---
title: "Best API Gateways for Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud Workloads (2026): Evaluative Comparison"
description: "Compare the best API gateways for multi-cloud and hybrid cloud in 2026. Evaluation covers cloud portability, vendor lock-in, data residency, edge reach, and ops burden across Zuplo, Kong, Apigee, and more."
canonicalUrl: "https://zuplo.com/learning-center/best-api-gateways-multi-cloud-hybrid-2026"
pageType: "learning-center"
authors: "nate"
tags: "API Gateway"
image: "https://zuplo.com/og?text=Best%20API%20Gateways%20for%20Multi-Cloud%20and%20Hybrid%20Cloud%20(2026)"
---
**Our pick: [Zuplo](https://zuplo.com) is the best API gateway for multi-cloud
and hybrid cloud workloads in 2026.** Zuplo is the only gateway that offers
managed edge (300+ global locations), managed dedicated on AWS, Azure, GCP,
Akamai, Equinix, and TerraSwitch, and self-hosted Helm on any Kubernetes cluster
— all behind one control plane with portable policies, routes, and API keys.
[Get started free](https://portal.zuplo.com/signup).

Most organizations run workloads on more than one cloud. Whether you chose
multi-cloud intentionally for resilience and negotiating leverage, or ended up
there through acquisitions and team preferences, your API gateway needs to work
consistently across every environment. The problem is that the most widely
adopted API gateways — AWS API Gateway, Azure API Management, and Google Apigee
— are each anchored to a single cloud provider.

This guide evaluates nine API gateways specifically on their ability to operate
across cloud boundaries. If you are looking for a general-purpose API gateway
comparison, see
[Best API Gateways in 2026](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-2026). For
cloud-specific evaluations, see our guides for
[AWS workloads](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-for-aws-workloads-2026),
[Azure workloads](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-for-azure-workloads-2026),
and
[Google Cloud workloads](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-google-cloud-workloads-2026).

## What "Multi-Cloud" and "Hybrid Cloud" Actually Require from an API Gateway

Before evaluating individual gateways, it helps to define what multi-cloud and
hybrid cloud support actually means at the API layer — because many gateways
claim multi-cloud support while delivering something far more limited.

**Multi-cloud** means your API gateway can deploy and manage traffic across two
or more public cloud providers (e.g., AWS and Azure, or GCP and Akamai) from a
single control plane. One set of policies, one configuration format, and one
operational workflow — regardless of where your backends run.

**Hybrid cloud** means combining public cloud infrastructure with on-premises or
private data center deployments. Your gateway needs to reach backends in a
corporate data center just as easily as backends in AWS.

A gateway that genuinely supports both must deliver on five requirements:

- **Control plane portability** — A single management interface and
  configuration format across all deployment surfaces. If you need to learn a
  different policy language or management tool per cloud, you don't have
  multi-cloud — you have multiple single-cloud deployments.
- **Per-cloud data residency** — The ability to pin API processing to specific
  regions or clouds for compliance. GDPR, PCI-DSS, and industry-specific
  regulations often mandate that data stays within geographic or provider
  boundaries.
- **Private backend connectivity across clouds** — Secure connections to
  backends in any environment without exposing them to the public internet. This
  means cloud-native private networking (PrivateLink, Private Service Connect)
  and VPN or tunnel options for on-premises systems.
- **Single configuration across clouds** — Policies, routes, and API keys that
  travel between deployment surfaces without rewriting. If moving from AWS to
  Azure requires reconfiguring authentication and rate limiting, portability is
  theoretical.
- **Consistent operational workflow** — The same deployment pipeline, monitoring
  stack, and incident response process regardless of where the gateway runs.

For a deeper exploration of the architectural differences, see
[Multicloud vs Traditional Gateways](/learning-center/multicloud-vs-traditional-api-gateways)
and
[Deploying API Gateways in Multicloud Environments](/learning-center/deploying-api-gateways-multicloud-environments).

