Akto
Akto is an open-source API security platform that helps you discover all your APIs, detect sensitive data exposure, and find vulnerabilities in your CI/CD pipeline before hackers do.
Gravitee
Gravitee is an open-source API management platform that gives you full control over your entire API lifecycle, from design and deployment to security and real-time monitoring.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Akto | Gravitee |
|---|---|---|
| Website | akto.io | gravitee.io |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Custom |
| Starting Price | Free | Custom Pricing |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 14 days free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2021 | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Bengaluru, India | Lille, France |
Overview
Akto
Akto is a specialized API security platform designed to help you secure your entire API ecosystem. You can automatically discover every API endpoint in your network, including hidden or 'shadow' APIs that often go undocumented. The platform continuously monitors your traffic to identify where sensitive data like PII or financial info is being exposed, giving you a clear map of your security posture.
You can integrate security testing directly into your development workflow by running over 100 built-in security tests against your APIs. This allows you to catch broken object-level authorization (BOLA) and other common vulnerabilities before they reach production. Whether you are a security engineer or a developer, you can use Akto to automate the tedious parts of API auditing and maintain a robust defense against modern web threats.
Gravitee
Gravitee gives you a unified platform to manage, secure, and govern your entire API ecosystem. Whether you are dealing with traditional REST APIs or modern event-driven architectures like Kafka and MQTT, you can manage everything from a single console. You can design APIs visually, enforce security policies, and expose them to developers through a customizable portal.
The platform is built to handle the complexity of synchronous and asynchronous communication in one place. You can apply rate limiting, authentication, and transformation policies without writing custom code. It is ideal for platform engineers and API product managers who need to bridge the gap between legacy systems and real-time data streaming while maintaining strict security standards across the organization.
Overview
Akto Features
- Automated API Discovery Inventory all your APIs automatically by analyzing network traffic to find shadow APIs and undocumented endpoints instantly.
- Sensitive Data Tracking Identify exactly where sensitive data like passwords or credit card numbers are leaking across your API requests and responses.
- BOLA Detection Run automated tests to find Broken Object Level Authorization flaws, the most critical risk in modern API security today.
- CI/CD Integration Trigger automated security scans within your GitHub or GitLab pipelines to stop vulnerable code from ever being deployed.
- API Traffic Mirroring Analyze real-world traffic patterns without impacting your application performance using seamless mirroring from AWS, Azure, or GCP.
- Custom Test Editor Create your own security tests using a simple YAML-based editor to address unique business logic vulnerabilities in your apps.
Gravitee Features
- API Designer. Design your APIs visually using a drag-and-drop interface that follows OpenAPI specifications and ensures consistent documentation.
- Policy Studio. Apply security and traffic policies like OAuth2, rate limiting, and caching to your APIs without writing a single line of code.
- Developer Portal. Create a branded self-service portal where your developers can discover, test, and subscribe to your APIs instantly.
- Alert Engine. Configure real-time notifications to catch performance issues or security threats before they impact your end users.
- Protocol Mediation. Expose your backend event streams as web-friendly APIs, allowing you to bridge Kafka or MQTT with REST or WebSockets.
- API Debugger. Troubleshoot your API flows in real-time by inspecting headers and payloads as they move through the gateway.
Pricing Comparison
Akto Pricing
- Up to 50 endpoints
- Automated API discovery
- Basic security tests
- Community support
- Local deployment option
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Unlimited endpoints
- Advanced sensitive data detection
- CI/CD pipeline integration
- Slack and Jira alerts
- Priority email support
Gravitee Pricing
Pros & Cons
Akto
Pros
- Fast setup with immediate visibility into shadow APIs
- Comprehensive library of pre-built security test cases
- Open-source core allows for deep customization
- Strong focus on the OWASP API Top 10
- Easy integration with existing DevOps workflows
Cons
- Initial traffic mirroring setup can be technical
- Pro tier pricing is a significant jump
- Learning curve for writing custom YAML tests
Gravitee
Pros
- Excellent support for event-driven architectures and Kafka
- Flexible open-source core allows for deep customization
- Intuitive visual policy builder simplifies complex configurations
- Strong community support and active development cycle
Cons
- Initial setup can be complex for smaller teams
- Documentation can be dense for non-technical users
- Advanced enterprise features require custom pricing quotes