IBM API Connect vs IBM Cloud Pak for Integration comparison

IBM API Connect and IBM Cloud Pak for Integration are both solutions in the API Management category. IBM API Connect is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.3, while IBM Cloud Pak for Integration is ranked #27 with an average rating of 8.5. IBM API Connect holds a 6.2% mindshare in APIM, compared to IBM Cloud Pak for Integration’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of IBM API Connect users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IBM Cloud Pak for Integration users who would recommend it.

IBM API Connect

Read 76 IBM API Connect reviews

7,279 Views
7,061 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

Read 5 IBM Cloud Pak for Integration reviews

1,293 Views
621 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM API Connect

IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

IBM API Connect and IBM Cloud Pak for Integration are key competitors in the integration technology sector. IBM Cloud Pak for Integration holds a slight edge due to its expansive feature set, which appeals to enterprises needing comprehensive solutions.

Features: IBM API Connect delivers essential API management capabilities such as lifecycle management, powerful security protocols, and monitoring options. It also supports seamless integration with multiple service providers. Conversely, IBM Cloud Pak for Integration provides an extensive suite with features like application, data, and messaging integration, ensuring a holistic approach to complex enterprise needs.

Room for Improvement: IBM API Connect could enhance its user interface for simpler navigation and increase its scalability for larger deployments. It would also benefit from enhanced automation features to streamline processes further. IBM Cloud Pak for Integration could improve by simplifying its setup process and improving documentation. It could also offer more native integrations to avoid reliance on third-party solutions and reduce implementation times.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM API Connect is known for its ease of deployment, making it attractive for organizations seeking quicker integrations. Its responsive customer service supports users through implementations smoothly. On the other hand, IBM Cloud Pak for Integration offers a flexible deployment model suited to more intricate systems. Its customer service effectively assists clients through complex setups, enhancing its appeal for large enterprises.

Pricing and ROI: IBM API Connect stands out with a cost-effective pricing strategy and relatively low initial costs, offering quicker returns for straightforward API management tasks. IBM Cloud Pak for Integration demands a higher upfront investment, but its extensive features potentially deliver higher ROI by optimizing broader business operations.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM API Connect vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Integration Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM API Connect vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

July 2025

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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

IBM API Connect

Ranking in API Management

8th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) (8th)

IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

Ranking in API Management

27th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Cloud Data Integration (16th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the API Management category, the mindshare of IBM API Connect is 6.2%, down from 6.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Cloud Pak for Integration is 0.5%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

API Management

Featured Reviews

Shanmugasundaram Shanmuganathan

Solutions Architect at Synechron

Offers basic API orchestration and provides robust security and governance features

While Azure API Management offers configurable scalability, IBM API Connect relies on Kubernetes clusters. This might seem manual and require defining cluster instances upfront, but it's completely customizable and not on-the-fly scaling. It's completely custom-driven, not on-the-fly scaling, which some may consider cumbersome. Overall, I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. Almost all applications we've been exposing lately go through this middleware, so it's used extensively. There are around sixty applications directly using it, but six Kubernetes clusters serve those applications. It's heavily used for integration, including system-to-system integration and product integrations. Our usage has been increasing year-on-year based on our needs.

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Neelima Golla

Senior Software Engineer at NessPRO Italy

A hybrid integration platform that applies the functionality of closed-loop AI automation

I recommend using it because, in today's context, the cloud plays a significant role. Within the same user interface, you can develop applications and manage multiple applications, making it a more user-friendly option. Moreover, you can explore various other technologies while deploying on the cloud, broadening your knowledge of cloud technologies. In my case, the transition led to my learning of Kubernetes, enabling multi-scaling and expanding my technical skills. It was a valuable experience, and I had the opportunity to learn many new things during the migration process. I can easily rate it an eight or nine out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is very scalable because it's on the cloud."

"The solution is very stable."

"The main benefits of IBM API Connect for our API life cycle management are the core API functionalities, the developer's portal, and robust security capabilities. IBM API Connect's security protocols enhance our data protection strategies by offering end-to-end security, mechanisms to counter common attacks like DDoS, and the ability to define policies for API groups to control traffic and prevent unwanted access to our systems."

"The services that I consume through IBM API Connect are beneficial. It can handle multiple API management."

"The statistics component is easy to use."

"It gives a holistic environment for us to set up the APIs and that's the main value that it adds. It gives end to end for us."

"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that it is very easy to use and is something that is easily configurable."

"Scalable and stable API platform for creating and managing APIs."

More IBM API Connect pros

"The most preferable aspect would be the elimination of the command, which was a significant improvement. In the past, it was a challenge, but now we can proceed smoothly with the implementation of our policies and everything is managed through JCP. It's still among the positive aspects, and it's a valuable feature."

"Cloud Pak for Integration is definitely scalable. That is the most important criteria."

"Redirection is a key feature. It helps in managing multiple microservices by centralizing control and access."

"The most valuable aspect of the Cloud Pak, in general, is the flexibility that you have to use the product."

"It is a stable solution."

Cons

"It is expensive within this class of products."

"In the next version, I don't know if they've already been included it or not, but the designer and all the tools should be on the cloud. I don't want any external installation or local installation."

"Automation for our Domino applications could be improved."

"The solution is not scalable."

"The solution is overly complex."

"The only disadvantage I can see is that it requires heavy hardware support."

"It would be helpful to have access monitoring."

"We would have more capability to interact with the catalog and inventories, so a more DevOps-friendly solution is needed."