## Evaluation Criteria

Every gateway in this guide is assessed across six criteria that matter most for
multi-cloud and hybrid deployments.

### Deployment Topology

Where can the gateway actually run? A single-cloud managed service scores
differently from a gateway that supports managed deployment on five cloud
providers plus self-hosted Kubernetes. We look at the number of supported
clouds, whether deployments are managed or self-hosted, and the operational
burden of each option.

### Cloud Lock-In

How tightly is the gateway coupled to a specific cloud provider? We assess
whether the control plane, data plane, and configuration format are portable. A
gateway where the control plane is permanently hosted on one cloud (even if the
data plane can run elsewhere) still creates partial lock-in.

### Data Residency

Can you control where API traffic is processed and where data is stored? This
matters for GDPR, data sovereignty regulations, and industry-specific compliance
requirements. We evaluate per-region deployment control and data isolation
guarantees.

### Edge Reach and Latency

How close does the gateway process traffic to the end user? A gateway deployed
in three regions adds more latency than one deployed at 300+ edge locations. For
multi-cloud architectures where backends are distributed globally, edge
processing reduces round-trip times significantly.

### Operational Burden

What does it cost in engineering time to run the gateway across multiple clouds?
Self-hosted gateways require database management, patching, and scaling on every
cloud. Managed gateways offload this but may limit flexibility. We factor in the
total operational cost, not just the license fee.

### Pricing Portability

Does the pricing model change when you deploy to a different cloud? Some
gateways charge per cloud provider, per region, or per data plane instance.
Transparent, deployment-agnostic pricing makes multi-cloud adoption predictable.

## The 9 Best API Gateways for Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Workloads

### 1. Zuplo — Best Overall for Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Deployments

[Zuplo](https://zuplo.com) offers three deployment surfaces — managed edge,
managed dedicated, and self-hosted — all behind a single, cloud-agnostic control
plane. This is not a hybrid deployment "option" bolted onto a single-cloud
product. Multi-cloud is Zuplo's core architecture.

**Deployment topology:**

- **Managed edge** — 300+ global data centers with zero infrastructure to
  manage. Sub-20-second GitOps deploys propagate globally.
- **Managed dedicated** — Single-tenant instances on AWS, Azure, GCP, Akamai
  Connected Cloud, Equinix, and TerraSwitch. Zuplo provisions, manages, and
  scales the infrastructure. You choose the cloud and region.
- **Self-hosted** — Helm charts for any Kubernetes cluster, in any cloud or
  on-premises data center. Available in hybrid mode (shared services for rate
  limiting) or fully self-hosted for complete isolation.

All three deployment surfaces share the same control plane, the same TypeScript
policies, and the same API key management. You can start on the managed edge,
move to managed dedicated on AWS for a regulated workload, and add a self-hosted
instance in a private data center — without rewriting a single policy.

**Private backend connectivity:**

Zuplo connects to backends across clouds using cloud-native private networking —
[AWS PrivateLink](https://zuplo.com/docs/dedicated/overview), Azure Private
Link, and GCP Private Service Connect. For on-premises or legacy backends, an
outbound-only
[WireGuard secure tunnel](https://zuplo.com/docs/articles/tunnel-setup) agent
connects internal services to the gateway without exposing them to the public
internet. mTLS is supported for zero-trust backend authentication.

**Why multi-cloud teams choose Zuplo:**

- One control plane across every cloud — no per-cloud management tools
- Policies, routes, and API keys are portable across deployment surfaces
- TypeScript programmable policies with full IDE support — not XML, Lua, or
  proprietary DSLs
- Built-in developer portal, API key management, and API monetization on every
  plan
- SOC 2 Type II audited, SAML SSO, audit logs, and EU data residency options
- Native [AI Gateway](/ai-gateway) and [MCP Gateway](/mcp-gateway) for governing
  LLM and agent traffic across clouds

**Real-world proof:** [AccuWeather](https://zuplo.com/customers/accuweather)
migrated from Apigee to Zuplo on Akamai Connected Cloud, gaining a modern
developer portal, programmable edge caching, and a path to governing 100% of
their API traffic under a single gateway.
[Blockdaemon](https://zuplo.com/customers/blockdaemon) switched from Apigee to
Zuplo's edge-native gateway and achieved a 90% reduction in hardware nodes and a
70% reduction in API gateway costs — while expanding into APAC and EU regions
that had previously been constrained by latency.

