Google Cloud Endpoints vs Tencent Cloud API Gateway
Google Cloud Endpoints
cloud.google.comTencent Cloud API Gateway
intl.cloud.tencent.comSide by side
| Figure | Google Cloud Endpoints | Tencent Cloud API Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1.50/mo | $0.01/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 6 |
| Spec score · API Gateway Software | 8.4 (#4) | 7.8 (#15) |
| Authentication | Documented user authentication options include Firebase Authentication and Auth0, which use JWT validation by ESP. | It supports HMAC signature authentication using keys issued by API Gateway. |
| Purpose | Cloud Endpoints is an API management system for securing, monitoring, analyzing, and setting quotas on APIs. | API Gateway is an API hosting service for managing APIs through creation, maintenance, release, operation, and deactivation. |
Plans
Google Cloud Endpoints
- Free usage tierFree
- Standard usage tier$3 a month
- High-volume usage tier$1.50 a month
- Usage-basedFree
Tencent Cloud API Gateway
- Free tierFree
- Tier 1$0.01 a month
- Tier 2Priced on request
- Tier 3Priced on request
- Shared instanceFree
- Dedicated instancePriced on request
In their own words
Google Cloud Endpoints
Google Cloud Endpoints manages APIs with tools for securing access, monitoring activity, analyzing usage, and setting quotas. It supports API descriptions written in OpenAPI 2.0 or 3.x, as well as gRPC, and provides management through ESP or ESPv2. Documented deployment backends include Google Kubernetes Engine, Compute Engine, Kubernetes, App Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Run functions, and Knative serving; proxy availability varies by backend. Endpoints is optimized for Docker and can host an API wherever Docker runs, provided it has internet access to Google Cloud. API keys can be required and validated to identify a Google Cloud project for quotas, billing, and monitoring. Documented user authentication options include Firebase Authentication and Auth0, using JWT validation by ESP. Logs and metrics are viewable in the Google Cloud console. Pricing depends on API calls and Service Control calls: the Free usage tier is free for 1,999,999 calls; Standard is $3 a month for 2,000,000 to 1,000,000,000; and High-volume is $1.50 a month for 1,000,000,000 and above. Listed rates are per million API calls.
Tencent Cloud API Gateway
Tencent Cloud API Gateway manages APIs from creation and testing through release, operation, and deactivation. It supports HTTP and HTTPS, with testing, staging, and production environments, versioning, and rollback. Users can set per-second call limits and monitor request counts, outbound public traffic, response times, and frontend and backend errors. HMAC key-pair authentication uses keys issued by the gateway, and SSL certificates secure data transfer at the API frontend. APIs can be published as purchasable products through API Market, and the service integrates with Tencent Cloud SCF and COS. Dedicated instances connect to VPC and Direct Connect, while shared instances cannot connect to VPC. Shared instances support requests up to 16 MB and 500 QPS per service; requests may be discarded at the QPS limit. New users receive a first-year monthly allowance of one million calls and 1 GB of public outbound traffic, with unused monthly allowance not carried forward. The service is cloud-deployed and available through web and API platforms. Its listed pricing note is From $1.90/mo; a separate paid-from value is 0.4 /mo. The shared-instance plan lists free, with excess calls and outbound traffic pay-as-you-go.