# Apache APISIX vs Zuplo: 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 Zuplo. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/developer/api-gateways/apache-apisix-vs-zuplo/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache APISIX | 11% | #2 of 11 | 8% | 26 | 12 of 14 |
| Zuplo | 8% | #5 of 11 | 0% | 24 | 11 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

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

- "If you are running a modern SaaS stack and want to spend your engineering hours on building your B2B product rather than managing gateway servers, start with Zuplo." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, paraphrase prompt, first choice)

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.