What is Amazon API Gateway?
Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed service for creating, publishing, and managing APIs at any scale. The service automatically handles traffic management, authorization, throttling, monitoring, and API versioning.
API Gateway supports three API types: HTTP APIs for simple proxy scenarios, REST APIs with advanced features, and WebSocket APIs for bidirectional real-time communication.
Core Features
- Three API Types: HTTP APIs (cost-effective), REST APIs (feature-rich), WebSocket APIs (real-time)
- Lambda Integration: Direct connection to serverless functions without server management
- Authorization: IAM, Cognito, JWT validation, and Lambda Authorizer
- Throttling: Account-level and per-client rate limiting
- Caching: Response caching for REST APIs to reduce latency
Typical Use Cases
Serverless Backend: API Gateway as a frontend for Lambda functions. No infrastructure management, automatic scaling, and pay-per-request pricing make this combination ideal for variable workloads.
Microservices Gateway: Central entry point for microservices architectures with routing to different backend services based on URL paths and unified authentication.
Real-time Applications: WebSocket APIs for chat applications, live dashboards, or collaboration tools with persistent connections between client and server.
Benefits
- Automatic scaling without capacity planning
- Up to 71% cost savings with HTTP APIs compared to REST APIs
- Native integration with AWS services like Lambda, DynamoDB, and S3
- GDPR-compliant operation in EU regions
Integration with innFactory
As an AWS Reseller, innFactory supports you with Amazon API Gateway: API strategy, architecture design, serverless backend development, and migration of existing APIs.
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between REST API and HTTP API?
HTTP APIs are up to 71% cheaper and faster but offer fewer features. REST APIs support API Keys, Request Validation, Caching, and AWS WAF integration. For simple proxy scenarios, HTTP APIs are the better choice.
How does Amazon API Gateway scale?
API Gateway scales automatically and handles up to hundreds of thousands of concurrent API calls. The default limit is 10,000 requests per second per region and can be increased on request.
Can I use API Gateway with Lambda?
Yes, API Gateway is optimal for serverless architectures with AWS Lambda. Lambda functions can be directly integrated as a backend without managing servers.
What does Amazon API Gateway cost?
HTTP APIs cost from $0.90 per million requests, REST APIs from $3.50 per million requests. Additional costs apply for data transfer and optional caching.