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WSO2 API Designer

wso2.com

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Spec score 7.7 #18 of 26 in API Design Tools

What it is

WSO2 API Designer is a Visual Studio Code extension for creating and refining OpenAPI 3.x specifications in YAML or JSON. Its design view presents API resources, operations, and reusable components, with form-based editing for operations and schemas. An API Design Skill can draft specifications from prompts with GitHub Copilot; Copilot is optional. The extension checks specifications against bundled Spectral rulesets for WSO2 AI readiness, WSO2 REST API design guidelines, and the OWASP API Security Top 10. AI-assisted analysis adds narrative feedback to rule-based findings, including issues that may affect agents and tools. Users can also point it to custom rules in a GitHub folder or an absolute local directory. Installation is available through the VS Code Marketplace, with documented compatibility for extension engine requirement ^1.100.0. WSO2 directs users to its official Discord community for discussion and help. API Designer is available in a free 30-Day Trial with limits of 5 Managed Interfaces and 10M Gateway Events. Growth costs $119 a month. Enterprise pricing is custom and not listed. WSO2 warns that security checks may need real URLs, policies, or authorization-server metadata; AI should not invent production values.

Spec sheet

Purpose
API Designer is a Visual Studio Code extension for building and improving OpenAPI specifications.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Intended users
WSO2 describes its 30-day trial as ideal for students and individual developers, and its Growth plan as intended for small to mid-sized businesses with basic API management needs.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Support
The documentation directs users to WSO2’s official Discord community for help and discussion.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Founded
2005Read 28 Sep 2026 · wso2.com
AI design
The extension includes an API Design Skill that works with GitHub Copilot to draft API specifications from prompts.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
AI readiness
AI-assisted analysis combines rule-based results with narrative feedback about specification issues that can affect agents and tools.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Custom rules
Users can point the extension to a custom ruleset folder using a GitHub folder URL or an absolute local directory path.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Governance
It checks specifications with bundled Spectral rulesets for WSO2 AI readiness, WSO2 REST API design guidelines, and OWASP API Security Top 10.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Integration
GitHub Copilot is optional and recommended for AI-assisted workflows; the extension can be installed from the VS Code Marketplace.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Maker security
WSO2 states that it is ISO 27001:2022 certified and SOC 2 Type 2 compliant.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Requirement
The documented VS Code prerequisite is compatibility with extension engine requirement ^1.100.0.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Security note
WSO2’s API Designer guidance warns that security findings may require real URLs, policies, or authorization server metadata and advises against inventing production values with AI.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Specification format
API Designer supports creating and improving OpenAPI 3.x specifications and opens YAML or JSON specification files.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Visual editing
Design view displays API resources, operations, and reusable components and supports form-based editing of operations and schemas.Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com

Plans and prices

30-Day Free Trial Priced on request 30-day free trial 5 managed APIs · 1M API gateway events · 1M maximum API requests per month Read 20 Sep 2026 · wso2.com
Growth Priced on request Volume pricing; displayed estimate depends on selected usage Up to 10 managed APIs · Up to 10M API gateway events · 10M maximum API requests per month Read 20 Sep 2026 · wso2.com
30-Day Trial Free 5 Managed Interfaces · 10M Gateway Events · API Designer available Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Growth $119 a month from $119 /mo Up to 10 Managed Interfaces · Up to 10M Gateway Events · API Designer available Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com
Enterprise Priced on request Custom Custom limits · Self-hosted available · Federation · Private Data Plane · Enterprise Support · API Designer available Read 3 Oct 2026 · wso2.com

Every WSO2 API Designer plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Edits OpenAPI 3.x files in YAML or JSON.
  • Visual editing covers resources, operations, and reusable components.
  • Bundled rulesets include OWASP API Security Top 10.
  • Custom rulesets can come from GitHub or a local folder.
  • Available through the VS Code Marketplace.

Limits

  • Requires VS Code engine compatibility ^1.100.0.
  • Copilot is optional, not built in as a requirement.
  • Enterprise pricing is custom and not listed.
  • Security findings may need real production metadata.

Who it suits

It suits API developers who design OpenAPI specifications in VS Code and want visual editing, rules-based checks, or optional Copilot-assisted drafting. The 30-day trial is described as ideal for students and individual developers; Growth is intended for small to mid-sized businesses with basic API management needs.

Verdict

API Designer combines specification editing with governance checks inside VS Code. Its documented trial and Growth plan include the designer, while Enterprise pricing requires a custom quote.

Where Specifiction places it

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