The API manager of the enterprise exposes common functionalities to the front-end applications, beginning with the frontend of the executives who access clients' information. The exposition of the functionalities of transferring funds and AFP which need to transfer the money from your account to a client's AFP. The exposition of the core functionalities to the module of the sale of a product installed on the cloud of AWS, to create an onboarding platform for the client's prospect of the enterprise.
Senior Technological Architect at Banco de Chile
Provides a variety of visualizations of the APIs but doesn't include an online method to pay through a web system
Pros and Cons
- "The centralized management: this provides a management module that can deploy and apply security policies to all APIs, including all the gateways that are deployed on-premises and on any cloud because the gateway component can run at a VMware or in a Kubernetes cluster."
- "The integration of an API gateway that implements the sidecar pattern, which can be deployed in cloud applications, and expose the microservices directly in each pod, this can be more decentralized components."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The product has a little use at the enterprise because the APIs have functionality with low use. The next steps are to enforce and grow the use of APIs through the creation of a governance department that aligns the construction's standards and defines the classifications of APIs.
This is the main goal, to finally integrate the applications that will deploy on the cloud consuming the backends on-premise through IBM API Connect. Having the centralized management of APIs.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are:
1. The centralized management: this provides a management module that can deploy and apply security policies to all APIs, including all the gateways that are deployed on-premises and on any cloud because the gateway component can run at a VMware or in a Kubernetes cluster.
2. The analytics module: this provides a variety of visualizations of the APIs, products, subscriptions, and applications that can be defined for a second, a day, a week, a month. This module is deployed beside the gateway and collect all the traffic.
What needs improvement?
The product can be improved in the following areas:
1. The monetization because it doesn't include an online method to pay through a web system or with a credit card, where the analytics can be calculated.
2. The integration of an API gateway that implements the sidecar pattern, which can be deployed in cloud applications, and expose the microservices directly in each pod, this can be more decentralized components.
All of these areas can be improved.
Buyer's Guide
IBM API Connect
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about IBM API Connect. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using IBM API Connect for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution offers horizontal scalability. The power of the product is the high performance in security tasks done with dedicated hardware.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented it with the official vendor of the product.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Another team selected the product.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Senior Software Engineer at Systems Limited
Robust API management that facilitates seamless integration and communication, empowering businesses to efficiently manage, secure, and optimize their APIs for enhanced digital capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "DataPower Gateway holds significant value for us as it serves as the cornerstone of our enterprise security controls."
- "Understanding the architecture, deployment criteria, and communication methods of the installation can be time-consuming."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for API integration, particularly in conjunction with the One Link solution. One Link is a platform that comes into play during cross-channel communication within the banking sector. For instance, if a customer has an account with Bank A and wishes to withdraw funds from Bank B, it facilitates cross-selling communication between two distinct banks—Bank A and Bank B. Our primary focus is on enabling seamless transactions between different banks, and we also incorporate case and bundle links within our solution.
What is most valuable?
DataPower Gateway holds significant value for us as it serves as the cornerstone of our enterprise security controls. Even in the absence of published APIs, DataPower Gateway continues to maintain robust security measures. In the event of IBM API Connect experiencing downtime, users can still access APIs through DataPower Gateway, thereby minimizing downtime and ensuring continued service availability for users.
What needs improvement?
Understanding the architecture, deployment criteria, and communication methods of the installation can be time-consuming. The learning curve is noticeable, especially for new engineers.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been working with it for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate its stability capabilities ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is highly scalable. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate it between nine and ten.
How are customer service and support?
When there's an open ticket with severity one, the IBM team consistently provides timely support. We are highly content with the support we receive from IBM. I would rate it nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is relatively straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
The initial installation phase may pose challenges as it requires some time to grasp the intricacies. The learning curve is significant, especially for people who don't have experience with it. While the installation may not be easy initially, users can acquire proficiency once they have a thorough understanding of the system. When deploying a new environment, the entire setup typically takes approximately one to two days. Assigning two individuals to manage the deployment process is more than sufficient. For ongoing maintenance of the solution, a single person is capable of handling all the necessary tasks efficiently.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate it ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
Buyer's Guide
IBM API Connect
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about IBM API Connect. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.
