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API gateways · November 2026 Edition

Apache APISIX vs Zuplo

Zero of fourteen models named Apache APISIX first on the direct prompt; zero named Zuplo. Apache APISIX was named by thirteen of the fourteen models and Zuplo by eleven and Apache APISIX carries 23 labels and Zuplo 21, so the shares are not directly comparable.

Apache APISIX

accepted challenger

Named in four categories this edition.

Zuplo

accepted challenger

Named in five categories this edition.

First-choice share7%2%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate9%0%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#4#6A position in a field of 15; printed, not drawn.
Labels2321A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Apache APISIX reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Kong Gateway was named alongside these two in fourteen of the fourteen direct answers. Kong Gateway vs Apache APISIX · Kong Gateway vs Zuplo · Amazon API Gateway vs Apache APISIX

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; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the API gateways page.

By framing

How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
Apache APISIXFirst choices, of fourteen modelsZuplo
Direct00
Paraphrase10
Comparative10
Budget-constrained31
Scale-constrained00
Negative002 against Apache APISIX
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.

Every model, every framing

The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Apache APISIX and Zuplo stood in it.
ModelDirectParaphraseComparativeBudget-constrainedScale-constrainedNegative
Claude Haiku 4.5
GPT-5.4 mini
Gemini 3.5 Flash
Perplexity Sonar
Grok 4.20
Mistral Small
DeepSeek V4 Flash
Llama 4 Maverick
Qwen 3.7 Flash
Kimi K2
GLM 4.7 FlashX
MiniMax M2.5
GPT-6 Luna
Muse Glimmer 30B
Apache APISIX Zuplo first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Apache APISIX on the left and Zuplo on the right.

The direct prompt

The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Apache APISIX and Zuplo stood in it.

Neither was the first choice, one was named

4 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.
Claude Haiku 4.5Kong Gateway alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Tyk, Zuplo
Perplexity SonarKong Gateway alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management, Zuplo
Llama 4 MaverickKong Gateway alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Apache APISIX, Azure API Management, NGINX
Muse Glimmer 30BKong Gateway alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management, Zuplo

Neither was named

10 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.
GPT-5.4 miniAmazon API Gateway, Azure API Management alternatives: Kong Gateway, Tyk
Gemini 3.5 FlashKong Gateway alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management, Gravitee, Tyk
Grok 4.20Kong Gateway, Tyk alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management
Mistral SmallKong Gateway alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management, Tyk
DeepSeek V4 FlashAzure API Management, Kong Gateway alternatives: Gravitee, Tyk
Qwen 3.7 FlashKong Gateway alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Azure API Management
Kimi K2Kong Gateway alternatives: Azure API Management, Tyk
GLM 4.7 FlashXKong Gateway alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Azure API Management, Tyk
MiniMax M2.5Kong Gateway alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management, Gravitee, KrakenD, MuleSoft Anypoint Platform
GPT-6 LunaTyk Cloud or Tyk Hybrid alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management, Kong Gateway

Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.

By buyer segment

The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Zuplo leads by twenty-seven points.
Zuplo29%#1 of 12
Apache APISIX1%#– of 12
The full small business standing →
Mid-marketThe figures above
The order flips: Apache APISIX leads at mid-market.
Apache APISIX7%#4 of 15
Zuplo2%#6 of 15
The full mid-market standing →
Enterprise
The order flips: Zuplo leads at enterprise.
Zuplo6%#4 of 11
Apache APISIX0%#11 of 11
The full enterprise standing →

What the models said about Apache APISIX

Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Five of six in this category shown.

“Apache APISIX has several documented security concerns that warrant caution” MiniMax M2.5 · negative prompt · hard negative
“APISIX for its default admin credentials and Lua execution model” Muse Glimmer 30B · negative prompt · soft negative
“My top pick for most budget-constrained companies: Kong Gateway (Open Source) or Apache APISIX” DeepSeek V4 Flash · budget prompt · first choice
“Kong OSS or Apache APISIX are the most cited "best value" open-source gateways” Muse Glimmer 30B · budget prompt · first choice
“Start with Kong or APISIX for flexible, high-scale open-source needs.” Grok 4.20 · comparative prompt · first choice

What the models said about Zuplo

Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. One of one in this category shown.

“The best API gateway for a company with a limited budget is Zuplo, as it offers a free tier” Llama 4 Maverick · budget prompt · first choice
Also compared

Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.