IBM API Connect vs Microsoft Azure API Management comparison

IBM and Microsoft are both solutions in the API Management category. IBM is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.1, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 7.9. IBM holds a 6.5% mindshare in APIM, compared to Microsoft’s 20.5% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

IBM API Connect

Read 75 IBM API Connect reviews

9,857 Views
7,484 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure API Management

Read 80 Microsoft Azure API Management reviews

28,366 Views
23,718 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

IBM API Connect

Microsoft Azure API Management

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

IBM API Connect and Microsoft Azure API Management compete in the API management category. IBM API Connect seems to have the upper hand with its robust security gateway and API flexibility, which users find advantageous.

Features: IBM API Connect offers a robust security gateway, seamless conversion between REST and SOAP, and effective security support, making it ideal for organizations focusing on security and API flexibility. Users value its flexibility in API development and integration capabilities with microservices and DevOps. Microsoft Azure API Management is noted for its ease of integration within other Azure services, including Azure Active Directory. It provides flexible configuration options and helpful authentication and subscription management, facilitating efficient service integration.

Room for Improvement: IBM API Connect could improve in areas like stability, ease of debugging, and administration. Users have highlighted the need for better documentation, simpler customization options, and enhanced monetization features. Microsoft Azure API Management should enhance third-party integrations and revise its pricing models to be more competitive. User feedback also suggests a need for improved deployment options and expanded analytics capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM API Connect supports various deployment models, including on-premises, private cloud, and hybrid environments, offering more flexibility compared to Azure, which focuses on public cloud pathways. IBM's customer and technical support receives mixed reviews, with room for improvement in responsiveness. Azure's technical support and integration within its cloud ecosystem provide a seamless experience, although integration and customization can be challenging.

Pricing and ROI: IBM API Connect's pricing is generally high, making it more suitable for large enterprises seeking comprehensive solutions. It offers a significant ROI through its operational and security benefits. Microsoft Azure API Management is cost-effective in standard offerings but can become expensive with higher subscription tiers and additional features. Users appreciate its value within Microsoft-based ecosystems but indicate a need for clearer pricing structures.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM API Connect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM API Connect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management

January 2025

Download the complete report

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

ROI

Sentiment score

6.5

IBM API Connect enabled rapid microservices development, enhancing governance, security, and integration, yielding significant financial and operational benefits within two years.

Sentiment score

6.6

Microsoft Azure API Management cuts integration times by 90%, supports multi-environment apps, saves costs, and enhances operations.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

Proper configuration of the solution, implementation strategy and correct scaling tier selection are other factors that influence the ROI.

reviewer1260759

Integration Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees

Most of the time, where we work in companies, it is more of an internal policy or security guidance that we need to have an API gateway.

Rajiv Bala Balasubramanian

Specialist PCC at Danfoss

It helps connect all multi-environment applications to a single dashboard and give beautiful reports.

Sagar SampadMall

IT-Operation Head at Granules India Ltd

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure API Management report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.4

IBM API Connect's support is generally good but varies in speed and effectiveness, depending on location and ticket severity.

Sentiment score

6.7

Microsoft Azure API Management provides efficient service, though improvements in response speed and flexibility are needed, especially across time zones.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

Microsoft support is excellent.

Gabriel Anderson

Sr Software Engineer at COGNA

Technical support is very poor and needs a lot of improvement.

KiranCheriyala

Architect at a outsourcing company with 201-500 employees

We have regular sessions with Microsoft where we can have private previews of new features.

Steve Cleynen

Azure Architect at Codit

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure API Management report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.4

IBM API Connect is praised for its high scalability and reliability, though customization and infrastructure costs may vary.

Sentiment score

7.9

Microsoft Azure API Management is praised for scalability, flexibility, and regional integration, despite potential scaling costs.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

I rate the scalability of Microsoft Azure API Management a ten out of ten.

SooryanarayanHegde

Azure Technical Architect Consultant at Tata Consultancy

It's easy to expand as needed.

reviewer2123583

Project Director at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

Because it is on Microsoft Azure, we don't have to worry about scalability.

KiranCheriyala

Architect at a outsourcing company with 201-500 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure API Management report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.2

IBM API Connect is generally stable and reliable, particularly in newer versions, with most users rating its stability highly.

