Going into 2025, API management has become a critical aspect of modern-day business operations. A good API management tool can help you streamline the process of designing, deploying, securing, and monitoring all your APIs.

Here are five things to know about API management tools:

  • An application programming interface (API) enables software applications to communicate.
  • API management tools simplify the process of managing complex APIs.
  • API management tools improve security and team collaboration as well as provide enhanced API performance.
  • API management is critical for many reasons. For example, it ensures APIs are secure and that integration is seamless between apps.
  • API management tools should include features such as simplified API generation, access management, lifecycle management, and more.

In this article, we'll explore 15 top API management tools for 2025, providing you with actionable insights into each tool's features, benefits, and drawbacks.

  1. Integrate.io
  2. MuleSoft
  3. IBM API Connect
  4. Jitterbit
  5. Microsoft Azure API Management
  6. Workato
  7. SAP Integration Suite
  8. Postman
  9. Apigee
  10. SwaggerHub
  11. Dell Boomi
  12. Kong Konnect
  13. WSO2
  14. TIBCO
  • Effectively Manage Your APIs
  • API Management FAQs
  • What Are API Management Tools?

    API management tools are platforms designed to simplify the process of creating, publishing, securing, and managing APIs. These tools allow you to create and manage APIs that expose digital assets and services to internal and external developers, partners, and customers in a secure and scalable manner.

    The Benefits of Using API Management Tools

    API management tools provide a range of benefits, such as improved security, enhanced collaboration, and better API performance. These tools are crucial for supporting the growth of your business because they ensure your APIs are secure and reliable.

    With an API management platform, you can drastically speed up the development process, reduce errors, and improve communication between development teams. This enables you to deliver high-quality APIs faster and easier.

    What are the Types of API Management Tools?

    When it comes to API management, there are several types of tools available. You may choose one or a combination of these tools depending on your business needs:

    • API gateways: This type of tool can be used to manage authentication, authorization, and traffic routing to the appropriate backend services.
    • API design and documentation tools: These tools help developers design, document, and test APIs before deploying them.
    • API lifecycle management tools: These are complete tools that help manage the entire API lifecycle from design to retirement.
    • API testing tools: Testing tools help developers test APIs for functionality, performance, and security. They can simulate user behavior, generate load, and detect bugs.

    Which are the Best API Management Tools for Businesses Needing Scalable Data Solutions?

    Integrate.io, Apigee, and MuleSoft are among the best API management tools for businesses needing scalable data solutions. Integrate.io enables teams to build low-code data pipelines and instantly expose them as secure APIs, complete with authentication, role-based access, and monitoring. It's 200+ connectors simplify integration across SaaS platforms, databases, and cloud warehouses, making it easy to scale data operations without heavy engineering. 

    Let’s explore some of the top API management tools available and how they can help you manage your APIs more efficiently.

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    1. Integrate.io

    Key Features:

    • API generation
    • API customization
    • Custom scripting
    • Data mesh capabilities
    • Robust customer support

    Integrate.io excels with features like automated API generation and is a data pipeline platform with API generation and management capabilities that allow businesses to generate, manage, secure, and monitor their APIs to power their data products. 

    Its key features include automated API generation, complete customization, flexible authentication, simple custom scripting, and advanced data mesh capabilities. 

    ntegrate.io stands out as one of the best API management tools for businesses needing scalable data solutions with resources like live chat and developer documentation. It is compatible with the most popular databases, including SQL Server, MySQL, Snowflake, or BigQuery.

    The platform ensures data quality by providing total control over API design requirements while users can add modules/features as their projects grow. More than that, it provides scalability for small projects up to large-scale enterprise rollouts.

    All Integrate.io plans come with a dedicated Solutions Engineer who works alongside you during evaluation and implementation, ensuring that you get your data pipelines into production as soon as possible. Post-implementation phase, you then have a dedicated Customer Success Engineer as well as industry-leading 24/7 Customer Support. Experience this for yourself when you sign up for a 14-day free trial or schedule a personalized demo with an Integrate.io Solutions Engineer.

