# Apache APISIX vs Apigee: which do AI models recommend for API gateways, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, API gateways. Zero of fourteen models named Apache APISIX first on the direct prompt; one named Apigee. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/developer/api-gateways/apache-apisix-vs-apigee/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache APISIX | 11% | #2 of 11 | 8% | 26 | 12 of 14 |
| Apigee | 2% | #8 of 11 | 28% | 43 | 14 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Qwen 3.7 Flash: apigee first (first choices: Amazon API Gateway, Apigee) (alternatives: Kong Gateway, Tyk)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither first, one named (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Azure API Management)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Cleo Integration Cloud)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: Zuplo) (alternatives: Apigee, Axway API Gateway)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither first, one named (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Azure API Management)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: Amazon API Gateway, Kong Gateway)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither named (first choices: Tyk) (alternatives: Gravitee, Kong Gateway, Zuplo)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither named (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management, Tyk, Zuplo)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither named (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Tyk, Zuplo)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named
- Kimi K2: neither named (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Azure API Management)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither named (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Tyk, Zuplo)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Azure API Management, NGINX, Red Hat 3scale)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither named (first choices: Kong Gateway, Tyk) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management)

## What the models said about Apache APISIX

- "Emerging, smaller community than Kong" (Grok 4.1 Fast, paraphrase prompt, soft negative)
- "Similar misconfig exposure as Kong" (Grok 4.1 Fast, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Use Kong (for its vast ecosystem) or Apache APISIX (if you want pure open-source with no relational DB requirements)" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Apache APISIX and Traefik are currently the strongest recommendations for budget-conscious teams" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Go with Kong OSS or Apache APISIX - you get enterprise-grade features at zero license cost" (Kimi K2, budget prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Apigee

- "What to Avoid for Mid-Size Budgets - Apigee (Google) — powerful but expensive; pay-as-you-go can reach $400K+/year" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, paraphrase prompt, hard negative)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.