SOA & BP Technical Manager at EJADA
Along with good support, it is a powerful and comprehensive tool for building APIs
Pros and Cons
- "The support is good and active. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten."
- "Firstly, the pricing model, when compared to other open sources, is high. Secondly, the availability of resources in the market, specifically the developers available in the market, is not so much."
What is our primary use case?
We use IBM API Connect for the external gateway for integration, and it is for multiple customers with the external button.
What is most valuable?
IBM API Connect is a tool that helps enterprises to build an API for an enterprise. But we use it for user experience and channel integration. We use the features of building the APIs for the experience. API is exposed to different channels like mobile channels, automatic channels, portal channels, and different channels. We use the solution's management capability to define monetization and have different plans used to control IBM API Connect. So we use the full-fledged API management tool, especially for the development, monetization, publishing, and installation parts. Also, it's all deployed on an OpenShift platform.
What needs improvement?
There are two disadvantages to the solution. Firstly, the pricing model, when compared to other open sources, is high. Secondly, the availability of resources in the market, specifically the developers available in the market, is not so much. So, the aforementioned areas need to be considered for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using IBM API Connect for five years. My company has a partnership with IBM. Also, I am using the solution's latest version.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We are working with the big and the medium businesses.
How are customer service and support?
The support is good and active. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The installation is not easy. However, on a traditional VM, it is acceptable. It can get complex since it's required to have multiple components deployed, and I think it is necessary to have the technical experience to do a global configuration for production. You need some access to get the benefits of the enterprise and the platform. Also, such things are expected because the solution is an enterprise-grade player. For such a tool to have the benefits of stabilization to support the high demand of workloads, it should have a robust configuration. That is why it's not a simple configuration. I'm talking about the big enterprise, not the medium or small enterprises. It's not suitable for medium, small, and micro-enterprises because the cost of setup and the solution, along with the license, may not be suitable for small businesses.
The solution is deployed on the cloud and on-premises. Sometimes it's private, and at times it's both also. So, you have one public and a private cloud.
The deployment can take up to two to three weeks, and I am saying this considering previous projects, connectivity, and deployment, so I am talking about the time taken to build the environment.
What about the implementation team?
What other advice do I have?
The solution is a very, very powerful tool. It has many, many capabilities, apart from it having many, many adapters and integration with the backend to provide you with a comprehensive portal development portal application. This comprehensive portal application can be used by the developers of API since API is a fast and powerful tool. In addition, the analytic part of the tool provides you with full analytics and defines SLA for the APIs, and you can generate the analytics to get statistics about the utilization of API, which most people use. This tool is very, very comprehensive and very, very beautiful. It's very easy to use. And in addition to that, it is an API management tool deployed on an OpenShift platform to give you the capability of containerization for sustainability and agility. So, it's part of the tool.
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Enterprise Architect at Reckitt Benckiser (Singapore) Pte Ltd
An API management platform that provides a common place for all APIs, allowing for ease of operations
Pros and Cons
- "The solution provides a common place for all APIs, allowing for easy sharing and exchange of information between internal and external stakeholders."
- "There are some performance issues and issues related to asynchronous APIs."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case of IBM API Connect is for API monetization in the banking and financial sector. This involves API management and creating APIs for financial institutions, which is the main use case. Another use case is having all API integrations in one place. A third use case is opening an API and sending the documentation to external third parties.
What is most valuable?
The solution provides a common place for all APIs, allowing for easy sharing and exchange of information between internal and external stakeholders. So, the solution functions as an API management platform.
What needs improvement?