Sentiment score

8.0

Microsoft Azure API Management is generally reliable, with minor performance issues, rated eight or nine for stability.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

There are no bugs or glitches.

reviewer2093580

Solutions Architect at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

There are no bugs or glitches.

reviewer2123583

Project Director at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

This is the best service we have used within Azure and it has high availability.

SooryanarayanHegde

Azure Technical Architect Consultant at Tata Consultancy

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure API Management report

Room For Improvement

IBM API Connect needs better microservices, documentation, monetization, setup, multi-cloud support, development, debugging, security, automation, hybrid cloud, and performance.

Microsoft Azure API Management needs improvements in scalability, integration, security, cost efficiency, deployment, and user experience for better functionality.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

The service is extensive and expensive, and this added flexibility would make it more manageable and less prone to errors.

Allan Møller

Cloud Technical Team Lead at Conscia

There are other solutions, like Dynatrace, that offer more features and have more functionalities.

reviewer2093580

Solutions Architect at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

My team found difficulty in migrating APIs from one platform to this platform.

reviewer2123583

Project Director at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure API Management report

Setup Cost

IBM API Connect pricing is high, escalating in cloud deployments, with some users suggesting a 20-30% cost reduction.

Microsoft Azure API Management offers competitive pricing, but premium features and additional service charges require careful cost management.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

Frankly, Azure is our most expensive resource; it's costly.

Gabriel Anderson

Sr Software Engineer at COGNA

The premium tier is too expensive for medium-sized organizations.

reviewer2123583

Project Director at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

Moreover, there are additional costs to the standard licensing fees.

SHANMUGASUNDARAM S

Technical Manager at Amadeus

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure API Management report

Valuable Features

IBM API Connect offers a robust interface, enhanced security, seamless integration, and comprehensive management tools for efficient API lifecycle and performance.

Microsoft Azure API Management offers robust access control, seamless integration, and scalability, supporting diverse enterprise needs effectively.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM API Connect report

It's a low-code, no-code model of API hosting.

SHANMUGASUNDARAM S

Technical Manager at Amadeus

The platform's most valuable features are its rule-based permissions and comprehensive API lifecycle management capabilities.

Dinesh Venkates

Consultant at Fujitsu

The ability to create a subscription model for APIs allows companies to monetize valuable data and share it securely.

Allan Møller

Cloud Technical Team Lead at Conscia

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure API Management report

Categories and Ranking

IBM API Connect

Ranking in API Management

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) (7th)

Microsoft Azure API Management

Ranking in API Management

1st

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the API Management category, the mindshare of IBM API Connect is 6.5%, up from 6.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure API Management is 20.5%, up from 20.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

API Management

Featured Reviews

Shanmugasundaram Shanmuganathan

Solutions Architect at Synechron

Offers basic API orchestration and provides robust security and governance features

While Azure API Management offers configurable scalability, IBM API Connect relies on Kubernetes clusters. This might seem manual and require defining cluster instances upfront, but it's completely customizable and not on-the-fly scaling. It's completely custom-driven, not on-the-fly scaling, which some may consider cumbersome. Overall, I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. Almost all applications we've been exposing lately go through this middleware, so it's used extensively. There are around sixty applications directly using it, but six Kubernetes clusters serve those applications. It's heavily used for integration, including system-to-system integration and product integrations. Our usage has been increasing year-on-year based on our needs.

Read full review

Rajiv Bala Balasubramanian

Specialist PCC at Danfoss

Efficiently manages and monetizes API

It is a scalable solution. You can add more computing power to your APM gateway. It also gives you the ability to have VNet integrations with your on-prem. It is one of the leading products in the API management space. It is not just software for users but software to handle requests. For example, for a B2C e-commerce store, all requests that users make from within the store pass through this API gateway. So it is defined by the number of requests to the API gateway, not by the number of actual users who use it. If you look at the number of requests, it would be a lot from all the different systems we have within Pampers.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

21%

Financial Services Firm

19%

Insurance Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM API Connect?

Publishers can easily identify, create, and publish APIs on the developer portal, defining plans, packages, and potentially billing rules.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM API Connect?

Price depends on many factors like size of the deal, competitive factors, timing, customer profile or where the pricing for API Calls is very competitive comparing to any of the leader players.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM API Connect?

The only downside where improvements are needed is probably on the licensing side. Scalability is an issue with IBM API Connect, making it an area where improvements are required.

See all answers

How does Apigee differ from Azure API Management?

