Apigee
Apigee is a full lifecycle API management platform, now part of Google Cloud, used to design, secure, publish, monitor, and monetize APIs.
Definition
Apigee is a full lifecycle API management platform, now part of Google Cloud, used to design, secure, publish, monitor, and monetize APIs.
Overview
Apigee was an independent API management company before being acquired by Google in 2016 and integrated into Google Cloud. It provides an API gateway layer along with tooling that spans the entire API lifecycle: designing and publishing OpenAPI-based specifications, applying security policies (OAuth, API keys, threat protection), enforcing rate limiting and quotas, and exposing analytics dashboards on API traffic and consumer behavior. A defining feature of Apigee is its developer portal capability, which lets organizations publish self-service documentation and sign-up flows for external developers who want to consume their APIs — a common need for companies that treat their APIs as products, not just internal infrastructure. Apigee also supports API monetization, letting businesses meter usage and bill API consumers directly through the platform. As a fully managed Google Cloud service, Apigee is generally positioned toward large enterprises with complex, externally facing API programs, in contrast to lighter-weight, typically self-hosted gateways such as Kong Gateway or Tyk that are often chosen for simpler or more cost-sensitive deployments.
Key Features
- Full API lifecycle management: design, security, publishing, and analytics
- OpenAPI-based API design and specification support
- Built-in developer portal for publishing APIs to external consumers
- API monetization and usage-based billing capabilities
- Traffic analytics dashboards on API usage and consumer behavior
- Security policies including OAuth, API keys, and threat protection