**Tradeoffs:**

- Younger ecosystem compared to Kong's decade-old plugin marketplace
- Self-hosted Helm supports fully air-gapped deployment, but it requires
  enterprise licensing
- TypeScript-only for custom policies (an advantage for most teams, but worth
  noting for shops with existing Lua or Go gateway code)

**Cloud-agnostic score: Highest.** Zuplo is the only gateway on this list where
the control plane, data plane, configuration format, and pricing model are all
cloud-agnostic by design. For a deeper look at Zuplo's deployment options, see
the [multi-cloud feature page](/features/multi-cloud) and the
[hosting options documentation](https://zuplo.com/docs/articles/hosting-options).

### 2. Kong — Best Multi-Cloud Option for Kubernetes-First Teams

[Kong](https://konghq.com/) is the most widely adopted open-source API gateway,
and its hybrid deployment model makes it a legitimate multi-cloud contender.
Kong Konnect provides a cloud-hosted control plane that manages self-hosted data
plane nodes running on any Kubernetes cluster, in any cloud.

**Deployment topology:**

- **Kong Konnect** — SaaS control plane with self-hosted or managed data planes.
  Konnect Dedicated Cloud Gateways offer managed data planes on AWS, Azure, and
  GCP with one-click provisioning and autopilot scaling.
- **Self-hosted** — Kong Gateway OSS or Enterprise on any Kubernetes cluster via
  Kong Ingress Controller.
- **Hybrid mode** — Cloud control plane (Konnect) with self-hosted data planes
  in your infrastructure. Data planes receive configuration over a secure
  connection without needing a direct database connection.

**Multi-cloud strengths:**

- Hybrid mode lets you run data planes across AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-premises
  simultaneously
- Konnect Dedicated Cloud Gateways support multi-region deployment with Smart
  Global DNS for latency-based routing
- 70+ plugins work identically regardless of where the data plane runs
- Kubernetes-native via Kong Ingress Controller with Gateway API support

**Tradeoffs for multi-cloud:**

- The Konnect control plane is a SaaS service — you cannot self-host it
- Self-hosted data planes require PostgreSQL management (or Konnect to avoid it)
- Custom plugins are natively written in Lua (Go, Python, and JavaScript PDKs
  are available but less mature)
- Developer portal, RBAC, and advanced analytics require paid Konnect licensing
- Konnect Plus pricing starts at $105 per service per month

**Cloud-agnostic score: High.** Kong's hybrid model delivers genuine multi-cloud
data plane portability, but the Konnect control plane remains SaaS-only.
Self-hosted control planes require PostgreSQL operations. See
[Kong vs Zuplo](/learning-center/kong-vs-zuplo) for a detailed comparison.

### 3. Tyk — Best Open-Source Multi-Cloud Gateway

[Tyk](https://tyk.io/) is an open-source API gateway written in Go that supports
self-hosted, cloud, and hybrid deployments. Its open-source core includes rate
limiting, authentication, analytics, and caching without feature lockout —
making it one of the most accessible multi-cloud options for teams willing to
self-host.

**Deployment topology:**

- **Self-hosted** — Deploy Tyk Gateway, Dashboard, and Pump on any cloud or
  on-premises Kubernetes cluster.
- **Tyk Cloud** — Fully managed control plane with edge gateways deployed across
  multiple cloud providers.
- **Hybrid** — Tyk Cloud control plane with self-hosted edge gateways in your
  infrastructure. If a node crashes or a region goes down, you can spin up a new
  cluster in another cloud and it automatically receives your configuration.