More IBM API Connect cons

"The initial setup is not easy."

"Its queuing and messaging features need improvement."

"Setting up Cloud Pak for Integration is relatively complex. It's not as easy because it has not yet been fully integrated. You still have some products that are still not containerized, so you still have to run them on a dedicated VM."

"Enterprise bots are needed to balance products like Kafka and Confluent."

"The pricing can be improved."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price for IBM API Connect is reasonable. It's $20,000 to $30,000 yearly for a subscription, and the pricing could vary around $40,000 per year, per subscription. Its price is reasonable for customers who have around sixty million API calls yearly for unlimited environments."

"The price of the solution is very expensive, it can turn many customers away."

"The price of the solution is expensive. However, there are a lot of customization capabilities."

"The pricing is significantly high."

"API Connect was highly expensive for us, but the decision to switch was made before I joined the company. It seems like the company bought it, but they didn't know how to use it. After two years, they decided to reevaluate and conduct some cost estimates."

"This is a licensed product. If your company is looking to obtain a license, you have to work with IBM partners."

"Pricing for IBM API Connect varies, e.g. it could be subscription-based. Deploying it on private cloud also means you have to own most of the software licensing."

"There was a need to purchase an upfront license or a one-time license or upfront license, but I cannot remember the details about it clearly."

More IBM API Connect pricing and cost advice

"It is an expensive solution."

"The solution's pricing model is very flexible."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

20%

Insurance Company

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

20%

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM API Connect?

Publishers can easily identify, create, and publish APIs on the developer portal, defining plans, packages, and potentially billing rules.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM API Connect?

Pricing depends on how many instances run across environments. I don't deal with licensing, but compared to other IBM products, the licensing is not significantly higher.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM API Connect?

When comparing API Gateway with DataPower Gateway, several features in DataPower Gateway are absent in the APIC layer. Examples include the lack of connectivity to MQ ( /categories/message-queue-mq...

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Cloud Pak for Integration?

The most preferable aspect would be the elimination of the command, which was a significant improvement. In the past, it was a challenge, but now we can proceed smoothly with the implementation of ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Cloud Pak for Integration?

Enterprise bots are needed to balance products like Kafka and Confluent.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Cloud Pak for Integration?

It manages APIs and integrates microservices at the enterprise level. It offers a range of capabilities for handling APIs, microservices, and various integration needs. The platform supports thousa...

See all answers

Comparisons

IBM DataPower Gateway vs IBM API Connect

Compared 26% of the time

Apigee vs IBM API Connect

Compared 20% of the time

Microsoft Azure API Management vs IBM API Connect

Compared 14% of the time

Amazon API Gateway vs IBM API Connect

Compared 6% of the time

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform vs IBM API Connect

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM API Connect Competitors

IBM App Connect vs IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

Compared 37% of the time

IBM DataPower Gateway vs IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

Compared 8% of the time

webMethods.io vs IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

Compared 8% of the time

MuleSoft API Manager vs IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

Compared 7% of the time

IBM InfoSphere DataStage vs IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

Compared 7% of the time

More IBM Cloud Pak for Integration Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM API Connect

August 2025

Download IBM API Connect product report

Buyer's Guide

API Management

July 2025

Download IBM Cloud Pak for Integration product report

Overview

IBM API Connect facilitates API management and integration in the financial sector. Companies use it to expose, secure, and manage APIs for banking, insurance, and fintech, deploying it on-premises, in the cloud, or as a hybrid solution.

IBM API Connect focuses on creating and monetizing APIs while enabling seamless transactions and integration with third-party services. It is vital for compliance with regulations and enhances external communication among institutions. With deployment options suitable for different environments, it supports centralized gateway management, robust security features, and comprehensive API lifecycle management. Users benefit from powerful analytics, user-friendly interfaces, and high performance with capabilities in message transformation and efficient monitoring.

What are the most important features?

Centralized Gateway: Manages all APIs through a single entry point.
Robust Security: Ensures API protection with advanced security measures.
Comprehensive API Lifecycle Management: Covers creation, deployment, and retirement of APIs.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies API creation and management tasks.
Powerful Analytics: Provides insights into API usage and performance.
Seamless Integration: Connects easily with third-party services and internal systems.
Flexible Deployment Options: Supports on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
High Performance: Optimizes API performance and reduces latency.
Message Transformation: Manipulates and formats messages between different systems.
Visualization Tools: Enables clear and detailed views of API usage statistics.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

API Monetization: Generates additional revenue streams from APIs.
Enhanced Compliance: Ensures adherence to industry regulations and standards.
Improved External Communication: Facilitates integration and communication among financial institutions.
Technical Support: Benefit from reliable customer support and easy configuration.
Deployment Flexibility: Choose from on-premises, cloud, or hybrid options.

IBM API Connect is extensively implemented in the financial sector, enabling banking, insurance, and fintech services to manage APIs efficiently. Companies use it to ensure secure transactions, integration with third-party services, and compliance with regulatory standards. Its deployment flexibility accommodates different infrastructure needs, making it suitable for a wide range of financial applications.

IBM

IBM Cloud Pak for Integration gives you complete, flexible integration using capabilities you need to move at today's speed of business, including the tools to help you achieve your application modernization goals as part of your journey to the cloud.

IBM

Sample Customers

Heineken, Tine, Finologee, Axis Bank

CVS Health Corporation

Buyer's Guide

IBM API Connect vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

July 2025

Free Report: IBM API Connect vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

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