I am currently investigating the weaknesses of the solution, specifically in its on-premise infrastructure. One of the main concerns is its performance, as we have noticed some cases of resource consumption that may be related to our setup. We have concerns regarding the handling of asynchronous APIs and events in the architecture, particularly in the financial sector, where this is becoming more common. While this is well-addressed in MuleSoft, we are uncertain about how IBM API Connect handles this use case, as it does not appear to be addressed in the available documentation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using IBM API Connect for two years. My customers use the solution. I work for two companies, and none of them are partners. It is just a solution used in the banking sector.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a seven to eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support has been very responsive. I had no problems with them. I would say it's a very good and strong point of the platform.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is an expensive solution. The licensing model is based on a per-subscription and per-subscriber end-user basis, meaning the price is determined by the end-users of the platform. Also, the price may be higher compared to some other competitors.
What other advice do I have?
There are some performance issues and issues related to asynchronous APIs. So, now we are investigating these issues since they are critical ones. Owing to the aforementioned reasons, I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
CTO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
A platform with core API functionalities and robust security capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "The main benefits of IBM API Connect for our API life cycle management are the core API functionalities, the developer's portal, and robust security capabilities. IBM API Connect's security protocols enhance our data protection strategies by offering end-to-end security, mechanisms to counter common attacks like DDoS, and the ability to define policies for API groups to control traffic and prevent unwanted access to our systems."
- "We have encountered challenges with IBM API Connect, particularly during significant upgrades. These upgrades demand substantial labour and financial resources, including consulting services from IBM. I'd like to see increased flexibility, more frequent updates with new features, an efficient upgrade process, and additional AI capabilities for future releases."
What is our primary use case?
We use IBM API Connect primarily to expose APIs for various information systems in Terra and to integrate with our audit partners.
What is most valuable?
The main benefits of IBM API Connect for our API life cycle management are the core API functionalities, the developer's portal, and robust security capabilities.
IBM API Connect's security protocols enhance our data protection strategies by offering end-to-end security, mechanisms to counter common attacks like DDoS, and the ability to define policies for API groups to control traffic and prevent unwanted access to our systems.
What needs improvement?
We have encountered challenges with IBM API Connect, particularly during significant upgrades.
These upgrades demand substantial labour and financial resources, including consulting services from IBM.
I'd like to see increased flexibility, more frequent updates with new features, an efficient upgrade process, and additional AI capabilities for future releases.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using IBM API Connect for the past five years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Currently, around ten to fifteen people in our company are using IBM API Connect, and we plan to increase automation in the future to reduce manual effort.
How are customer service and support?
My experience with IBM's technical support has been challenging. Accessing support and navigating their processes has limited flexibility. However, after successfully complying with their procedures and exercising patience, they know how to handle issues efficiently.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before using IBM API Connect, we worked with similar integration products, particularly an ESB from IBM, which was crucial in creating system integrations.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up IBM API Connect initially was challenging, as expected, due to its complexity.
Compared to some other products on the market, implementation took about six months.
What was our ROI?
IBM API Connect has provided significant financial and operational benefits for our organisation.
It has facilitated integration across systems and enabled cross-organisational processes. As for the time it took to record a return on investment, we started seeing tangible benefits within approximately two years.
What other advice do I have?
IBM API Connect has dramatically aided our AI-driven projects by increasing developer productivity and facilitating the development process using AI tools. It helped us automate sub-processes and perform thorough analysis for operations and security.
I would suggest considering IBM API Connect for enterprises focused on security and enhanced functionality, especially if they need rapid implementation. If they're looking for more advanced capabilities or a broader solution, I recommend exploring options like Google Apigee or MuleSoft Anypoint Platform. Each product has its strengths and focuses, so aligning with the organization's specific needs and priorities is essential.
Overall, I'd rate IBM API Connect an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Head - Technology Engineering at Abcl
Good speed and performance, but it's based on a bit dated architecture
Pros and Cons
- "Its speed and performance are valuable."