**Multi-cloud strengths:**

- Open-source core with no vendor-locked features — genuine portability
- Multi-language plugin support (Go, JavaScript, Python) for flexible
  customization
- Hybrid mode with automatic configuration sync across clouds
- Kubernetes-native with Tyk Operator for CRD-based API lifecycle management

**Tradeoffs for multi-cloud:**

- Self-hosted deployments require Redis, MongoDB or PostgreSQL, and multiple
  components (Gateway, Dashboard, Pump)
- Dashboard and developer portal are not included in the open-source edition
- Smaller plugin ecosystem compared to Kong
- Multi-component architecture increases operational burden per cloud

**Cloud-agnostic score: High (self-hosted) / Medium (cloud).** Tyk's open-source
core is fully portable, but the managed cloud offering is less mature than
Konnect. The operational cost of running five components per cloud is
significant.

### 4. Gravitee — Best for European Data Sovereignty Across Clouds

[Gravitee](https://www.gravitee.io/) is a European-founded API management
platform that supports hybrid deployments across AWS, Azure, and GCP. Gravitee's
open-source core includes the gateway, management console, and developer portal,
and its EU-hosted cloud options appeal to organizations with strict data
residency requirements.

**Deployment topology:**

- **Gravitee Cloud** — SaaS control plane with managed gateways across AWS,
  Azure, and GCP regions.
- **Self-hosted** — Deploy on any Kubernetes cluster or Docker environment.
- **Hybrid** — Cloud control plane with self-hosted data planes for data
  residency control. All API traffic stays within your infrastructure.

**Multi-cloud strengths:**

- European-founded with GDPR compliance by default and EU-hosted deployment
  options
- Multi-region SaaS gateways across AWS, Azure, and GCP within the same
  environment
- Open-source core with gateway, console, and portal included
- Event-native architecture supporting REST, WebSocket, MQTT, and Kafka

**Tradeoffs for multi-cloud:**

- Smaller community and ecosystem compared to Kong or Tyk
- Enterprise features like mTLS and advanced rate limiting require paid
  licensing
- Self-hosted deployments require Elasticsearch or OpenSearch for analytics
- Less mature AI and MCP support compared to Zuplo or Kong

**Cloud-agnostic score: Medium-High.** Gravitee offers genuine multi-cloud data
plane deployment with a strong EU compliance story, but the self-hosted
operational overhead is meaningful.

### 5. MuleSoft Anypoint — Best for Enterprise Integration Across Clouds

[MuleSoft Anypoint](https://www.mulesoft.com/) is Salesforce's full-lifecycle
API management and integration platform. It goes beyond API gateway
functionality to include application integration, data transformation, and
API-led connectivity — making it a fit for large enterprises that need both API
management and iPaaS capabilities across clouds.

**Deployment topology:**

- **CloudHub 2.0** — Fully managed, Kubernetes-based iPaaS with multi-region
  deployment.
- **Runtime Fabric** — Run Mule runtimes on your own Kubernetes clusters (AKS,
  EKS, GKE).
- **Hybrid** — On-premises Mule runtimes with CloudHub management plane.
- **Anypoint Flex Gateway** — Lightweight gateway for non-Mule services with
  managed or self-managed deployment.

**Multi-cloud strengths:**

- Runtime Fabric supports deployment on any major Kubernetes service
- Flex Gateway provides a lightweight option for non-Mule API workloads
- Comprehensive integration capabilities beyond API gateway functionality
- Enterprise-grade governance and lifecycle management

**Tradeoffs for multi-cloud:**

- Expensive — enterprise licensing with opaque pricing
- Platform complexity is significant for teams that only need an API gateway
- Flex Gateway is a relatively recent addition and less mature than the core
  Mule runtime
- Heavy Salesforce ecosystem integration may not benefit non-Salesforce shops

**Cloud-agnostic score: Medium.** MuleSoft's Runtime Fabric offers Kubernetes
portability, but the platform's weight and cost make it impractical for teams
that need "just" a multi-cloud API gateway.