    Pros:

    • Excellent ease of use and intuitive interface

    • Responsive, quality customer support

    • Quick implementation; simple data transfers possible within minutes to hours

    • Efficient integration workflows and core functionality for ETL/ELT/APIs

    Cons:

    • Pricing may not be suitable for SMBs, which are entry-level

    Pricing:

    Fixed fee, unlimited usage-based pricing model

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    2. MuleSoft

    Key Features:

    • Pre-built/custom security
    • Integrated access management
    • Service mesh for microservices

    MuleSoft provides comprehensive API management capabilities that help organizations operate and scale their API programs efficiently. The platform offers an API gateway for unlocking and managing services securely, as well as a consistent management experience.

    All of these features enable organizations to create an effective strategy for developing APIs with minimal effort while providing secure and high-performance management at scale.

    Pros:

    • Powerful API and integration management capabilities; unified platform for designing, developing, and managing APIs and data flows

    • Pre-built connectors, drag-and-drop interface, and centralized management ease integration tasks

    • Excellent for complex, enterprise-level connectivity challenges

    Cons:

    • High cost; expensive licensing

    • Steep learning curve; complex setup and usage

    • Complexity can make support and troubleshooting difficult

    Pricing

    MuleSoft pricing is complex. Pricing plans differ depending on your specific needs. For example, the Anypoint Flex Gateway cost will depend on the volume of API requests.

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    3. IBM API Connect

    Key Features:

    • Robust security features
    • Self-service features
    • Full API lifecycle management

    IBM API Connect is a secure and reliable API management solution that helps organizations manage all their APIs from a single platform. It helps businesses package their APIs for specific consumer markets and provides governance and version control. 

    The platform supports community management with self-service portals and subscription tools while helping protect endpoints with an enterprise-grade gateway.  

    Pros:

    • High security and user-friendly interface

    • Full lifecycle API management capabilities

    • Good integration with IBM DataPower Gateway

    Cons:

    • Relatively high pricing

    • Occasional performance issues noted

    • Cloud connectivity improvements needed

    Pricing

    Pricing is available both on a software-as-a-service basis on Amazon Web Services (AWS), starting at $83/month, or as a single-tenant service hosted on IBM Cloud, starting at $6,504/month.

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    4. Jitterbit

    Key Features:

    • Point-and-click functionality
    • Intuitive interface
    • Simplified API generation

    Jitterbit’s API Management capabilities provide a powerful, complete solution for the entire API lifecycle. 

    The platform allows users to quickly create and manage APIs with an intuitive graphical interface, expose them via enterprise-scale API gateways, and empower developers to discover and consume them securely.

    With Jitterbit’s API Manager, users can rapidly generate APIs based on existing data. It enables agile development through point-and-click processes while allowing organizations to quickly roll out new products, channels, and strategies with fewer resources in less time.

    Pros:

    • Fast and easy iPaaS implementation

    • AI-infused low-code platform for automation

    • Recognized for ease of use and strong ROI

    Cons:

    • Lacks real-time data preview, making debugging and validation slower and more difficult.

    • Does not support workflow dependencies, risking errors in complex multi-step processes.

    • Requires heavy reliance on SQL and in-house technical expertise for customization.

    • Pricing can escalate unexpectedly as workflows scale, impacting total cost.

    Pricing

    Jitterbit offers three pricing plans, including Standard, Professional, and Enterprise. All pricing plans require a quote from the sales team.

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    5. Microsoft Azure API Management

    Key Features:

    • Authentication and other security features
    • Real-time data analytics
    • Simplified developer portal

    Microsoft Azure API Management is a fully managed service that enables customers to publish, secure, transform, maintain, and monitor APIs. It helps in managing the full lifecycle of APIs from creation to consumption. 

    Some of Microsoft Azure API Management’s key features are related to: 

    • Security: The platform includes security features such as authentication, authorization for every request, and rate-limiting capabilities.
    • Transformation: Azure API Management allows developers to transform web legacy services into powerful REST-based APIs.
    • Monitoring and analytics: The platform gives access to real-time analytics about usage patterns, traffic trends, error tracking, and more.  
    • Developer portal: The portal allows developers to register applications and get keys easily through an easy-to-use developer portal interface.

    Pros:

    • Efficient API gateway with good security features

    • Real-time analytics and developer portal available

    Cons:

    • Can be complex for beginners

    • Some difficult coding requirements

    Pricing

    Pricing plans include Developer, Basic, Standard, Premium, and Isolated. Cost is broken down into price per hour.

