The best API gateway is the one that matches the traffic you need to control and the place it has to run. Several vendors now carry LLM calls through an AI gateway and agent tool calls through an MCP gateway as well as classic API calls, and they differ on self-managed, hybrid, cloud or air-gapped deployment. Settle both before you compare features.
Put ten API gateway home pages side by side and they don't describe the same product. A few still lead with routing, auth and rate limits for classic API calls. Others now pitch one gateway for API calls, LLM calls and the tool calls AI agents make.
This list covers ten gateways, using only what each vendor's own website says, read on 2 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order. You won't find speed, uptime or customer numbers here: it's about what each product is, the traffic it handles and where it runs.
API gateways compared by type and job
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Apiman | Open-source API management platform | Custom policies written as Java plugins |
| DreamFactory | Self-hosted AI data gateway | Governed API access to any data source |
| Envoy Gateway | Open-source gateway for Envoy Proxy | Standalone or Kubernetes-based deployment |
| Fusio | Open-source API and AI management platform | A Database API Gateway and a Microservice Gateway |
| Kong | AI connectivity platform | API, AI, event and service mesh runtimes |
| KrakenD | Open-source API gateway in two editions | Community and Enterprise editions, plus an AI Gateway |
| Solo.io | Cloud connectivity and agent infrastructure | kgateway, agentgateway and Istio |
| Traefik | Open-source application proxy plus an API gateway | Kubernetes Gateway API and air-gapped API management |
| Tyk | API and AI management platform | Self-managed, hybrid or cloud deployment |
| Zuplo | Unified gateway for APIs, AI and MCP | One programmable policy engine |
Ten gateways, one line each
Apiman
Best for: Teams that want open-source API management covering the whole lifecycle, extended with their own functionality by writing simple Java plugins.
DreamFactory
Best for: Putting governed REST APIs in front of any data source, so enterprise apps and local LLMs reach your data through the API layer.
Envoy Gateway
Best for: Managing application and API traffic on Envoy Proxy, deployed standalone or as a Kubernetes-based gateway that implements the Kubernetes Gateway API.
Fusio
Best for: Exposing legacy SQL or NoSQL data as REST through its Database API Gateway, or putting its Microservice Gateway in front of your services.
Kong
Best for: Running four runtimes from one platform: API Gateway, AI Gateway, Event Gateway and Service Mesh.
KrakenD
Best for: Starting on the open-source Community Edition and moving to the Enterprise Edition when you want support backed by SLAs.
Solo.io
Best for: Choosing between kgateway, listed under cloud connectivity beside Istio, and agentgateway, one gateway for service, LLM and MCP traffic.
Traefik
Best for: Starting with the open-source application proxy and adding its Hub API gateway, AI Gateway and MCP Gateway as your needs grow.
Tyk
Best for: Picking one of three ways to run it (self-managed, hybrid or cloud), with an MCP Gateway and a Developer Portal on the same platform.
Zuplo
Best for: Writing auth, rate limits and audit once in a programmable policy engine that covers every API, LLM and MCP call.
Classic API calls, LLM calls and agent tool calls
Here's the split you wouldn't guess from the category name: an API gateway page now covers three kinds of traffic. Zuplo calls itself 'the unified gateway for APIs, AI, and MCP', with 'one programmable policy engine for the models your apps call and the agents that call you'. Kong calls its product 'the AI connectivity platform' and lists four runtimes on it: API Gateway, AI Gateway, Event Gateway and Service Mesh.
Solo.io says its agentgateway was built 'from the ground up, with full MCP and A2A implementation'. And one of the open-source gateways here now ships an AI Gateway for LLM routing and prompt guardrails beside its classic gateway, with a built-in MCP server.
- Classic API traffic: routing, auth and rate limits, the gateway functions one vendor here lists on its menu.
- LLM traffic: calls to AI models, handled by products the vendors name an AI Gateway.