### 6. WSO2 API Manager — Best Open-Source Full-Lifecycle Multi-Cloud Option

[WSO2 API Manager](https://wso2.com/api-manager/) is an open-source API
management platform that supports cloud, hybrid, and on-premises deployments. It
provides full API lifecycle management with a portal, analytics, and gateway —
and its open-source licensing gives teams complete deployment flexibility.

**Deployment topology:**

- **WSO2 Cloud** — Fully managed platform with API gateway, portal, and
  analytics.
- **Self-hosted** — Deploy on any cloud, Kubernetes cluster, or on-premises
  infrastructure.
- **Hybrid** — Cloud-based management UI and analytics with on-premises API
  gateway for data residency.

**Multi-cloud strengths:**

- Fully open-source with no feature lockout
- GitOps-driven API platform with Kubernetes-native deployment
- Supports managing multiple gateway types (WSO2, Kong, AWS) from a unified
  interface
- AI-ready platform with recent AI and agent-focused updates

**Tradeoffs for multi-cloud:**

- Self-hosted deployments require significant operational expertise
- Smaller community compared to Kong or Tyk
- UI and developer experience lag behind developer-first gateways
- Enterprise support and managed cloud require commercial licensing

**Cloud-agnostic score: Medium-High.** WSO2's open-source model provides genuine
portability, but the operational burden of self-hosted multi-cloud deployment is
high.

### 7. AWS API Gateway — Lowest Portability (AWS-Only)

[AWS API Gateway](https://aws.amazon.com/api-gateway/) is Amazon's fully managed
gateway service, purpose-built for serverless architectures on AWS. It
integrates natively with Lambda, IAM, Cognito, and CloudWatch.

**Multi-cloud reality:**

AWS API Gateway does not support multi-cloud or hybrid deployment in any form.
It runs exclusively in AWS regions and can only connect to AWS backends
natively. If your services are spread across AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-premises
data centers, AWS API Gateway cannot provide a unified entry point or governance
layer.

**Why teams still consider it:**

- Native Lambda integration for serverless backends
- Pay-per-request pricing with no minimum commitment
- Automatic scaling with zero capacity planning
- Deep integration with the AWS ecosystem

**Tradeoffs for multi-cloud:**

- Zero multi-cloud support — AWS only
- Policies, configuration, and authentication are all AWS-proprietary
  (CloudFormation, IAM, Cognito)
- No portability path — migrating away requires rewriting everything
- Limited customization compared to programmable gateways

**Cloud-agnostic score: Lowest.** AWS API Gateway is an excellent single-cloud
gateway but is structurally incompatible with multi-cloud strategies. See
[Best API Gateways for AWS Workloads](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-for-aws-workloads-2026)
for teams committed to AWS.

### 8. Azure API Management — Limited Portability with Hybrid Option

[Azure API Management](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/api-management/)
is Microsoft's full-lifecycle API management service. It includes a self-hosted
gateway option that enables limited hybrid deployment.

**Multi-cloud reality:**

Azure API Management offers a self-hosted gateway that can run on any Kubernetes
cluster, enabling hybrid scenarios where the data plane processes traffic
on-premises or in another cloud. However, the control plane — including the
management API, developer portal, and analytics — stays in Azure. Your API
configuration, user management, and operational visibility remain tied to the
Azure ecosystem.