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    6. Workato

    Key Features:

    • Full lifecycle API management
    • API dashboard
    • API customizations

    Workato's API management platform is designed to help organizations manage the full lifecycle of APIs for both internal teams and external partners. Its comprehensive suite of tools allows developers to create secure, well-structured APIs that are ready to be consumed by end users. 

    The platform also offers an intuitive user interface experience, making it easier for developers to quickly get up and running with their projects. 

    Pros:

    • Scalable and flexible automation platform

    • Reduces manual work and errors, delivering good ROI

    Cons:

    • Can become expensive quickly, especially if many integrations (recipes) are used without buying in bulk.

    • Requires some technical expertise; not all team members can easily contribute to building or maintaining integrations.

    • Limited ETL strength and struggles with complex data transformations and EDI capabilities.

    • Testing and debugging environments are limited, making it difficult to simulate production conditions accurately.

    Pricing

    Workato pricing isn't currently disclosed on the website. Users should schedule a demo to learn more.

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    7. SAP Integration Suite

    Key Features:

    • Real-time processing and monitoring
    • Robust security features
    • OData and OpenAPI specification compliance

    SAP Integration Suite is an iPaaS that enables businesses to connect their on-premise and cloud-based applications, systems, and processes. Its API management capabilities streamline the process of creating, managing, and securing APIs.

    The platform offers real-time processing and monitoring, enabling businesses to respond faster to customers, employees, and partners. Additionally, it provides robust security features for API authentication, authorization, and threat detection, ensuring compliance with industry standards.

    Pros:

    • Comprehensive integration and API management with strong monitoring

    • Supports workflow automation and is highly scalable

    Cons:

    • High cost and requires SAP expertise

    • Steep learning curve, limited customization for non-SAP users

    Pricing

    SAP's Standard plan will cost you $4,150 per tenant/month. For Premium, you must contact the sales team for a custom quote.

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    8. Postman

    Key Features:

    • Various API tools, from generation to testing
    • API documentation features
    • API governance tools

    Postman is an API platform packed with all the necessary tools required to build, test, and manage APIs. It has built-in support for various authentication protocols and can organize requests into collections for reuse. 

    The platform allows you to organize your requests into collections for reuse, saving time and effort in building everything from scratch. You can tie requests together with JavaScript, automate common workflows, and use scripting to visualize API responses as charts and graphs. 

    Pros:

    • Easy API testing and debugging with clean UI

    • Great collaboration features and advanced API support

    Cons:

    • Can be slow with very large collections

    • Steeper learning curve for advanced features

    Pricing

    Postman offers a free plan, as well as three other pricing plans, including Basic, Professional, and Enterprise. The Basic plan starts at $12 per user/month.

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    9. Apigee

    Key Features:

    • API generation capabilities
    • Monitoring and analysis
    • Robust security

    Apigee is a leading API management platform that allows organizations to build, manage, and secure APIs. Since it's a native Google Cloud API management tool, it comes with enhanced scale, security, and automation API management capabilities. 

    The platform helps businesses unlock and standardize data from any app, system, or service and secure every API transaction with robust policies and advanced controls.

    Apigee also offers monitoring and analysis tools that provide reliable performance and actionable insights, allowing your business to respond faster to customers and partners. 

    Pros:

    • Strong API management platform with robust security features

    • Good support for hybrid and multi-cloud deployments

    • Comprehensive analytics and monitoring tools

    Cons:

    • Can be complex to configure and manage

    • Higher cost for smaller organizations

    Pricing

    Apigee features pay-as-you-go pricing as well as subscription-based pricing based on your needs.IIO_CTA_square (9)

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    10. SwaggerHub

    Key Features:

    • Smart API editor
    • OpenAPI specification compliance
    • Easy-to-use integrations

    SwaggerHub is a powerful API management platform that helps teams design, develop, and maintain high-quality APIs. It features an intuitive editor that complies with OpenAPI specifications (OAS).

    The platform facilitates the entire API lifecycle from a central internal repository hosted on the cloud, with automated notifications, API versioning, and secure integrations for easy deployment.

    You can use SwaggerHub to simplify the API design and management process, as its comprehensive set of features and capabilities allow for faster and safer collaborative API development.