- Agent tool traffic: MCP calls from AI agents, handled by products the vendors name an MCP Gateway.
Self-managed, hybrid, cloud or air-gapped
The second split is where the gateway runs. Tyk lists three options: Self-managed, which runs on-prem or in your own cloud, Hybrid, which blends cloud convenience with local gateways and a managed control plane, and Cloud, a fully managed cloud service.
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Traefik offers 'air-gapped API management', and DreamFactory describes itself as a 'self-hosted platform providing governed API access to any data source for enterprise apps and local LLMs'. Envoy Gateway can be deployed as a 'Standalone or Kubernetes-based API Gateway', implementing and extending the Kubernetes Gateway API.
That data gateway is the odd one out on this list. It doesn't sit in front of your services so much as in front of your databases: its headline says let AI query your data, not your database. If you're wiring local LLMs into company data, that's a different job from routing service traffic.
Open-source gateways you can extend
If you'd rather start with code you can read, several gateways here are open source. Apiman says it's 'permissively licensed under Apache License, 2.0', and that you can implement your own functionality 'by writing simple Java plugins'. Fusio calls itself 'the open-source API engine that connects your logic to the world', with a Database API Gateway and a Microservice Gateway.
KrakenD splits its gateway into a Community Edition, its open-source API gateway, and an Enterprise Edition with 'security, governance, and 24/7 support backed by SLAs'. So you can start on the open edition and move up when you want support.
Questions for your API gateway shortlist
- Which traffic do I need to control: API calls, LLM calls, agent tool calls, or all three?
- Does the gateway need to run self-managed, hybrid, in the cloud or air-gapped?
- Am I on Kubernetes, and do I want a gateway that implements the Kubernetes Gateway API?
- Do I want an open-source edition I can extend, or a commercial edition with support?
- Will the people consuming my APIs need a developer portal?
- Am I putting a gateway in front of services, or in front of a database?
Do you make an API gateway? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice on picking an API gateway
Start with the traffic, then the location. If you're only routing classic API calls, an open-source gateway you can run yourself is a sensible place to start. If your apps call LLMs or your agents call tools over MCP, shortlist the vendors whose pages name an AI Gateway or an MCP Gateway. And if you're in a regulated or offline setting, check which ones say they run self-managed or air-gapped before anything else.
If the architecture behind your APIs is still up for debate, my guide to monolithic vs microservices pros and cons is worth a read first. And once the gateway's in place, here's how API testing tools fit into web development.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these API gateways are open source?
Several vendors here say so on their own pages. One describes open-source API management licensed under the Apache License, 2.0, one calls itself an open-source API and AI management platform, one has an open-source Community Edition, and one offers an open-source application proxy alongside its commercial API gateway.
Which of these have an AI gateway?
At least three vendors on this list name a product or runtime AI Gateway on their own pages, and a fourth calls its product the API and AI gateway. Check what each one covers on the vendor's own page, since the same name can mean different features.
Which API gateways handle MCP traffic?
Several say so. One calls itself the unified gateway for APIs, AI and MCP, two list an MCP Gateway as a product, and one says its agent gateway has full MCP and A2A implementation. Another describes a built-in MCP server in its AI gateway.
Can I run an API gateway self-hosted or air-gapped?
Yes, several vendors say so. One offers self-managed, hybrid and cloud options, one lists air-gapped API management, and one describes itself as a self-hosted platform. An open-source project here says it's been deployed on air-gapped bare metal as well as in the cloud.
Which of these gateways work with Kubernetes?
One gateway here can be deployed as a Kubernetes-based API gateway that implements the Kubernetes Gateway API, and another vendor lists Kubernetes Gateway API support for its open-source application proxy. Check each vendor's docs for the version you run.
Do any of these include a developer portal?
Some do. One vendor lists a Developer Portal on the same platform as its gateway, with self-service API discovery, documentation and key management, and another lists a standalone developer portal beside its management UI.
