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Apiary vs Layer7 API Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Apiary
Ranking in API Management
35th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Layer7 API Management
Ranking in API Management
16th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
112
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the API Management category, the mindshare of Apiary is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Layer7 API Management is 1.9%, down from 2.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
API Management Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Layer7 API Management1.9%
Apiary0.8%
Other97.3%
API Management
 

Featured Reviews

PW
Enterprise Integration Architect at Capgemini
The ability to configure rules to check for consistency has helped
Apiary provides a free tier of the platform which allows a small group of developers to collaborate easily on the design of open source APIs. In addition to this, it provides mock endpoints allowing people to experiment with the API without depending or having to stand up a real backend. With our clients, using Apiary allows us to very quickly pull together an API definition (particularly when using API Blueprint). The whole API design process for the simpler use cases can be done in a relatively short workshop which makes it a lot easier to agree, publish, version-manage an API definition with suitable documentation. This can then be evolved and enhanced (particularly in the documentation aspects). With the ability to support Swagger (Open API v2 and introducing/ed support for v3) and API Blueprint makes it a very versatile tool.
Integration capabilities excel and support for varied platforms enhances communication across backend systems
We mainly use REST APIs, and the solution's integration capabilities are excellent. It allows communication with a number of back-end providers and data consolidation. The flexibility to develop APIs for various platforms, from front-end applications to ATM machines, is valuable. Code changes and migration are straightforward, and it supports identity and access management integration.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"I find the generation of mock services very useful, especially when demonstrating for new consumers."
"I do like the overall performance of the solution."
"Git integration"
"Vey high - very easy API design with no setup effort"
"Quick and easy way to share a new API design with teams."
"In two years, there was one time the service was down for an hour or so."
"This solution has allowed us to standardize API definitions and bring consistency into our shared components, reducing the effort and cost of using functionality across domains within the organization, with Apiary being crucial to our good API strategy."
"The feature I find most valuable is that it offers authentication and allows us to develop communication points."
"I work for an information security company. CA API Management is capable of using tokens for authorization to manage access control for the APIs."
"There are many things, which are really good, like the Gateway; that's really great and pretty useful, and the Mobile API Gateway is also great."
"The most valuable feature of Layer7 API Management is that their policy is really easy to develop and it is flexible."
"CA API Gateway provides rich policy sets in regards to XML and REST services, is great for all B2B integrations, and is a very agile component to set up and use."
"The Mobile API Gateway is also great."
"It can be scaled as we need. And it can be used in different regions. We have different data centers in the U.S. and Beijing. We use it on-premise, on-cloud, and it can be hosted and used at any place and scaled across the regions."
"The most valuable feature was the gateway because it has a good dashboard which shows all the hits, misses, and issues, how often you are viewing, what was the response time, etc. The gateway was very easy to deploy."
"It is able to withstand the number of API calls and handle different API requirements to secure, transform, log, and track API usage patterns."
 

Cons

"I would like an integrated option to download a Swagger version of the definition."
"Swagger (OpenAPI Specification) and Blueprint Support"
"I don't think this solution is very stable so we try to manage stability from our side."
"Validation messages could be a bit clearer."
"The Oracle release cycle is very bad because the patches only update once a year."
"Better Swagger support."
"Some users say that the API lacks some features and is lagging behind the competition although that has not been my personal experience."
"Layer7 API Management should give a clear roadmap of the product and where it is going, and they should not change the underlying layers."
"Layer7 API Management could have a live API creator feature, so my team can easily create APIs. Right now, the product doesn't have that feature."
"There is room for improvement in terms of innovation and investment, especially when compared to other leading products in the market."
"What I find other people saying is that the product portal for API development lacks some features; people who need that functionality are not impressed, they say it is lagging behind the competition."
"I'd rate it an eight out of 10, no solution is perfect."
"The Portal is not stable."
"The interface is Java which is difficult to make look very nice."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is easy to get started with personal (free) accounts, but a subscription is required for additional features."
"There is a free subscription option to start and try the service."
"This solution is a bit more expensive than competitors."
"For what we are after, the pricing is okay. It is competitive."
"Our customers found the product’s cost a little higher. They are looking for open-source solutions."
"Keep in mind the non-product licensing, e.g., if you opt not to use the embedded SQL."
"There are some costs for maintenance that we are charged, but that seems fair because we get the support."
"The product is moderately priced."
"I feel that it is costly for medium-sized companies."
"CA has great pricing for gateways, so negotiate with your sales team."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
18%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Construction Company
13%
Marketing Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise84
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Layer7 API Management?
Pricing is more than average. While I am used to Layer7 API Management ( /products/layer7-api-management-reviews ), seeing other products makes the tool's pricing seem high.
What needs improvement with Layer7 API Management?
Broadcom's push for upgrades from version nine to ten, ten to 10.3, and onwards to twelve needs improvement in migration processes, especially with service dependencies. The migration path sometime...
What is your primary use case for Layer7 API Management?
I am not the client. I implement Layer7 API Management ( /products/layer7-api-management-reviews ) for the clients. I have worked on multiple projects as a developer, implementing for Hydro Tasmani...
 

Also Known As

No data available
CA API Management, CA Live API Creator, Espresso Logic, CA API Gateway
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Microsoft, salesforce.com, Bloomberg, GoodData, Viacom, Akamai Technologies, DigitalGlobe
1. IBM  2. Microsoft  3. Oracle  4. Salesforce  5. SAP  6. Cisco  7. Dell  8. HP  9. Adobe  10. VMware  11. Accenture  12. Capgemini  13. Deloitte  14. PwC  15. Ernst & Young  16. Infosys  17. TCS (Tata Consultancy Services)  18. Wipro  19. Cognizant  20. HCL Technologies  21. Tech Mahindra  22. Fujitsu  23. Hitachi  24. NEC  25. NTT Data  26. Ericsson  27. Nokia  28. Siemens  29. AT&T  30. Verizon  31. Vodafone  32. Orange
Find out what your peers are saying about Apiary vs. Layer7 API Management and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.