    Pros:

    • Easy-to-use platform for API design and documentation

    • Collaborative features for API teams

    • Integrates well with other tools like Swagger UI and codegen

    Cons:

    • Limited advanced API management features

    • Occasional UI performance issues reported

    Pricing

    SwaggerHub offers a free plan as well as two other pricing plans: Team and Enterprise. The Team plan starts at $79 per month.

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    11. Dell Boomi

    Key Features:

    • Full API lifecycle management
    • Easy-to-use interface
    • API monitoring

    Using an intelligent, user-friendly interface, Boomi allows organizations to configure and expose real-time integrations via APIs and third-party services. You can use it to corral data access and effortlessly publish and govern APIs, whether they're on-premise or in the cloud.

    The platform can help developers create composite applications across mobile, social, and IoT networks, while Boomi's API Developer Portal streamlines data access from existing apps.

    Pros:

    • Cloud-native integration platform with a wide range of connectors

    • Easy to use low-code development environment

    • Strong support for hybrid integrations

    Cons:

    • Pricing can be high for smaller businesses

    • Can be slow with very large or complex integrations

    Pricing

    Dell Boomi pricing is subscription-based. You'll pay based on your needs and specific features.

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    12. Kong Konnect

    Key Features:

    • Multi-cloud API management
    • Powerful built-in plugins for security and traffic control
    • Robust customer support

    Kong Konnect is an end-to-end SaaS API lifecycle management platform designed to simplify multi-cloud API management. It helps organizations securely connect services at scale across multiple environments.

    The platform allows you to implement consistent configuration and policies at scale by organizing your runtimes, services, teams, and environments into logical groups.

    Kong Konnect also streamlines API security, compliance, and user management by allowing you to apply API security best practices and meet compliance mandates with customizable controls and plugins. 

    Pros:

    • Lightweight and modular with customizable plugins

    • Excellent support and scalability

    Cons:

    • Complex and multi-dimensional pricing model, making it challenging to predict costs and budget effectively.

    • High cost for API calls and gateway services, which can be expensive for large-scale or microservices-heavy deployments.

    • Vendor lock-in risk due to proprietary technologies and pricing structures that complicate migration to other platforms.

    • Requires significant developer focus, less business-user friendly, and can have documentation issues or dependency on beta plugins.

    Pricing

    You can get started with Kong Konnect for free. Other plans include Plus and Enterprise. The Plus plan starts at $250 per service/month.

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    13. WSO2

    Key Features:

    • Open-source platform
    • OAuth, OpenID, Connect, and JWT standards available out of the box
    • Full API lifecycle management

    WSO2 API Manager is an open-source platform that helps organizations design, publish, and manage APIs. You can use it to expose APIs to internal and external consumers, implement industry-standard authorization flows, and even integrate with existing identity access or key management tools.

    The platform also provides design and runtime governance for the entire lifecycle of APIs, allowing you to build APIs from existing services, manage APIs from internally built applications and third-party providers, and monitor their usage and performance from inception to retirement.

    Pros:

    • Open-source API management and integration platform

    • Highly customizable and extensible

    • Strong community support

    Cons:

    • Requires technical expertise for setup and Maintenance

    • User interface less modern compared to competitors

    Pricing

    Non-commercial users can use WSO2 for free. However, companies can subscribe to WSO2 to unlock additional features. Interested users must contact the sales team for pricing information.

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    14. TIBCO

    Key Features:

    • Centralized API management
    • Best-in-class API security features
    • Public cloud, private cloud, or on-premise deployment

    TIBCO Cloud API Management is an end-to-end solution with full lifecycle API management capabilities. You can deploy it on any public or private cloud, or containerized on-premise. And since it's compatible with any PaaS, you can use it to manage APIs from virtually anywhere.

    The platform offers a codeless environment for Visual API Modeling, which generates OpenAPI and AsyncAPI documents for easy service exploration and testing. This allows you to create APIs without writing a single line of code, a feature that’s hard to find in other API management tools.

    Pros:

    • Strong integration and analytics capabilities

    • Scalable enterprise solutions

    • Good support for multiple data formats and protocols

    Cons:

    • Steep learning curve for new users

    • Pricing can be prohibitive for smaller companies

    Pricing

    TIBCO offers flexible pricing plans, including a 30-day free trial. The Basic plan starts at $500 a month, and costs increase from there.

