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IBM API Connect vs Microsoft Azure API Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

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 support is mixed; premium support praised, but challenges include delays and complex issue resolution.
Technical Support: 10/10, as our Microsoft account manager arranged direct contact with members of the API Management Team.
We have a direct line of contact with Microsoft product management's technical support.
They first have to narrow down your requirements, it's not direct access to support with direct feedback.
 

Room For Improvement

Sentiment score
4.3
IBM API Connect needs better microservices, documentation, monetization, setup, multi-cloud support, development, debugging, security, automation, hybrid cloud, and performance.
Sentiment score
4.4
Users want enhancements in Azure API Management versioning, multi-tenancy, security, scalability, integration, documentation, UI, pricing, support, and performance.
The instructions on the district API and the initial stages of working with the solution need to be documented better so that users are more informed and they can have an improved experience.
The service is extensive and expensive, and this added flexibility would make it more manageable and less prone to errors.
Easy exporting of configurations from the Administrator portal.
 

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 highly scalable, enabling organizations to seamlessly support thousands of users with cloud-based infrastructure.
I rate the scalability of Microsoft Azure API Management a ten out of ten.
There is no need to dedicate any staff to the maintenance of the solution.
The scalability doesn't seem to be a challenge because it's a cloud-based solution.
 

Setup Cost

Sentiment score
5.2
IBM API Connect pricing is high, escalating in cloud deployments, with some users suggesting a 20-30% cost reduction.
Sentiment score
5.4
Microsoft Azure API Management offers flexible pricing tiers from free to premium, with costs manageable via a pay-as-you-go model.
If a customer wants to expose their internal APIs to the Azure API Management Portal, then they would require a VPN connection which requires the Premium Pricing tier.
According to my experiences in multiple projects, you do get preliminary pricing that is close to or the same as the estimate.
Azure API Management is the most expensive solution on the market.
 

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 highly stable, integrating seamlessly with Azure, though some users note performance challenges.
It doesn't crash or freeze.
The stability is great, as mentioned earlier it is backed by Microsoft Azure platform and that brings good stability as it is and being the cloud solution we do not have to worry about scaling either.
There have been no crashes and we haven't experienced bugs or glitches.
 

Valuable Features

Sentiment score
8.2
IBM API Connect offers a robust interface, enhanced security, seamless integration, and comprehensive management tools for efficient API lifecycle and performance.
Sentiment score
8.3
Microsoft Azure API Management offers scalable, flexible API handling with robust security, analytics, and competitive pricing, ideal for hybrid solutions.
The most valuable feature is the developer portal, which has source code examples in various programming languages to help developers learn the API.
The way the solution integrates with other Azure services is its most valuable aspect.
The most valuable features are authentication and authorization.
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM API Connect
Ranking in API Management
5th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
75
Ranking in other categories
Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) (8th)
Microsoft Azure API Management
Ranking in API Management
1st
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, 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 20.6%, up from 20.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
API Management
 

Featured Reviews

Shanmugasundaram Shanmuganathan - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Allan Møller - PeerSpot reviewer
Transforms internal APIs with secure, manageable cloud compatibility
Microsoft Azure API Management could be improved by enhancing the preview feature, specifically the workspaces. The feature should allow for better delegation of permissions to specific groups without affecting others. The service is extensive and expensive, and this added flexibility would make it more manageable and less prone to errors.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
21%
Financial Services Firm
19%
Insurance Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Insurance Company
7%
 

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.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM API Connect?
It is a pretty expensive tool. The tool is expensive if I consider how products like WSO2 are available in the market. You have pretty much many options in the open-source community, considering ho...
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.
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...
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 ...
What do you like most about Microsoft Azure API Management?
Microsoft Azure API Management is a good, comprehensive solution for enterprise implementation.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Azure API Management, MS Azure API Management
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Heineken, Tine, Finologee, Axis Bank
adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH, Opensistemas
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM API Connect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
823,875 professionals have used our research since 2012.