# API gateways: what AI models recommend, September 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition. Asked as "API gateway" and as "API gateway and traffic management tool", six framings each, to twelve models with search on, on behalf of a mid-market B2B company. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/developer/api-gateways/

**Standing:** Kong Gateway leads with 61% of first choices; verdict clear leader. 51 first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts.

## First-choice share

| # | Product | Share | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kong Gateway | 61% | 13% | 71 |
| 2 | Zuplo | 16% | 0% | 27 |
| 3 | Tyk | 10% | 4% | 50 |
| 4 | Amazon API Gateway | 6% | 16% | 58 |
| 5 | Apache APISIX | 4% | 9% | 22 |
| 6 | Azure API Management | 0% | 18% | 33 |
| 7 | Traefik | 0% | 0% | 21 |
| 8 | NGINX | 0% | 27% | 15 |
| 9 | MuleSoft Anypoint Platform | 0% | 42% | 12 |
| 10 | Apigee | 0% | 42% | 48 |

## Each model's first choice on the direct prompt

- Claude Haiku 4.5: Zuplo; alternatives Amazon API Gateway, Apache APISIX, Azure API Management, Kong Gateway
- GPT-5.4 mini: Kong Gateway; alternatives Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Azure API Management, Tyk
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: Zuplo; alternatives Gravitee, Kong Gateway, Tyk
- Perplexity Sonar: Kong Gateway; alternatives Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Azure API Management, Tyk
- Grok 4.1 Fast: Kong Gateway; alternatives Amazon API Gateway, Apache APISIX, Azure API Management, Tyk
- Mistral Small: Kong Gateway; alternatives Tyk
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: Kong Gateway, Tyk; alternatives Amazon API Gateway
- Llama 4 Maverick: Kong Gateway
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: Kong Gateway, Tyk; alternatives Amazon API Gateway
- Kimi K2: Kong Gateway; alternatives Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management, Tyk
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: Kong Gateway; alternatives Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Azure API Management, Tyk
- MiniMax M2.5: Kong Gateway, Zuplo; alternatives Amazon API Gateway

## Sources the answers cite

63 of 72 answers came back with a source list, from 12 of 12 models. Sites named in the most answers:

- zuplo.com: 36 answers, 63 citations
- geekflare.com: 33 answers, 33 citations
- toolradar.com: 29 answers, 29 citations
- api7.ai: 28 answers, 37 citations
- digitalapi.ai: 22 answers, 27 citations
- dupple.com: 22 answers, 22 citations
- sourceforge.net: 22 answers, 22 citations
- reddit.com: 18 answers, 32 citations

Pages named in the most answers:

- https://geekflare.com/guides/best-api-gateways (33 answers)
- https://toolradar.com/guides/best-api-gateways (29 answers)
- https://dupple.com/learn/best-api-gateways (22 answers)
- https://api7.ai/top-11-api-gateways-platforms-compared (17 answers)
- https://digitalapi.ai/blogs/best-api-gateway (16 answers)
- https://zuplo.com/learning-center/api-gateway-pricing-comparison-2026 (16 answers)
- https://sourceforge.net/software/api-gateways/for-mid-size-business (14 answers)
- https://guideflow.com/blog/api-gateway-software (13 answers)
- https://zuplo.com/learning-center/best-api-gateways-2026 (13 answers)
- https://guptadeepak.com/tools/top-5-api-management-platforms-2026 (11 answers)

## Warned against

- Apigee: 20 of 48 labels negative. "Apigee: It is not suitable for modernizing infrastructure to adopt technologies like microservices, containers, and Kubernetes, as it was built with older technology." (Llama 4 Maverick, negative prompt)
- Amazon API Gateway: 9 of 58 labels negative. "Avoid using deprecated or retired features/platforms (... AWS API Gateway for high‑scale)." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, negative prompt)
- Kong Gateway: 9 of 71 labels negative. "Free trials, then usage-based (~$25+/mo)—avoid if truly limited budget." (Grok 4.1 Fast, budget prompt)
- Azure API Management: 6 of 33 labels negative. "Avoid using deprecated or retired features/platforms (Azure APIM v0/v1, legacy portal, stv1" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, negative prompt)

## Record

- Method: https://it-ai-index.com/methodology/
- Raw judge labels and full responses: https://it-ai-index.com/data/
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as IT AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, it-ai-index.com.