# Apache APISIX: how AI models rank it, September 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition. Named in 29 judge labels across 3 categories by 10 of 12 models. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/vendors/apache-apisix/

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| API gateways | 4% | 5 | 9% | 22 |
| API management | 2% | 9 | 0% | 6 |
| LLM gateways and observability | 0% | 38 | 0% | 1 |

## What the models said for it

- "Choose Kong or APISIX if you have a high-traffic microservices infrastructure and need low latency, flexible hosting, and a robust plugin ecosystem." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, API gateways)
- "If you need maximum raw throughput and zero restarts on config changes, APISIX is often the top choice among self‑hosted gateways." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, API gateways)
- "My top pick for most small/medium companies: Apache APISIX — it's completely free, performant, actively maintained" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, API gateways)
- "Yes: Choose Apache APISIX. It is currently the technological leader in speed and efficiency among free options." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, API management)

## And against it

- "Avoid: Apache APISIX (unless you know exactly what you're doing)" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, API gateways)
- "High risk if not hardened. Exposed admin APIs and defaults make it a frequent target." (Grok 4.1 Fast, API gateways)

## 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.