Apigee offers both cloud-based and on-prem options while Microsoft Azure API Management currently only offers a cloud-based solution. Both solutions are easy to use. Apigee allows for the ability...

See all answers

Which is better - Azure API Management or Amazon API Gateway?

If you use Azure products, API Management is a great solution. It solves many of the problems of externalizing web services. For example, when you need versioning, establish a developer portal and ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure API Management?

Microsoft Azure API Management is a good, comprehensive solution for enterprise implementation.

See all answers

Comparisons

IBM DataPower Gateway vs IBM API Connect

Compared 25% of the time

Apigee vs IBM API Connect

Compared 22% of the time

Kong Gateway Enterprise vs IBM API Connect

Compared 7% of the time

MuleSoft API Manager vs IBM API Connect

Compared 6% of the time

Amazon API Gateway vs IBM API Connect

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM API Connect Competitors

Amazon API Gateway vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 44% of the time

Apigee vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 24% of the time

Kong Gateway Enterprise vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 5% of the time

MuleSoft API Manager vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 5% of the time

WSO2 API Manager vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 2% of the time

More Microsoft Azure API Management Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM API Connect

January 2025

Download IBM API Connect product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure API Management

December 2024

Download Microsoft Azure API Management product report

Also Known As

No data available

Azure API Management, MS Azure API Management

Learn More

IBM

Microsoft

Overview

IBM API Connect facilitates API management and integration in the financial sector. Companies use it to expose, secure, and manage APIs for banking, insurance, and fintech, deploying it on-premises, in the cloud, or as a hybrid solution.

IBM API Connect focuses on creating and monetizing APIs while enabling seamless transactions and integration with third-party services. It is vital for compliance with regulations and enhances external communication among institutions. With deployment options suitable for different environments, it supports centralized gateway management, robust security features, and comprehensive API lifecycle management. Users benefit from powerful analytics, user-friendly interfaces, and high performance with capabilities in message transformation and efficient monitoring.

What are the most important features?

Centralized Gateway: Manages all APIs through a single entry point.
Robust Security: Ensures API protection with advanced security measures.
Comprehensive API Lifecycle Management: Covers creation, deployment, and retirement of APIs.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies API creation and management tasks.
Powerful Analytics: Provides insights into API usage and performance.
Seamless Integration: Connects easily with third-party services and internal systems.
Flexible Deployment Options: Supports on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
High Performance: Optimizes API performance and reduces latency.
Message Transformation: Manipulates and formats messages between different systems.
Visualization Tools: Enables clear and detailed views of API usage statistics.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

API Monetization: Generates additional revenue streams from APIs.
Enhanced Compliance: Ensures adherence to industry regulations and standards.
Improved External Communication: Facilitates integration and communication among financial institutions.
Technical Support: Benefit from reliable customer support and easy configuration.
Deployment Flexibility: Choose from on-premises, cloud, or hybrid options.

IBM API Connect is extensively implemented in the financial sector, enabling banking, insurance, and fintech services to manage APIs efficiently. Companies use it to ensure secure transactions, integration with third-party services, and compliance with regulatory standards. Its deployment flexibility accommodates different infrastructure needs, making it suitable for a wide range of financial applications.

Microsoft Azure API Management is essential for managing APIs, facilitating integration, and ensuring secure internal and external communication.

Organizations leverage Microsoft Azure API Management for seamless integration and effective API management. It supports microservices, legacy modernization, and platform orchestration in sectors like healthcare, telecom, and finance. Features such as developer portals and centralized libraries simplify usage. While it showcases strengths in hybrid cloud support and scalability, improvements are suggested in versioning and multi-tenancy.

What key features does it offer?

Integration with Microsoft services ensures robust access control and user-friendly deployment.
Developer portal and documentation improve usability and learning.
Hybrid cloud support offers seamless on-premise connectivity.
Scalability and security features are well-regarded.
Centralized API library simplifies management.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Facilitates API lifecycle management enhancing user experience.
Simplifies authentication and subscription models.
Enhances data exchange and real-time monitoring.
Streamlines API mapping and orchestration across platforms.
Promotes flexibility and transparency in system integration.

Microsoft Azure API Management aids modernization across healthcare, telecom, and financial services by enabling legacy system updates and facilitating smooth platform orchestration.

Sample Customers

Heineken, Tine, Finologee, Axis Bank

adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH, Opensistemas

Buyer's Guide

IBM API Connect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management

January 2025

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