Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
Ahmed_Eid - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jan 18, 2024
A tool that can be used for free and deployed in less than an hour
Pros and Cons
  • "Functionality-wise, I like WSO2 API Manager - Publisher API and WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus."
  • "For fresh graduates and engineers, the setup process can be very difficult."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution in the telecom sector.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is a free tool. Functionality-wise, I like WSO2 API Manager - Publisher API and WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus.

What needs improvement?

In the future releases of the product, I hope WSO2 API Manager remains available as an open-source product. In the Gulf region, there is a great need for open-source technologies.

WSO2 API Manager should be always available to users as an open-source product that is license-free. In that case, it will be very much appreciated and used in the Gulf region and Saudi Arabia.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using WSO2 API Manager for two years.

Buyer's Guide
WSO2 API Manager
December 2025
Learn what your peers think about WSO2 API Manager. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
880,901 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a seven to eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a six out of ten.

Around 15 developers and the end users or consumer users are about 1,000 for the tool.

There are no plans to increase the use of the solution.

How was the initial setup?

I rate the product's initial setup phase a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is a difficult setup phase, and ten is an easy setup phase. Initially, any developers, integration experts, or guides have complete knowledge of how to install the tool. For fresh graduates and engineers, the setup process can be very difficult.

The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.

The solution can be deployed in an hour.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There are no subscriptions or licenses required to operate the product, like in the case of Apigee and IBM API Connect. It is an open-source product.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend the product to small companies, and whichever other companies need to deploy WSO2 API Manage should go ahead and use it since it offers the full set of functionalities offered by similar tools like Apigee vs IBM API Connect.

I rate the overall tool an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1480695 - PeerSpot reviewer
Director of Software Development at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 5
Jun 16, 2024
An open-source powerful platform that offers deployment management, performance-based security, and overall compliance support but needs to improve the speed
Pros and Cons
  • "WSO2 API Manager is open-source, which offers a range of features not found in other open-source API tools."
  • "I would like to see improvements in the speed of the solution as it can be a bit slow compared to other platforms along with addressing memory issues would be beneficial."

What is our primary use case?

WSO2 API Manager serves as a central hub for integrating sensors across SmartCity projects. We provide support for developers, enabling them to build applications using our platform. Our use cases include features like spotlighting, forecasting, and environmental monitoring. We also offer security management through WFO protocols for responsible and secure environment for our users.

What is most valuable?

WSO2 API Manager is open-source, which offers a range of features not found in other open-source API tools. The user interface is another standout feature that we appreciate. In terms of effective features for API life-cycle management, we use the tool for licensing, allowing us to differentiate rates based on customer numbers and end-user data publishing.

Regarding security features, WSO2 API Manager is a robust compliance solution, especially for AWS usage. It offers deployment management, performance-based security, and overall compliance support.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see improvements in the speed of the solution as it can be a bit slow compared to other platforms along with addressing memory issues would be beneficial.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using WSO2 API Manager for the past five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We experienced some stability issues, particularly related to memory, which affected the database performance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

WSO2 API Manager is scalable and suitable for our project needs. We have around twenty to twenty-five actual users who access the platform for deployment and management purposes.

How are customer service and support?

I have interacted with technical support in the past, and they have assisted us with our queries. They were helpful overall, although some complex issues took longer to resolve.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have experience using another API management solution from a larger company. Comparing WSO2 API Manager, it has its strengths in flexibility and customization based on our requests. It also has robust features and components. But in terms of cons, it can be complex and may take some time to set up compared to simpler solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was a bit complex because we initially started with enterprise professional services, but later transitioned to the open-source version which required more effort to set up.

We didn't encounter many challenges while integrating WSO2 API Manager with other systems as we primarily focused on setting up our own solution. We mainly relied on the solution itself for updates and upgrades.

Our deployment involved setting up two rings in the cluster and transitioning from testing to production. It took some time to learn the deployment process, especially with the enterprise version.

What about the implementation team?

We completed the set-up in-house. One person is required for handling the deployment for the enterprise aspect.

What other advice do I have?

We haven't implemented any AI-driven solutions or encountered AI-driven issues within our company.

I would recommend WSO2 API Manager to other users, especially if they value a robust support system and are ready to invest in the deployment process. However it is important to consider factors like support costs and licensing models before making a decision. 

In terms of overall rating, I would give it a seven out of ten, taking into account both its advantages and limitations.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
WSO2 API Manager
December 2025
Learn what your peers think about WSO2 API Manager. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
880,901 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Jose Luis Bonilla - PeerSpot reviewer
CIO at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 5
Oct 17, 2023
A tool that serves as a gateway to support and monitor an organization's services that need to make upgrades easier
Pros and Cons
  • "Based on the information I have, the solution's most valuable feature is its capability of implementing custom solutions."
  • "The price and the complexities attached to the solution are two areas of concern where improvements are required."

What is our primary use case?

