Specifically, people want to know how the coding side of an API gateway works. You can find the answer to this right here and the answers to several other API gateway-related questions.
Sit back, relax, and prepare to learn all about API gateways!
How Does API Gateway Code Work?
The code of an API gateway is written so that user requests can be taken, routed to the right microservice, and then delivered back to the user with all the necessary data. These API gateway examples are great for understanding this in in-depth detail.
You see this all the time when you sign into an app using another app. For example, when you use your Apple ID to sign into Twitter.
API gateways are also a developer’s dream because they simplify the client’s code so that it’s much easier to understand. Essentially, you can think of the API gateway as the helpful middleman who makes your life easier.
Over recent years, there’s even been the emergence of low-code and no-code API delivery. This allows everyday business people to create and update their own APIs without the involvement of a software developer, which is pretty impressive. On top of this, you can also add permissions to some API gateways without having to write any code (or only a few lines of code) at all. Again, this is great for the less tech-savvy people out there, as well as the engineers who don’t want to be writing complex code all the time.
Do API Gateways Cost Money?
Not every business out there uses an API gateway, so many business owners still don’t understand how API gateway pricing works. Thankfully, it’s pretty simple: in most cases, you only pay when your APIs are in use (usually around $1 per 1 million requests).
Essentially, it’s a pay-as-you-go type of model. What you might also find is that the API gateway provider has what’s called a ‘free tier’. In other words, you get to use it for free. The free tier of an average API gateway will typically allow you to have 500,000 to 1 million API calls before you’ll then start getting charged for it.
Can API Gateways Act as Load Balancers?
The short and sweet answer is yes — API gateways can (in effect) act as load balancers. However, they aren’t considered to be a direct substitute for them.
When you choose an excellent API gateway, it’ll have the capability of load balancing and managing network traffic so that there’s no network congestion. Additionally, an API gateway can conduct health checks to understand when a server needs to be removed from the rotation, another excellent feature for businesses without a load balancer.
Final Thoughts
API gateways are widely considered to be the future. Now, you have a clearer understanding of how API gateway code works, the pricing you can expect, and whether API gateways can act as load balancers. So, if your APIs currently don’t have an API gateway set in front of them, it’s highly recommended you start using an API gateway today.