Ask HN: Best API Management Platform?

Posted by wslh on Thursday April 27, 2017 @02:59PM
from the ask-hn dept.

We are right now focused on building a specific API for an MVP but don't want to spend time building a web portal to manage users, API credentials, and payments. We want to only focus in the back-end.

Is there a simple and good API management platform for doing this? I looked at apigee, 3scale, etc but they seem to offer something more complex. I don't know if https://cloud.google.com/endpoints/ is just this. I am assuming that third parties can subscribe to my API and pay us through the system as well.

( 8 comments | 3 points | on HN )

Re:Ask HN: Best API Management Platform? by picsoung on Thursday April 27, 2017 @03:57PM (#14214212)

Hi :) Disclaimer: I work for 3scale.

The 3scale solution is pretty easy to install on your existing API.

3scale offers an API Gateway that could cloud-hosted or self-hosted. The API Gateway will sit in front of your existing API and will enforce the rules you would have setup in 3scale.

On 3scale backend, you have settings to answer the following questions regarding your API: - what's the auth mechanism? API key, a pair of keys, oAuth? - what is the rate limiting in place? on the whole API, on a specific endpoint - what are the different user personas? Free Hacker plan vs. Business partner with high SLA - what is the price to use the API? free, flat fee, per per request, pay per 1000s requests.. - How is the Developer Experience? Having a Developer portal in place.

It's very flexible, and you can go really deep in the configuration. But you are right, it may seem overwhelming at first. Think big ;) Having this API management solution in place when you have only one or two people using it, will help you start of a good base, and when you are ready to grow, everything will be there already.

Also... think about the amount of time you will spend building a custom solution vs. the amount of time you should spend improving the API itself.

Feel free to reach out if you want to continue the conversation :) [email protected]

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Best API Management Platform? by wslh on Thursday April 27, 2017 @04:43PM (#14214526)

Thanks! What about the payment subscription by customers? Is it handled via 3scale?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Best API Management Platform? by picsoung on Thursday April 27, 2017 @04:53PM (#14214609)

Yes, users are asked to put their credit card credentials, and then we generate an invoice, and charge their cards.

We use Stripe, Ogone, Braintree or Adyen as payment providers, and money goes directly into your account, we don't take any cut.

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Re:Ask HN: Best API Management Platform? by wslh on Thursday April 27, 2017 @05:39PM (#14214944)

Does 3Scale even support subscriptions/recurrent payments?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Best API Management Platform? by picsoung on Thursday April 27, 2017 @05:44PM (#14214996)

yes, if you could define for example that people should be charge X per month.

Create yourself an account on 3scale.net and you should be able to see all the features, it's free for 30days

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Re:Ask HN: Best API Management Platform? by wslh on Thursday April 27, 2017 @05:50PM (#14215048)

Will do, thanks! One more thing, is there a plan for startups? The price seems huge for me and we expect a big use of our APIs. I suggest to talk to the YC Startup School to add 3Scale as a deal. Our project is part of YC Startup School.

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Re:Ask HN: Best API Management Platform? by picsoung on Thursday April 27, 2017 @06:02PM (#14215152)

Let's chat about it over email ;) I am sure we can help.

Also we announced today our on-prem solution https://www.3scale.net/2017/04/go-anywhere-api-management-3s...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Best API Management Platform? by passenger on Friday April 28, 2017 @02:40AM (#14217310)

Hi,

I've been looking for something similar for a while. My best find so far is https://github.com/NREL/api-umbrella

[ Parent | on HN ]