**Why teams still consider it:**

- Deep integration with Azure Active Directory, Functions, and Logic Apps
- Self-hosted gateway option for hybrid deployment
- Policy engine with C# expressions for complex transformations
- Built-in developer portal with theming

**Tradeoffs for multi-cloud:**

- Control plane locked to Azure — no self-hosted management option
- XML-based policies are verbose and Azure-specific
- Self-hosted gateway has feature limitations compared to the managed version
- Tiered pricing is complex and Azure-centric

**Cloud-agnostic score: Low.** The self-hosted gateway enables hybrid
deployment, but Azure's control plane lock-in limits true multi-cloud
portability. See
[Best API Gateways for Azure Workloads](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-for-azure-workloads-2026)
for Microsoft-first teams.

### 9. Google Apigee — Partial Portability via Apigee Hybrid

[Apigee](https://cloud.google.com/apigee) is Google Cloud's enterprise API
management platform. Apigee Hybrid lets you run the runtime plane on any
Kubernetes cluster while keeping the control plane on Google Cloud.

**Multi-cloud reality:**

Apigee Hybrid separates the management plane (Google Cloud) from the runtime
plane (your Kubernetes cluster). This means you can run API traffic processing
on AWS EKS or Azure AKS, but all configuration, analytics, and management remain
on Google Cloud. You need a GCP project and billing account regardless of where
the runtime runs.

**Why teams still consider it:**

- Advanced API analytics with business-level insights
- Built-in monetization with multiple billing models
- Apigee Hybrid runtime can run on AWS, Azure, or on-premises Kubernetes
- Deep Google Cloud integration for GCP-primary workloads

**Tradeoffs for multi-cloud:**

- Control plane permanently on Google Cloud — partial lock-in
- Apigee Hybrid adds significant operational complexity (containerized runtime
  on your Kubernetes cluster plus GCP Synchronizer, MART, and Cassandra
  components)
- Policies are configured in XML with Java callouts — not portable to other
  gateways
- Pricing starts at $500/month for the Standard tier
- Apigee Edge for Private Cloud v4.53 reached end of life in April 2026, with
  the final version (v4.53.01) end-of-life scheduled for February 2027

**Cloud-agnostic score: Low-Medium.** Apigee Hybrid enables multi-cloud runtime
deployment, but the GCP-locked control plane and operational complexity limit
its portability. See
[Best API Gateways for Google Cloud Workloads](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-google-cloud-workloads-2026)
for GCP-first teams.

## Why Single-Cloud Incumbents Score Lowest on Portability

AWS API Gateway, Azure API Management, and Google Apigee dominate their
respective cloud ecosystems for good reason. If you run exclusively on one
cloud, they offer deep native integration that a cloud-agnostic gateway cannot
match.

But multi-cloud teams face a structural problem with these gateways:

**Configuration is not portable.** AWS API Gateway uses CloudFormation and IAM.
Azure APIM uses XML policies and C# expressions. Apigee uses XML proxies and
Java callouts. Moving from one to another means rewriting your entire gateway
configuration — policies, authentication, rate limiting, and transformations.

**Control planes are anchored.** Even Apigee Hybrid and Azure's self-hosted
gateway, which allow running data planes outside their home cloud, keep the
control plane locked to their cloud provider. Your management UI, analytics, and
API configuration stay in GCP or Azure respectively.

**Pricing models reinforce lock-in.** Per-region pricing, data transfer fees,
and ecosystem-specific discounts make it economically painful to spread
workloads across clouds.

**Operational workflows diverge.** Each cloud gateway has its own deployment
pipeline, monitoring integration, and incident response patterns. Running AWS
API Gateway for one workload and Azure APIM for another means maintaining two
completely separate operational stacks.

This is exactly the problem that cloud-agnostic gateways solve. When one control
plane, one configuration format, and one operational workflow spans every cloud,
you gain genuine negotiating leverage with providers and eliminate the risk of
being locked into a single vendor's pricing trajectory.

For a detailed framework on evaluating lock-in risk, see
[API Gateway Vendor Lock-In and Portability](/learning-center/api-gateway-vendor-lock-in-portability).

## How Multi-Cloud Works in Zuplo

Zuplo's multi-cloud architecture is not an add-on — it is the core product
design. Here is how it works in practice.