- "It's based on a little bit dated architecture. A lot of evolution has happened after that. It's an evolving field. Kong is a Kubernetes-based platform. Kong runs on Kubernetes, but all the other ones are in microservices. So, there's a lot of improvement that can be done."
What is our primary use case?
We're trying to make our business available on the net so that partners can connect, and distributors can use our services.
What is most valuable?
Its speed and performance are valuable.
What needs improvement?
It's based on a little bit dated architecture. A lot of evolution has happened after that. It's an evolving field. Kong is a Kubernetes-based platform. Kong runs on Kubernetes, but all the other ones are in microservices. So, there's a lot of improvement that can be done.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using it for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's good. There are a lot of other good products also.
How are customer service and support?
We didn't access their support much.
How was the initial setup?
It's pretty much straightforward. We just downloaded and installed it.
What other advice do I have?
I'd rate it a six out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Senior Technological Architect at Banco de Chile
An easy-to-use web interface, but room for improvement in customer support
Pros and Cons
- "One of the most valuable features is the easy-to-use web interface."
- "Documentation for the CLI is not very complete. Also, the support could be improved, and we have had several problems with backing up and restoring the product."
What is our primary use case?
We deploy APIs to expose the BFFs of mobile apps, and this is mainly in the cloud. All mobile apps consume the APIs of your BFF. On-premise, we have APIs that expose services and mainly functionalities, such as the balance of the client or the customers or the products.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable features is the easy-to-use web interface.
What needs improvement?
Documentation for the CLI is not very complete. Also, the support could be improved, and we have had several problems with backing up and restoring the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for two or three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution is good.
How are customer service and support?
IBM support is not available in Chile, so we must go through other countries to get a response from customer support.
How was the initial setup?
I would rate the setup as a medium in difficulty.
What about the implementation team?
The solution was first set up with the help of IBM, but when we moved to another environment, we followed the initial instructions given by IBM and implemented it ourselves.
We used Bamboo as a pipeline for automatic deployment of the API. The deployment took four hours.
What other advice do I have?
The product is easy to use, but the installation is not easy. We have a team of three architects who maintain the product. I would rate this solution as an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Integrator at LTI - Larsen & Toubro Infotech
High availability, customization capabilities, and good support
Pros and Cons
- "IBM API Connect is a reliable and scalable solution."
- "The implementation process could benefit from improvements, as it may take some time to become accustomed to the deployment."
What is our primary use case?
We utilize IBM API Connect for our B2B operations, and occasionally we extend its use to B2C as well. However, our B2B scales outweigh our B2C usage.
How has it helped my organization?
The IBM API Connect toolset is included in the IBM Stack ecosystem, providing cost-effective benefits for users. Additionally, users are increasingly transitioning from legacy server-based infrastructure to API-centric approaches. This shift has resulted in cost savings, as infrastructure previously built for future needs is now built as needed within an application model, reflecting a change in mindset.
What is most valuable?
IBM API Connect is a reliable and scalable solution.
What needs improvement?
The implementation process could benefit from improvements, as it may take some time to become accustomed to the deployment.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using IBM API Connect for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
IBM API Connect is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can be stable, but it depends on the infrastructure used, such as the cloud and its structure.
How are customer service and support?
The support from IBM has been good enough for our needs.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
When comparing IBM API Connect to other solutions, there are two key observations to consider. Firstly, the toolset and framework around IBM API Connect are methodical, which sets it apart from close competitors like Mule and others. This approach can lead to noticeable improvements in efficiency. Secondly, if there is a need for customization to address a specific industry problem, IBM API Connect is a good option. It has built-in checks and balances to ensure that performance is not impacted, which may not be the case with other vendors.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of IBM API Connect is complex, but once the implementor is used to it it's easier.
What about the implementation team?
The solution is deployed by our in-house team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution is expensive. However, there are a lot of customization capabilities.
What other advice do I have?
The solution does not need a lot of maintenance, it is similar to any other verification tool.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate IBM API Connect an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner

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Updated: March 2025
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