API Gateway Pricing 2026: AWS vs Cloudflare vs Kong
API Gateway is often the invisible budget item that surprises teams at scale. AWS API Gateway at $3.50/M requests adds up fast. Cloudflare Workers at $0.50/M can cut that bill by 85%. This guide shows exactly when each option wins.
API Gateway Pricing Models Explained
API gateways charge on two main axes: request count (per million) and data transfer out (per GB). AWS API Gateway also charges for cache memory and WebSocket connections. Cloudflare Workers bundles everything into request count with near-zero egress fees.
2026 API Gateway Price Table
| Provider | Per M requests | Data transfer / GB | Min monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Workers | $0.50 | $0.00 | $5 |
| Kong Cloud | $2.00 | $0.05 | $0 |
| AWS API Gateway (REST) | $3.50 | $0.09 | $0 |
| AWS API Gateway (HTTP) | $1.00 | $0.09 | $0 |
| Google Apigee | $3.00 | $0.12 | $0 |
Cloudflare Workers: 85% Cheaper Than AWS REST API Gateway
At 100M requests/month + 100GB egress: Cloudflare = $55 vs AWS REST API Gateway = $359. The difference is $304/month — $3,648/year. Cloudflare has 200+ edge locations, no cold starts, and sub-millisecond routing. For APIs that don't need AWS Lambda integrations, Workers wins on price and performance.
AWS API Gateway HTTP vs REST: $2.50/M Difference
AWS offers two flavors: REST API ($3.50/M) and HTTP API ($1.00/M). HTTP API is 71% cheaper and covers 90% of use cases — JWT authorisation, CORS, Lambda proxy. Only use REST API if you need API keys, usage plans, request validation or AWS WAF integration.
Total Monthly Cost at Scale
| Provider | 10M req + 10GB | 100M req + 100GB | 1B req + 1TB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Workers | $5 | $55 | $505 |
| AWS HTTP API | $11 | $109 | $1,090 |
| Kong Cloud | $20.50 | $205 | $2,050 |
| AWS REST API GW | $35.90 | $359 | $3,590 |
FAQ
How much does AWS API Gateway cost?
AWS REST API Gateway costs $3.50 per million requests + $0.09/GB data transfer. HTTP API costs $1.00/M requests. At 100M requests + 100GB/month: REST = $359, HTTP = $109.
Is Cloudflare cheaper than AWS API Gateway?
Yes — significantly. Cloudflare Workers costs $0.50/M requests with no egress fee vs AWS REST at $3.50/M + $0.09/GB. At 100M requests, Cloudflare is 6.5× cheaper.
What is the difference between AWS HTTP API and REST API?
HTTP API ($1.00/M) is 71% cheaper. It supports JWT auth, CORS and Lambda proxy. REST API ($3.50/M) adds API keys, usage plans, request/response transformation and AWS WAF. Use HTTP API unless you specifically need REST features.
Free developer cost tools. Prices from official docs, reviewed monthly.