My company uses WSO2 API Manager as a gateway to support our services and monitor their use.

What is most valuable?

Based on the information I have, the solution's most valuable feature is its capability of implementing custom solutions.

What needs improvement?

The price and the complexities attached to the solution are two areas of concern where improvements are required.

One of the problems with the solution that we face in our company stems from the fact that we have not been able to do any direct upgrades because of the custom feature that is included in the solution, and we specifically face such problems during migration projects. I would say not that we are not updated in our company when it comes to the solution. In general, my company is not able to do an automatic update because of some custom features in the product. The aforementioned area can be considered for improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using WSO2 API Manager for three or four years. My company is a customer of the solution. I don't know exactly the version that we have of the solution in our company.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

I would say that with the solution, my company deals with around 100 use cases.

The solution is used daily in my company. I work in a retail bank and know that the bank's customers constantly access the solution. My organization's IT or administration people use the solution weekly or monthly. I don't think I have seen any updates often.

How are customer service and support?

It is not easy to reach the solution's technical support team. My company has an external partner who helps us with the support part of the tool. Though my company's external partner is entitled to get support from the solution's support team, it is not easy for them to reach out to WSO2 API Manager's technical team. I rate the technical support a four out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of the product is a little bit difficult.

I rate the initial setup a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is really difficult, and ten is easy.

The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.

The product's deployment phase may extend to weeks or months, but in general, it can be completed in a couple of months from the beginning until the final deployment to production.

One or two people from my company were required to take care of the product's deployment phase.

What about the implementation team?

The deployment phase of the solution was done in-house, that is, in our company, but with the support from some collaborators we have with an external partner.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

WSO2 API Manager is quite an expensive tool. I rate the product's pricing a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low and ten is high.

What other advice do I have?

No more than one person is required to manage the product's maintenance phase.

Owing to the fact that I don't have enough expertise when it comes to the solution, I don't know if I would be able to recommend it to others. In my company, there is a team involved in the process of evaluating the solution from whom I try to get some information related to the product.

I rate the overall product a six or seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Salar Karimi - PeerSpot reviewer
System Expert at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Jun 20, 2023
Good routing and authentication features but little complex to use
Pros and Cons
  • "It's a good product."
  • "We found WSO2 API Manager to be a bit complex."

What is most valuable?

I have used features like routing and authentication, as well as the most well-known features of WSO2.

What needs improvement?

WSO2 API Manager has some support problems and can be a little complex.  So our developer teams decided to use 3scale or Kong instead. We found WSO2 API Manager to be a bit complex.

So, in terms of complexity, WSO2 API Manager has some challenges. Also, there is a bit of an issue with the pricing and license of WSO2. It's a little high.

For how long have I used the solution?

I used WSO2 API Manager for two projects. However, I can't say I have used it all the time. I have about 50% experience and knowledge about it.

How are customer service and support?

We are not satisfied with the customer service and support. In a few instances, their response time has been a bit slow.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

It is difficult to implement WSO2. The implementation can vary depending on various factors, such as the features required and the availability of human resources, including developers. It could take anywhere from two to three months or even just one week, depending on the specific requirements.

What about the implementation team?

Our team worked together with our developers to carry out the implementation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For our projects, we found it to be a little high. However, it may not be the case for another company or project. Because the costs depend on the specific features you would require and other factors.

What other advice do I have?

It's a good product. I prefer it. However, I would only recommend using WSO2 API Manager if the user has a specific requirement for one of its features. If they don't have a specific reason for using it, I can't provide a recommendation because it depends on factors such as the project, the local team, and the desired features. The API management system is complex by default. Therefore, the selection primarily depends on the project and the programming platform used by the developers.

Overall, I would rate WSO2 API Manager a seven out of ten because there is still room for improvement. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Balamurali P - PeerSpot reviewer
Solution Architect at a tech consulting company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Oct 11, 2023
A user-friendly tool that can be used to protect the frontend and backend proxy APIs
Pros and Cons
  • "WSO2 API Manager has a user-friendly model."
  • "WSO2 API Manager should improve its marketplace subscription model and documentation in order to reach a higher level in the market."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution mainly to protect the frontend and backend proxy APIs. We also use the solution for federating with the identity server. We publish our backend API into WSO2 API Manager and use the proxy API outside. We use the solution for authorization, authentication, and accounting purposes.

What is most valuable?

WSO2 API Manager is quite easy. With WSO2 API Manager, we can use different DBs. It is easy to accommodate the solution along with any kind of identity server. WSO2 API Manager has a user-friendly model.

What needs improvement?

WSO2 API Manager should improve its marketplace subscription model and documentation in order to reach a higher level in the market.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using WSO2 API Manager for the last two to four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate WSO2 API Manager an eight out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate WSO2 API Manager an eight out of ten for scalability.

How are customer service and support?

The solution's support model is not very clear enough right now.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used the Akamai tool.

How was the initial setup?

