Choose the right AI gateway
Compare APISIX AI plugins, API7 Gateway enterprise AI, and AISIX AI Gateway to choose the right scope for your use case.
This site documents three different AI gateway scopes. The names overlap, so this page compares them directly.
Three scopes
| APISIX AI plugins | API7 Gateway AI | AISIX AI Gateway | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Open-source plugins for model routing, caching, and guardrails inside APISIX | Enterprise AI feature set in API7 Gateway, including MCP and agent gateways | Standalone AI gateway product with cloud and self-hosted options |
| Control plane | APISIX Admin API / etcd | API7 Enterprise control plane and Dashboard | AISIX Enterprise or self-hosted control plane |
| Plugin model | APISIX Lua plugins such as AI Proxy (opens in Plugin Hub docs), AI Cache (opens in Plugin Hub docs), AI Prompt Guard (opens in Plugin Hub docs) | API7 enterprise plugins, MCP gateway, and agent gateway | AISIX-native endpoints, guardrails, budgets, and provider integrations |
| LLM providers | OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic, DeepSeek, and others via AI Proxy (opens in Plugin Hub docs) | Configured through API7 Dashboard and gateway groups | Native models and providers with routing and fallbacks |
| Guardrails | AI Aliyun Content Moderation (opens in Plugin Hub docs), AI Lakera Guard (opens in Plugin Hub docs), AI Prompt Guard (opens in Plugin Hub docs) | Enterprise guardrails and policy engine | Guardrails with multiple providers |
| Budgets and cost governance | Not built in | Enterprise quota and cost controls | Budgets and budget alerts |
| Agent / MCP | Not built in | MCP Gateway and Agent Gateway | MCP Gateway and Agent Gateway |
| Enterprise support | Apache community support | API7 enterprise support | API7 enterprise support |
| Licensing | Open source, no license required | Included in your API7 Gateway license — no separate authorization | Its own AISIX license, independent of API7 Gateway |
When to use each
- APISIX AI plugins: you already run Apache APISIX and want open-source AI traffic management without a separate control plane.
- API7 Gateway AI: you use API7 Gateway and need enterprise AI controls, MCP, and agent integration under the same control plane as your APIs, using the license you already have — no additional AI-specific authorization to acquire.
- AISIX AI Gateway: you want a dedicated AI gateway with native model routing, guardrails, budgets, and a cloud-managed option, licensed separately from API7 Gateway.