Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apigee VS DreamFactory

Compare Apigee VS DreamFactory and see what are their differences

Apigee logo Apigee

Intelligent and complete API platform

DreamFactory logo DreamFactory

DreamFactory is an API management platform used to generate, secure, document, and extend APIs.
  • Apigee Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-08
  • DreamFactory Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-01

DreamFactory is an API management platform used to generate, secure, document, and extend APIs. The platform is used within a wide variety of sectors, including banking, auto manufacturing, online gaming, consulting, and government.

Perhaps best known for its API generation capabilities, the platform can generate APIs for 20 databases including MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and MongoDB, among others. Generators are also available for Excel, AWS S3, email delivery providers, and IoT.

Authentication and security is another core feature. APIs can be authenticated using API keys, Active Directory, LDAP, OAuth, OpenID Connect, SAML 2.0, and Okta. A robust yet convenient set of role-based access controls (RBACs) allow administrators to easily create highly tailored API access rules.

DreamFactory's scripting engine supports PHP, Python (version 2 and 3) and NodeJS. Developers can use the engine to create entirely scripted APIs which incorporate third-party libraries and packages. The scripting engine can also be used to extend existing endpoints, allowing developers to implement API composition, apply data masking and hiding, response transformation, and more.

Recently added features include restricted administrators, API scheduling, API auditing, and API generation connectors for Snowflake, Hadoop, and Apache Hive.

Apigee features and specs

  • Robust API Management
    Apigee offers comprehensive API management capabilities, including API design, development, security, analytics, and lifecycle management. This makes it a powerful platform for managing complex API ecosystems.
  • Security Features
    Apigee includes a variety of robust security features such as OAuth, JWT validation, and threat protection, ensuring that APIs are secure from potential threats and unauthorized access.
  • Scalability
    As part of Google Cloud, Apigee is built to scale easily. It can handle large volumes of API requests effortlessly, making it suitable for both small businesses and large enterprises.
  • Analytics and Monitoring
    Apigee provides detailed analytics and monitoring tools that give insight into API usage, performance, and error rates. These insights help in optimizing and troubleshooting APIs systematically.
  • Developer Portal
    Apigee includes a customizable developer portal where developers can register, discover, and test APIs, enhancing the developer experience and fostering community engagement.
  • Seamless Integration
    Apigee integrates well with other Google Cloud services as well as third-party applications, providing a unified environment for various cloud services.
  • Policy-Driven Approach
    Apigee’s policy-driven approach allows users to implement complex logic and transformations on APIs through configuration rather than code, streamlining the development process.

Possible disadvantages of Apigee

  • Cost
    Apigee can be expensive, especially for startups and small businesses. The pricing model is generally suited for larger enterprises with significant API traffic.
  • Complex Setup
    Setting up Apigee can be complex and may require a steep learning curve for those new to API management platforms. This can result in longer onboarding times and higher initial setup costs.
  • Performance Overhead
    The extensive features and policies offered by Apigee can introduce performance overhead that might affect API response times, especially if not configured correctly.
  • Limited Customization of Analytics
    While Apigee provides comprehensive analytics out-of-the-box, the customization options for these analytics are somewhat limited compared to more flexible, dedicated analytics platforms.
  • Dependency on Google Cloud
    While integration with Google Cloud services is a pro, it also means that Apigee is more beneficial within the Google ecosystem, potentially limiting its attractiveness for businesses using other cloud platforms.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Using Apigee could lead to a level of vendor lock-in, making it complex and potentially cost-prohibitive to switch to another API management solution once fully integrated.
  • Overhead for Simple Use-Cases
    For simpler API management needs, Apigee might be overkill, introducing unnecessary complexity and cost, when a lighter, more straightforward solution might suffice.

DreamFactory features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    DreamFactory offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to create, manage, and deploy APIs without extensive coding skills.
  • Automatic API Generation
    Generates REST APIs for various data sources automatically, saving development time and reducing potential errors.
  • Wide Database Support
    Supports numerous databases and storage engines, including SQL, NoSQL, and file storage systems, providing great flexibility.
  • Scalability
    Can handle enterprise-level projects, ensuring that APIs can scale easily with growing business needs.
  • Security Features
    Includes robust security features like role-based access, OAuth, Single Sign-On (SSO), and API key management.
  • Cross-Platform
    Works on multiple platforms including Linux, Windows, and Mac, making it versatile for different development environments.
  • Integrations
    Supports integration with numerous third-party services and software, facilitating seamless business operations.
  • Open Source Option
    Offers an open-source version, providing more flexibility and cost savings for developers and organizations.

Possible disadvantages of DreamFactory

  • Learning Curve
    Even though it's user-friendly, there is still a learning curve involved, especially for beginners not familiar with API management.
  • Pricing
    While an open-source version is available, advanced features and enterprise-level support require a paid subscription, which can be costly.
  • Performance Overhead
    In some cases, the additional layers of abstraction can add overhead, potentially affecting performance.
  • Complexity in Advanced Use Cases
    For highly complex or custom scenarios, limitations may arise, requiring additional custom development.
  • Limited Extensions
    Compared to some competitors, the ecosystem of plugins and extensions may be less extensive.
  • Community Support
    The open-source community around DreamFactory is not as large as some other projects, which may limit peer support and available resources.
  • Concurrency Handling
    May require additional configuration or optimization to handle high concurrency situations effectively.