The solution's initial setup is very easy. I rate WSO2 API Manager an eight out of ten for the ease of its initial setup.

What about the implementation team?

The solution's deployment takes two to three hours. One person is sufficient to deploy WSO2 API Manager.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

WSO2 API Manager is a costly solution, and its pricing is not competitive enough compared to other products.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend WSO2 API Manager to other users.

Overall, I rate WSO2 API Manager an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Clement Hsieh - PeerSpot reviewer
Doctoral Researcher at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 10
Sep 13, 2023
A scalable and easy-to-use solution that is easy to set up and configure
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is easy to use."
  • "The technical support must be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the solution for authentication purposes.

How has it helped my organization?

The tool is easy to manage.

What is most valuable?

The product is easy to use. It is pretty simple to configure the solution. It's pretty easy to set it up and use it.

What needs improvement?

The technical support must be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for two to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the tool’s stability an eight out of ten. We didn’t face any issues with the solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the tool’s scalability a nine out of ten. Around 50 to 100 people are using the solution in our organization.

How are customer service and support?

The on-site document is okay.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we used IBM. We switched to WSO2 because it is easy to get and costs less than IBM.

How was the initial setup?

The tool is pretty easy to install. We need 30 minutes to install it.

What about the implementation team?

We need two systems engineers to maintain the tool.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend the solution to others. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Viraj Dhanushka - PeerSpot reviewer
Student at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Jan 3, 2023
It's a low-code platform that enables you to get things done easily
Pros and Cons
  • "The user interface is easy to navigate, and the documentation is extensive. It's open-source, so everything is available, and we can create what we need. That's not necessarily a feature, but it's an advantage."
  • "They are developing another platform called Choreo that allows you to create API itself using the WSO2 programming language Ballerina. It would be great if they added a direct connection between Choreo and API Manager, that would be great. I think they are working on that, but I'm not sure."

How has it helped my organization?

WSO2 is accessible. Even a beginner can have an idea of what's going on.  It has a drag-and-drop graphical interface, so it's a low-code platform that enables you to effortlessly get things done.

What is most valuable?

The user interface is easy to navigate, and the documentation is extensive. It's open-source, so everything is available, and we can create what we need. That's not necessarily a feature, but it's an advantage. 

What needs improvement?

They are developing another platform called Choreo that allows you to create API itself using the WSO2 programming language Ballerina. It would be great if they added a direct connection between Choreo and API Manager, that would be great. I think they are working on that, but I'm not sure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I used API Manager a few months ago. I briefly touched on those areas during my internship, but I haven't gone that deeply into the product. I don't have implementation knowledge, but I have a rough idea about what's going on.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate API Manager 10 out of 10 for stability. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate API Manager 10 out of 10 for scalability. It's suitable for small companies or large enterprises. 

How are customer service and support?

I haven't contacted WSO2, but I know that they provide good support. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost is reasonable even for Sri Lankan companies.

What other advice do I have?

I rate WSO2 API Manager 10 out of 10. Don't hesitate to use it. Most people can start with WSO2 API Manager because it's easy to find what you need in the documentation. I recommend newbies start with WSO2 API Manager.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Ilir Lazaj - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jul 5, 2022
Reliable with good capabilities and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability is fine for our purposes."
  • "The initial setup can be difficult."

What is our primary use case?

We use the product mainly as a gateway. We use the Publisher feature, the Publisher module or mode, and the Store. We publish APIs after we configure them, and we expose them on the internet.

What is most valuable?

It's perfect for our use case. It has the capabilities we require.

Technical support is fine.

So far the solution has been stable.

We use it on a daily basis. It handles millions of transactions of API calls per month in our reality, in the Lombardy region in Italy. It does its job as intended and handles everything pretty well.

What needs improvement?

I cannot recall coming across any missing features. 

The initial setup and configuration can be difficult if a person is not well-versed in the product.

The configuration could be improved. It should be more flexible and more elastic.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution since 2016.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has been stable and reliable enough. the performance is good. We haven't had issues. There aren't bugs or glitches. We haven't faced the solution crashing. It doesn't freeze.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is fine for our purposes. We haven't had a problem with it. 

It's all a suite of products that work in unison as a whole. We have six people using the solution. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support has been fine. We are satisfied with their level of service.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

This is the only product that I've ever used of this type. I have not used something previously.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup can be difficult. It's not straightforward per se unless you can familiar with and comfortable with the solution. If you are not, the setup and configuration may be difficult. 

What about the implementation team?

The deployment was done in-house and was handled by our team. We didn't have any outside assistance. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution costs less than 20,000 euros a year. I'm not sure of the exact number. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. We've been pretty happy with the solution. Having nothing else to compare it to, I'm not sure if I would recommend it over other offerings, however, we have been pleased with its capabilities. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free WSO2 API Manager Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2025
Product Categories
API Management
Buyer's Guide
Download our free WSO2 API Manager Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.