### One Control Plane, Every Cloud

Zuplo's control plane manages all deployment surfaces — managed edge, managed
dedicated, and self-hosted — from a single interface. You write policies once in
TypeScript, store configuration in Git, and deploy through your existing CI/CD
pipeline. The same policies, routes, and API keys apply whether the gateway runs
on the managed edge, on a dedicated instance in AWS, or on a self-hosted Helm
deployment in a private data center.

### Managed Edge: 300+ Global Locations

The managed edge deploys your gateway across 300+ data centers worldwide in
under 20 seconds via GitOps. There is no infrastructure to manage, no capacity
planning required, and no per-region billing. This is the default for most
workloads and covers the majority of multi-cloud use cases where you want
low-latency API processing without operational overhead.

### Managed Dedicated: Your Cloud, Zuplo-Managed

For workloads that require deployment in a specific cloud or region — whether
for compliance, data residency, or private backend connectivity — Zuplo
provisions single-tenant instances on your choice of cloud provider: AWS, Azure,
GCP, Akamai Connected Cloud, Equinix, or TerraSwitch. Zuplo manages the
infrastructure. You get cloud-native private networking (AWS PrivateLink, Azure
Private Link, GCP Private Service Connect) for secure backend connectivity
without exposing services to the public internet.

### Self-Hosted: Any Kubernetes Cluster

For teams that need to run the gateway on their own infrastructure — in a
private data center, behind an air gap, or on a non-supported cloud — Zuplo
provides Helm charts for deployment on any Kubernetes cluster. The self-hosted
option is available in hybrid mode (shared services for features like rate
limiting) or fully self-hosted for complete isolation.

### Private Backend Connectivity Across Clouds

A single Zuplo gateway can route requests to backends across different clouds
simultaneously. Cloud-native private networking options include AWS PrivateLink,
Azure Private Link, and GCP Private Service Connect. For on-premises or legacy
backends that cannot be exposed to the internet, Zuplo's outbound-only
[WireGuard secure tunnel](https://zuplo.com/docs/articles/tunnel-setup) agent
runs as a Docker container inside your network and connects internal services to
the gateway using `service://` URLs. mTLS provides certificate-based zero-trust
authentication for all backend connections.

For a comprehensive overview of Zuplo's deployment options, see the
[hosting options documentation](https://zuplo.com/docs/articles/hosting-options)
and the [multi-cloud feature page](/features/multi-cloud).

## Decision Framework: Choosing the Right Multi-Cloud API Gateway

Use this framework to narrow your choice based on your team's specific
constraints.

### Choose Zuplo if:

- You need a single control plane that works identically across AWS, Azure, GCP,
  Akamai, Equinix, and on-premises
- You want managed infrastructure with zero databases, clusters, or patches to
  maintain
- You need TypeScript programmability with full IDE support
- You want a built-in developer portal, API key management, and monetization
  without extra licensing
- You need AI Gateway and MCP Gateway capabilities for LLM and agent traffic
- [Get started free](https://portal.zuplo.com/signup)

### Choose Kong if:

- You have a dedicated platform engineering team comfortable managing
  Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, and Lua plugins
- You need a mature plugin ecosystem with 70+ production-ready plugins
- You want Konnect Dedicated Cloud Gateways with autopilot scaling
- Your team has existing Kong expertise and plugin investments

### Choose Tyk if:

- You want open-source core portability without vendor-locked features
- You need multi-language plugin support (Go, JavaScript, Python)
- You have the operational capacity to run five components per cloud
- Open-source licensing and self-hosted control are priorities

### Choose Gravitee if:

- European data sovereignty is a primary requirement
- You need an open-source core with gateway, console, and portal included
- You want event-native API support (WebSocket, MQTT, Kafka)