Analysis of Apigee

Overall verdict

  • Apigee is considered a strong choice for API management, especially for organizations looking for an enterprise-grade solution with extensive features for analytics, security, and lifecycle management.

Why this product is good

  • Apigee, a platform offered by Google Cloud, is highly regarded for its comprehensive API management capabilities. It provides robust tools for analytics, security, and monetization, making it suitable for large enterprises that need to manage complex API ecosystems. Apigee's integration with Google Cloud adds additional value by offering scalability, reliability, and access to Google's machine learning and cloud services.

Recommended for

  • Large enterprises with complex API ecosystems
  • Organizations needing advanced analytics and monitoring capabilities
  • Businesses looking to integrate their API management with Google Cloud services
  • Teams that prioritize security and monetization features in API management

Analysis of DreamFactory

Overall verdict

  • Overall, DreamFactory is a solid choice for developers and organizations looking for a comprehensive and efficient way to manage API generation and backend development. Its ease of use, wide range of features, and support for numerous data sources make it highly recommended for those seeking to simplify their development workflow.

Why this product is good

  • DreamFactory is considered a good option for creating robust and scalable REST APIs because it automates a lot of backend processes, allowing developers to focus on their core application logic. It offers features like API management, user authentication, role-based access control, and data integration with various databases and cloud services, which streamline the development process. Additionally, DreamFactory supports multiple scripting languages, providing flexibility and customization options that suit different use cases.

Recommended for

    DreamFactory is particularly recommended for developers who need to quickly generate APIs without spending extensive time managing backend infrastructure. It is suitable for small to medium-sized enterprises, independent developers, and teams that require rapid prototyping and development. Organizations looking for a solution to manage multiple data resources and integrate various third-party services can also greatly benefit from DreamFactory's capabilities.

Apigee videos

Apigee Edge: Analytics Demo

More videos:

  • Review - Using Apigee Edge to create and publish APIs that developers love (Google Cloud Next '17)
  • Review - Manage the full API lifecycle with Apigee Edge API platform (Google Cloud Next '17)

DreamFactory videos

No DreamFactory videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apigee and DreamFactory)
API Tools
56 56%
44% 44
APIs
52 52%
48% 48
API Management
100 100%
0% 0
Web Service Automation
43 43%
57% 57

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apigee and DreamFactory

Apigee Reviews

Top 9 MuleSoft Alternatives & Competitors in 2024
Apigee, one of the prominent MuleSoft alternatives, stands out as a powerhouse for your team looking for unparalleled integration and automation capabilities. Designed with simplicity and efficiency, Apigee empowers you to streamline processes, enhance connectivity, and propel digital transformation forward.
Source: www.zluri.com
Top 10 Best API Management Tools with Feature Comparison
With Apigee API management solutions, the developers can build and deliver the applications.
15 Best Postman Alternatives for Automated API Testing [2022 Updated]
Apigee is an excellent alternative to Postman if you want to try an API tool. This platform helps develop and manage APIs by later fronting services with a proxy. Apigee has two significant components called services and runtime, where services enable API proxies’ creation, management, and deployment. Meanwhile, Apigee runtime is a collection of runtime services. It allows...
Source: testsigma.com
15 BEST SoapUI Alternatives (2022 Update)
Apigee is a cross-cloud API testing tool. It allows the user to measure and test API performance, supports and build API using other editors like Swagger. It offers security and governance policies across all APIs.
Source: www.guru99.com
API Testing with Postman and Postman Alternatives
Apigee is a cross-cloud API testing tool that allows users to measure and test API performance, supports, and builds API using other editors like Swagger. Apigee is one of the leaders in the Gartner Magic Quadrant 2019 for Full Lifecycle API Management for the fourth consecutive time.

DreamFactory Reviews

7 Best NoSQL APIs
DreamFactory is a great choice for developers or businesses who want to create a quick API to work with a NoSQL database. The process couldn’t be easier. Developers only need to provide the database information, and DreamFactory automatically creates a full-fledged REST API or a SOAP API.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apigee seems to be a lot more popular than DreamFactory. While we know about 21 links to Apigee, we've tracked only 1 mention of DreamFactory. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apigee mentions (21)

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DreamFactory mentions (1)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apigee and DreamFactory, you can also consider the following products

Postman - The Collaboration Platform for API Development

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform - Anypoint Platform is a unified, highly productive, hybrid integration platform that creates an application network of apps, data and devices with API-led connectivity.

RapidAPI for Mac - Paw is a REST client for Mac.

AWS CloudTrail - AWS CloudTrail is a web service that records AWS API calls for your account and delivers log files to you.

Amazon API Gateway - Create, publish, maintain, monitor, and secure APIs at any scale

Sentinet - API Management and SOA Governance for enterprises and developers