Zuplo vs
Apache APISIX (API7.ai)
The Managed API Gateway for Teams Beyond Self-Hosted APISIX
What's wrong with Apache APISIX (API7.ai)
Apache APISIX (API7.ai)'s key limitations for modern engineering teams
The forces driving enterprises off Apache APISIX (API7.ai) in 2026 — operational tax, plugin sprawl, retrofitted AI, and pricing that doesn't predict.
Self-Hosted Infrastructure with etcd
Production APISIX requires provisioning and managing etcd clusters, Nginx, and compute resources. API7 Cloud manages the control plane but the data plane stays self-hosted.
Separate API and AI Gateway Products
API7.ai's AI gateway (AISIX) is a separate Rust-based product from APISIX. Teams must run and manage two distinct gateways for API and AI traffic.
No Built-In Developer Portal or Key Lifecycle
APISIX has no integrated developer portal or self-serve API key management. API7 Portal is a separate product.
Why Zuplo
Built for teams replatforming off Apache APISIX (API7.ai)
Managed, modern API management with predictable economics across procurement cycles — no operator overhead, no plugin sprawl, no consumption-pricing surprises.
Compliance and Audit Readiness
First-class managed compliance vs. compliance dependent on customer environment.
Enterprise Identity (SSO + RBAC)
Direct SAML/SCIM with project-level RBAC vs. plugin-based identity.
Managed Dedicated Deployment
Managed dedicated across major clouds vs. self-hosted data plane.
A solutions architect can walk you through your current Apache APISIX (API7.ai) setup, surface the biggest operational tax, and map a migration path — no slide deck required.
Enterprise ready
Production-ready for regulated and high-volume workloads
Compliance & Audit
- SOC 2 Type II audited annually
- Third-party penetration test reports available under NDA
- GDPR-aligned data processing
- Audit logs across the control plane
- API governance with policy enforcement
Identity & Access
- SAML SSO and SCIM provisioning
- Role-based access control across organizations, projects, and environments
- Service-account credentials with scoped permissions
- API key metadata for downstream authorization
Deployment Flexibility
- Managed edge across 300+ locations — global by default
- Managed dedicated single-tenant on AWS, Azure, GCP, Akamai, or any major cloud
- Self-hosted on Kubernetes with full control plane
- Bring-your-own-cloud for data residency requirements
Support & Success
- Up to 30-minute response SLA on Enterprise
- 24/7/365 emergency hotline for critical incidents
- Named technical account manager
- Architecture and migration professional services
Built for the AI era
One gateway for API and AI traffic
APISIX and AISIX are separate products. AISIX is a Rust-based AI gateway focused on LLM traffic; APISIX is a Lua-based API gateway. Zuplo unifies both in one platform.
Unified API and AI Gateway
Single platform for traditional API management and AI workloads — no separate AI gateway product to operate.
MCP Gateway
Turn any API into a remote MCP server, or govern third-party MCP servers behind a single managed gateway.
Agentic auth and identity
Per-agent API keys, scoped credentials, and dynamic per-call policies.
Token economics built in
Per-token metering, per-customer model budgets, Stripe-native monetization.
See it in action
See Zuplo running on your stack
A 30-minute working session with a Zuplo solutions engineer. Bring an OpenAPI spec or a Kong route definition and walk away with a working preview.
Side by side
Feature-by-feature comparison
Migration path
Migrating from APISIX to Zuplo
APISIX routes and upstream configurations map to OpenAPI-defined routes in Zuplo. Common APISIX plugins (rate limiting, key authentication, JWT validation, request transformation) have direct Zuplo equivalents or short TypeScript custom code.
Inventory APIs and plugins
Catalog APISIX routes, upstreams, plugins, and consumers. Identify Lua plugins that require translation to TypeScript.
Foundation deployment
Stand up Zuplo Enterprise on managed dedicated deployment. Configure SSO/SCIM, RBAC, and CI/CD wiring.
Policy and consumer migration
Translate APISIX plugins to Zuplo policies. Migrate consumers and API keys via the Zuplo Developer API.
Cut-over and decommission
Move primary traffic to Zuplo with weighted routing. Validate SLOs, then decommission APISIX data plane.
Routes & specs
Direct OpenAPI import
Apache APISIX (API7.ai) plugins
Map to TypeScript policies
Migration phases
Typical migration in 4–8 weeks
Inventory APIs and plugins
Catalog APISIX routes, upstreams, plugins, and consumers. Identify Lua plugins that require translation to TypeScript.
2 wksPlan lockedFoundation deployment
Stand up Zuplo Enterprise on managed dedicated deployment. Configure SSO/SCIM, RBAC, and CI/CD wiring.
2 wksFoundation livePolicy and consumer migration
Translate APISIX plugins to Zuplo policies. Migrate consumers and API keys via the Zuplo Developer API.
4 wksSide-by-sideCut-over and decommission
Move primary traffic to Zuplo with weighted routing. Validate SLOs, then decommission APISIX data plane.
2 wksCut-over done
What our customers say
Trusted by engineering teams at scale
90%
Hardware footprint reduction at scale
"The move to Zuplo from our existing API Management vendor was easy, taking just over 2 months to switch mission critical systems, and we're saving over 70% on costs."
Ryan Waites
Senior Director, Blockdaemon
"Zuplo gives us the flexibility to scale efficiently, ensures security and compliance, and reduces operational complexity so we can focus on building new capabilities."
Daryl Benzel
Staff Software Engineer, Yext
1B+
End users served via Zuplo APIs
Hours
To launch MCP server on regulated APIs
"We didn't touch a line of code, it's just plug and play. The results were very surprising, in just a couple of hours we had a great result and a fully working MCP Server."
Miguel Madeira
CTO & Co-Founder, Finsolutia
Trusted for regulated and high-volume workloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Zuplo vs Apache APISIX (API7.ai).
Ready to talk to an expert?
Book a call with a solutions architect for a tailored walkthrough — SOC 2 controls, dedicated deployment, AI Gateway, and enterprise support. Or start free and explore the platform yourself.