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AWS API Gateway

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Build, secure, and scale APIs with REST, HTTP, and WebSocket support

API ToolsCloud & InfrastructureHosting & DeploymentServerless
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Reviews onG2Capterra
156 reviews tracked·1 press mention

The Bottom Line

Entry price

Free plan available, paid tiers above

Biggest pro

Fully managed, no infrastructure to maintain

Biggest con

Vendor lock-in to AWS ecosystem

TL;DR - AWS API Gateway

  • Fully managed API gateway supporting REST, HTTP, and WebSocket APIs
  • Scales automatically with pay-per-request pricing
  • Free tier: 1M calls/mo; HTTP APIs from $1.00/M, REST from $3.50/M
Pricing: Free plan available
Best for: Growing teams
4.4/5 across review platforms

What is AWS API Gateway?

Editorial review
Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed AWS service for creating, publishing, maintaining, monitoring, and securing APIs at any scale. It supports REST APIs, HTTP APIs, and WebSocket APIs, handling hundreds of thousands of concurrent API calls with built-in traffic management, authorization, throttling, and monitoring. HTTP APIs offer up to 71% cost savings over REST APIs for serverless workloads, while WebSocket APIs enable real-time bidirectional communication for chat and streaming applications.

Available on: Web

how we evaluateSourceaws.amazon.com ↗

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Fully managed, no infrastructure to maintain
  • Native integration with Lambda, DynamoDB, and other AWS services
  • Free tier includes 1M API calls/month for 12 months
  • HTTP APIs offer significant cost savings for simple use cases
  • Global edge network reduces latency
  • Granular access control with multiple auth methods

Cons

  • Vendor lock-in to AWS ecosystem
  • Pricing complexity across REST vs HTTP vs WebSocket
  • 29-second timeout limit on API calls
  • Cold start latency when paired with Lambda
  • REST API pricing ($3.50/M) is expensive at scale
  • Limited WebSocket message size (128KB)

Ratings Across the Web

4.4(156 reviews)

AWS API Gateway holds an aggregate rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 156 reviews across G2 and Capterra, last checked September 17, 2026.

G2142 reviews
4.3/5
Capterra14 reviews
4.7/5

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

REST, HTTP, and WebSocket API supportAutomatic scaling to handle any traffic volumeBuilt-in authorization via IAM, Cognito, OAuth2, and LambdaTraffic management with rate limiting and throttlingAPI versioning with multi-version deploymentCloudWatch monitoring dashboardEdge-optimized deployment via CloudFrontAPI Portal for discovery and documentationRequest/response transformationPay-per-request pricing with no minimum fees

Pricing Plans

Pricing checked Sep 8, 2026

HTTP APIs (US East example)

$1.00 / million

  • $1.00 per million requests for the first 300 million
  • Then $0.90 per million (official example)
  • Plus data transfer out

REST APIs (US East example)

$3.50 / million

  • $3.50 per million requests in the official US East examples
  • Plus $0.09/GB data transfer out
  • Private APIs: no data-out fee, PrivateLink still bills

WebSocket APIs

$1.00 / million messages

  • $1.00 per million messages
  • $0.25 per million connection minutes
  • Messages metered in 32 KB increments

Free Tier

Free

  • 1M REST + 1M HTTP calls/month
  • 1M WebSocket messages + 750,000 connection minutes
  • First 12 months for new AWS accounts
Calculate your costView full pricing

Is AWS API Gateway worth the price?

78/100

API Gateway is usage-priced.

Official AWS page: new accounts get 1 million REST and 1 million HTTP calls a month for 12 months. Worked US East examples use $1.00 per million HTTP requests and $3.50 per million REST requests, plus $0.09/GB out.

WebSocket is $1.00 per million messages and $0.25 per million connection minutes. Portals are $125/month including 10 products.

This is best for a serverless app that stays near the free million.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

REST caching is hourly by cache size (example

1.6 GB at $0.038/hr).

Private APIs avoid API Gateway data-out but pay PrivateLink (example $0.01/AZ-hour + $0.01/GB).

Portals

$125/month includes 10 PortalProducts. Extra products $12.50/month, prorated.

From 15 July 2025 new accounts can also get up to $200 Free Tier credits. HTTP/REST rates vary by region; the $1.00 / $3.50 figures are the US East examples on the page.

Reviews

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4.4/5

Across 156 verified user reviews on G2, Capterra

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AWS API Gateway FAQ

How does AWS API Gateway support real-time applications?

AWS API Gateway supports real-time applications through its WebSocket APIs, which enable bidirectional communication. This functionality is suitable for use cases like chat applications or streaming data. WebSocket APIs handle the persistent connections required for real-time interactions.

Which teams benefit most from using AWS API Gateway?

Teams that are already invested in the AWS ecosystem and require scalable, secure API management will find AWS API Gateway most beneficial. It is particularly well-suited for development teams building serverless applications due to its native integration with AWS Lambda and other services. Operations teams also benefit from the managed nature, reducing infrastructure overhead.

How does AWS API Gateway compare to Apache APISIX?

AWS API Gateway is a fully managed service within the AWS ecosystem, offering native integrations with other AWS services. Apache APISIX is an open-source API gateway that provides flexibility but requires self-management of its infrastructure. AWS API Gateway handles the underlying infrastructure, whereas Apache APISIX users are responsible for deployment and maintenance.

What are the primary limitations of AWS API Gateway?

A primary limitation of AWS API Gateway is its potential for vendor lock-in to the AWS ecosystem, which might not suit multi-cloud strategies. It also has a 29-second timeout limit on API calls and can introduce cold start latency when integrated with AWS Lambda. Additionally, the pricing structure can be complex, varying significantly between REST, HTTP, and WebSocket APIs.

How is AWS API Gateway priced?

AWS API Gateway is available on a free tier that includes 1 million API calls per month for 12 months. Beyond the free tier, pricing is usage-based, with costs varying depending on the type of API (REST, HTTP, or WebSocket) and the volume of requests. HTTP APIs offer cost savings for simpler serverless workloads compared to REST APIs.

Can AWS API Gateway integrate with other AWS services?

Yes, AWS API Gateway offers native integration with a variety of other AWS services. This includes seamless connections with AWS Lambda for serverless function execution and Amazon DynamoDB for database interactions. These integrations simplify the process of building and deploying robust API-driven applications within the AWS cloud.

Does AWS API Gateway provide security features for APIs?

Yes, AWS API Gateway provides robust security features for APIs, including built-in authorization and throttling capabilities. It offers granular access control through multiple authentication methods to secure API endpoints. This helps in protecting APIs from unauthorized access and managing traffic effectively.

Source: aws.amazon.com

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