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Microsoft Azure API Management vs MuleSoft API Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

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
6.6
Microsoft Azure API Management boosts efficiency and cost savings, enhancing performance through streamlined integration and management of APIs.
Sentiment score
6.9
MuleSoft API Manager improves reusability and efficiency by automating processes, expediting development, and simplifying maintenance, enhancing organizational value.
Proper configuration of the solution, implementation strategy and correct scaling tier selection are other factors that influence the ROI.
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.
It helps connect all multi-environment applications to a single dashboard and give beautiful reports.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Microsoft Azure API Management customer service is helpful but varies in efficiency, with suggestions for improved response times and support quality.
Sentiment score
7.5
MuleSoft API Manager's support is praised for responsiveness and expertise, though premium charges and priority confusion occasionally occur.
We have regular sessions with Microsoft where we can have private previews of new features.
I rate the support from Microsoft Azure API Management a ten out of ten.
The documentation from Microsoft helps our company to solve issues on our own.
Our enterprise pays for a special success program, which provides priority support.
They can be slow in addressing security vulnerabilities.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Azure API Management excels in scalability and integration, despite cost concerns, with high user ratings for performance.
Sentiment score
7.1
MuleSoft API Manager is scalable and flexible, yet concerns exist about its cost, setup complexity, and hardware demands.
I rate the scalability of Microsoft Azure API Management a ten out of ten.
You can add more computing power to your APM gateway.
It handles our current workload well, and I'm optimistic it can scale effectively as our needs grow.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Microsoft Azure API Management is highly stable and reliable, with few bugs and minimal downtime, enhancing operational effectiveness.
Sentiment score
7.9
MuleSoft API Manager is reliable and stable, though it may face minor scaling issues with JMS or Kubernetes.
This is the best service we have used within Azure and it has high availability.
I can't guarantee its stability or flexibility until all our databases and financial systems are integrated.
Microsoft Azure API Management is very stable.
There was an issue when trying to implement a request-reply pattern using JMS, which was not functioning as expected despite being documented.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Azure API Management requires improvements in integration, customization, security, scalability, deployment options, pricing, documentation, and user resources.
MuleSoft API Manager struggles with usability, integration, pricing, migration, and seeks improvements in security, automation, and scalability.
The service is extensive and expensive, and this added flexibility would make it more manageable and less prone to errors.
Support for GraphQL, which is a different communication specification, needs to improve.
It's quite expensive, which could be a barrier for some users.
Introducing features related to auto governance without manual effort would make the API Manager smarter and more efficient for enterprises with complex landscapes.
Managing the cost of MuleSoft, particularly the billing model based on the number of active cores/threads, has been challenging.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Azure API Management offers competitive pricing for lower tiers, but premium levels are costly due to additional features.
MuleSoft API Manager is often seen as costly, with pricing per core impacting expenses and necessitating growth planning.
The more enterprise-level features you go to, the more expensive it gets.
The solution is highly expensive.
It's an expensive solution.
The cost for using MuleSoft is approximately $500,000 USD per year.
MuleSoft is typically more expensive compared to using Java or Spring Boot APIs hosted in containers.
 

Valuable Features

Azure API Management is lauded for ease of setup, integration, security, user management, and comprehensive API lifecycle management features.
MuleSoft API Manager excels with robust development tools, security, scalability, integration, and analytics for efficient API management.
The platform's most valuable features are its rule-based permissions and comprehensive API lifecycle management capabilities.
The ability to create a subscription model for APIs allows companies to monetize valuable data and share it securely.
The analytics phase of API Management is very beneficial for tracking API usage and identifying suspicious users.
MuleSoft's ability to connect to third-party monitoring platforms like AWS, Datadog, and Elastic makes operational analysis more efficient.
It also enables us to create additional layers of authentication, like integrating external providers for OAuth, within reduced timelines.
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Azure API Management
Ranking in API Management
1st
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
81
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MuleSoft API Manager
Ranking in API Management
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the API Management category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure API Management is 18.5%, down from 19.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MuleSoft API Manager is 4.7%, down from 7.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
API Management
 

Featured Reviews

Rajiv Bala Balasubramanian - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Dipanjan_Nandi - PeerSpot reviewer
Valuable testing stubs and policy enforcement with room for better security and cost management
From an API management perspective, MuleSoft's API Manager is not as powerful as some other tools available. Features like monetization and advanced security, which are present in Apigee, are missing. I also want the API Manager to be used as a separate product apart from MuleSoft's other integration solutions. Additionally, the licensing cost is high, and many clients are looking to switch due to this.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Insurance Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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.
How does Kong Enterprise compare with Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager?
The Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager was designed with its users in mind. Though it is a reasonably complex piece of software, it is easy to install and upgrade. While there are different things that ...
How does Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager compare with Amazon API Gateway?
I have found that Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager is the best integration tool out there for API management. It is easy to implement and learn; it provides several options for deployment, (including ...
What do you like most about Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager?
The most valuable features of the solution for securing APIs stem from the tool's ability to allow users to deploy policies.
 

Also Known As

Azure API Management, MS Azure API Management
Anypoint API Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH, Opensistemas
Coca-Cola, Splunk, Citrix, UCSF, Vertu, State of Colorado, National Post, TiVo, Deakin, LLS, Oldcastle Precast, ParcelPoint, Justice Systems, Ube, Sumitomo Corporation, PacificComp, University of Witwatersrand, Groupe Initiatives, Camelot, Panviva
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Azure API Management vs. MuleSoft API Manager and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,190 professionals have used our research since 2012.