APIs & web front ends
Amazon API Gateway vs Azure API Management
Amazon API Gateway maps to Azure API Management.
API Management is a fuller API management platform (developer portal, products, policies across many backends). API Gateway is a serverless front door that is especially tight with Lambda.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon API Gateway | Azure API Management |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available |
| What it is | Managed REST APIs (usage plans, API keys, caching, private APIs), lower-cost HTTP APIs, and WebSocket APIs, fronting Lambda, HTTP backends, or AWS services. | API gateway, developer portal, and management plane (policies, products, subscriptions, versioning) for REST, SOAP, GraphQL, WebSocket, and gRPC APIs. Includes AI gateway features. Tiers are Consumption, Developer, Basic, Standard, Premium, and v2 tiers. |
| Pricing model | Per million API calls (REST priced higher than HTTP), WebSocket messages and connection minutes, optional cache per hour, and data transfer. | Consumption is billed per million calls with a free grant. Other tiers are billed per unit-hour, by tier and units. |
| Docs | Amazon API Gateway docs | Azure API Management docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon API Gateway pricing | Azure API Management pricing |
| Exams | DVA-C02 Retiring SAA-C03 | AZ-204 Retired AZ-305 |
Key differences
- API types. API Gateway offers REST APIs (usage plans, API keys, caching, request validation, private APIs), HTTP APIs (cheaper, simpler, JWT auth), and WebSocket APIs. API Management handles REST, SOAP, GraphQL, WebSocket, and gRPC, plus AI gateway policies for LLM APIs.
- Tiers. API Gateway is pay-per-request with no tiers. API Management has Consumption (serverless), Developer (no SLA), Basic/Standard/Premium (classic), and Basic v2/Standard v2/Premium v2.
- Developer portal. Built into API Management. API Gateway has none built in (AWS offers an open-source portal).
- Self-hosted gateway. API Management can run gateways on-premises or in Kubernetes (Premium). API Gateway is cloud-only.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Per million API calls (REST priced higher than HTTP), WebSocket messages and connection minutes, optional cache per hour, and data transfer. Amazon API Gateway pricing →
- Azure
- Consumption is billed per million calls with a free grant. Other tiers are billed per unit-hour, by tier and units. Azure API Management pricing →
Certification exam mapping
| Exam | Provider | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Developer – Associate DVA-C02 | AWS | Associate | retiring Being updated to DVA-C03. Registration for DVA-C03 opens Oct 27, 2026. Last day to take DVA-C02 is Nov 30, 2026. |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate SAA-C03 | AWS | Associate | current Italian version retires after Dec 31, 2026. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Developer Associate AZ-204 | Azure | Associate | retired The certification and renewal assessment are retired (the page doesn't give a date). The closest current developer credential is AI-200 (Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate). That's our reading, not an official mapping. |
| Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 | Azure | Expert | current English version updated Apr 17, 2026. |
Relevance is based on each exam's published scope, not a line-by-line objective match. Check the official study guide.
FAQ
What is the Azure equivalent of Amazon API Gateway?
Amazon API Gateway maps to Azure API Management. API Management is a fuller API management platform (developer portal, products, policies across many backends). API Gateway is a serverless front door that is especially tight with Lambda.
How does pricing compare between Amazon API Gateway and Azure API Management?
AWS: Per million API calls (REST priced higher than HTTP), WebSocket messages and connection minutes, optional cache per hour, and data transfer. Azure: Consumption is billed per million calls with a free grant. Other tiers are billed per unit-hour, by tier and units. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
Which certification exams cover this topic?
AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) [retiring]; AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03); Microsoft Certified – Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) [retired]; Microsoft Certified – Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).