### Choose MuleSoft if:

- You need both API management and application integration (iPaaS) in one
  platform
- Your organization is deeply embedded in the Salesforce ecosystem
- Budget and platform complexity are not primary concerns

### Stay on a single-cloud gateway (AWS/Azure/Apigee) if:

- You are committed to one cloud provider with no plans to diversify
- You need the deepest possible native integration with that specific cloud
- Multi-cloud portability is not a current or anticipated requirement
- See our cloud-specific evaluative guides:
  [AWS](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-for-aws-workloads-2026),
  [Azure](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-for-azure-workloads-2026),
  [GCP](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-google-cloud-workloads-2026)

## Conclusion

Multi-cloud and hybrid cloud are no longer edge cases. Most organizations
operate across multiple cloud providers, and your API gateway should not be the
component that forces you into a single-vendor dependency.

Single-cloud gateways like AWS API Gateway, Azure API Management, and Apigee
excel within their respective ecosystems, but they cannot deliver consistent API
management across cloud boundaries. Their configurations are not portable, their
control planes are anchored, and their pricing models reinforce lock-in.

**Zuplo is the strongest choice for multi-cloud and hybrid teams** because it is
the only gateway where the control plane, data plane, configuration format, and
pricing model are all cloud-agnostic by design. Managed edge, managed dedicated
on six cloud providers, and self-hosted Helm on any Kubernetes cluster — all
behind one control plane with portable policies, routes, and API keys.

[Get started with Zuplo for free](https://portal.zuplo.com/signup) — no credit
card required.

## Getting Started with Zuplo for Multi-Cloud

If you are evaluating API gateways for multi-cloud or hybrid cloud workloads,
here is a practical path forward:

1. **Try the free tier** — [Sign up for Zuplo](https://portal.zuplo.com/signup)
   and deploy your first API on the managed edge across 300+ locations. No
   credit card required.

2. **Import your OpenAPI spec** — Zuplo auto-generates routes and documentation
   from your existing OpenAPI definition, so you can see how your current APIs
   look on Zuplo immediately.

3. **Test multi-cloud connectivity** — Configure backend routing to services in
   different clouds using PrivateLink, Private Service Connect, or
   [WireGuard secure tunnels](https://zuplo.com/docs/articles/tunnel-setup).

4. **Evaluate managed dedicated** — For production multi-cloud workloads that
   need deployment on a specific cloud provider, talk to the Zuplo team about
   [managed dedicated deployment](https://zuplo.com/docs/dedicated/overview) on
   AWS, Azure, GCP, Akamai, Equinix, or TerraSwitch.

Ready to evaluate Zuplo for your multi-cloud workloads?
[Sign up free](https://portal.zuplo.com/signup) and deploy your first API with
authentication, rate limiting, and a developer portal in minutes — no credit
card required.

## Related Guides

- [Best API Gateways in 2026](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-2026) — A
  broader comparison of API gateways not scoped to multi-cloud
- [Best API Gateways for AWS Workloads](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-for-aws-workloads-2026)
  — AWS-focused gateway evaluation
- [Best API Gateways for Azure Workloads](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-for-azure-workloads-2026)
  — Azure-focused gateway evaluation
- [Best API Gateways for Google Cloud Workloads](/learning-center/best-api-gateways-google-cloud-workloads-2026)
  — GCP-focused gateway evaluation
- [Multicloud vs Traditional API Gateways](/learning-center/multicloud-vs-traditional-api-gateways)
  — Architectural comparison of multi-cloud and single-cloud gateways
- [Deploying API Gateways in Multicloud Environments](/learning-center/deploying-api-gateways-multicloud-environments)
  — Deployment patterns for multi-cloud gateway architectures
- [API Gateway Vendor Lock-In and Portability](/learning-center/api-gateway-vendor-lock-in-portability)
  — Framework for evaluating lock-in risk
- [Managed vs Self-Hosted API Gateway](/learning-center/managed-vs-self-hosted-api-gateway)
  — Deployment model considerations