updates without restarts, which saves development time and reduces operational stress.
This platform is ideal for organizations building large-scale, high-value systems that require ultimate performance, security, and scalability for their APIs and microservices. It caters to developers and operations teams looking for a flexible, platform-agnostic solution that can run from bare-metal to Kubernetes, supporting various protocols like HTTP, gRPC, WebSockets, and Dubbo. With nearly 100 open-source plugins, APISIX helps users focus on designing world-class systems rather than fighting bugs.
Key benefits include exceptional performance with low latency, robust security features like JWT and OIDC authentication, and high scalability with custom plugin and load balancing capabilities. Its fully dynamic nature, multi-platform and multi-protocol support, and open-source, community-driven development ensure it remains a future-ready solution for modern API management and AI integration.
Available on: Web
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Ultimate performance with low latency (0.2 ms)
- Robust security features for identity authentication and API verification
- High scalability and availability with customizability
- Fully dynamic with hot updates and hot-loading plugins, saving development time
- Platform and protocol agnostic, avoiding vendor lock-in
Cons
- Requires familiarity with NGINX and etcd for advanced configurations
- Steep learning curve for new users due to extensive features and plugins
Ratings Across the Web
4.8(5 reviews)
Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more
Key Features
Load balancingDynamic upstreamCanary releaseCircuit breakingAuthentication (JWT, Key Auth, OIDC, Keycloak)Observability (Prometheus, Grafana, Apache Skywalking integration)Nearly 100 open-source pluginsCustom plugin development
Pricing
Free
Apache APISIX is completely free to use with no hidden costs.
Reviews
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4.8/5
Across 5 verified user reviews on G2
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Apache APISIX FAQ
How does Apache APISIX achieve high performance for routing and plugins?
Apache APISIX utilizes radixtree-route-matching and etcd to enable high-speed synchronized systems. This architecture ensures that both routing and built-in plugins are designed for optimal performance with minimal latency.
What security features does Apache APISIX offer for API protection?
Apache APISIX provides various security plugins for identity authentication and API verification. These include support for CORS, JWT, Key Auth, OpenID Connect (OIDC), and Keycloak to shield against malicious activities.
Can Apache APISIX handle different communication protocols beyond standard HTTP?
Yes, Apache APISIX supports a wide range of protocols including HTTP to gRPC transcoding, websockets, gRPC, Dubbo, and MQTT proxy. This allows it to function across diverse communication requirements.
How does Apache APISIX ensure continuous operation and configuration updates without service interruption?
Apache APISIX features Hot updates and Hot plugins, which allow configurations to be updated dynamically without requiring a restart of the gateway. This capability, along with health checks and circuit breakers, helps maintain system balance and continuous availability.
What are the underlying technologies that Apache APISIX is built upon?
Apache APISIX is based on NGINX and etcd. This foundation enables features like dynamic routing and hot-loading plugins, differentiating it from traditional API Gateways.
Does Apache APISIX support custom load balancing and routing algorithms?
Yes, Apache APISIX provides the ability to write custom plugins and utilize custom Load Balancing Algorithms during the balancer phase for scaling. It also supports custom Routing algorithms for fine-grained control over traffic distribution.
Source: apisix.apache.org