    Comparison of Top AI Management Tools

    Tool Type/Category Connectors & Integrations Services Offered API Lifecycle Management Data Transformation Deployment Options Scalability Ease of Use (UI/UX) Real-Time Capabilities Security & Compliance Monitoring & Analytics Pricing Model Target Users
    Integrate.io ETL/ELT iPaaS 200+ prebuilt connectors ETL/ELT, Reverse ETL, CDC, data pipelines Limited (API proxying, not full API mgmt) Strong (visual + SQL/no-code) Cloud-native SaaS High Very easy, no-code Yes (near real-time via CDC) SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA Alerts, monitoring, logging Connector-based pricing Data teams, mid-market
    MuleSoft (Anypoint) iPaaS + API Mgmt Very large connector library (Anypoint Exchange) ESB, iPaaS, API Mgmt, microservices Full lifecycle (design, build, secure, publish) Advanced, reusable templates Cloud, hybrid, on-prem Enterprise-grade Moderate (steep learning curve) Yes Strong enterprise-grade Rich analytics & monitoring Enterprise licensing Large enterprises
    IBM API Connect API Mgmt Strong IBM connectors API gateway, developer portal, analytics Full lifecycle mgmt Limited ETL, focuses on API mediation Cloud, on-prem, hybrid Enterprise-level Moderate Yes Advanced policy/security Built-in analytics, usage tracking Enterprise pricing Enterprises, regulated industries
    IBM App Connect iPaaS/ESB Broad IBM + third-party Data integration, messaging, workflow automation Partial (API exposure) Graphical mapping Cloud, container-native High Visual, easier than API Connect Yes Strong Monitoring via IBM tools Enterprise pricing Large orgs, IBM-heavy stack
    Jitterbit iPaaS + API 500+ connectors API integration, EDI, ETL/ELT, AI tools API mgmt + integration Low-code mapping Cloud, hybrid, on-prem Strong Easy drag-and-drop Yes Compliance focus (GDPR, HIPAA) Real-time monitoring Subscription tiers Mid-market to enterprise
    Azure API Mgmt API Mgmt Tight Azure + 3rd party API gateway, developer portal, monetization Full lifecycle mgmt Limited Azure cloud only Very high Moderate Yes Strong (AAD, RBAC) Azure Monitor integration Usage-based Enterprises on Azure
    Workato iPaaS/Automation 1,000+ connectors Workflow automation, integration, API Limited API mgmt (focus on automation) Low-code automation recipes Cloud-native SaaS High Very easy Near real-time triggers SOC 2, HIPAA Monitoring dashboards Usage-based (tasks) Business users & IT
    SAP Integration Suite iPaaS + API Mgmt SAP + non-SAP connectors Integration flows, API mgmt (Apigee OEM), B2B/EDI Full lifecycle mgmt Prebuilt SAP mappings Cloud, hybrid Enterprise Moderate Yes Strong, enterprise-grade Analytics dashboards Enterprise licensing SAP customers
    Postman API Dev/Test REST, GraphQL, SOAP APIs API design, mock servers, testing, documentation Limited (design & test, not full mgmt) None (testing only) Cloud + desktop app Scales with teams Very easy N/A OAuth, secure collaboration API usage reporting Free + tiered plans Developers, QA
    Apigee (Google) API Mgmt Wide ecosystem, GCP focus API gateway, monetization, developer portal Full lifecycle mgmt Limited Cloud (GCP), hybrid Very high Moderate Yes Strong enterprise-grade Detailed analytics Subscription tiers Enterprises
    SwaggerHub API Design API standards (OpenAPI, AsyncAPI) API design, documentation, mock servers Design & collaboration (not gateway) None Cloud & on-prem Scales with teams Easy N/A Role-based access Collaboration metrics Tiered pricing Dev teams
    Dell Boomi iPaaS + API Mgmt 1,500+ connectors ETL/ELT, API mgmt, workflow automation Full API mgmt Low-code mapping Cloud, hybrid High User-friendly Yes HIPAA, GDPR Built-in monitoring Subscription pricing Mid-to-large enterprises
    Kong Konnect API Gateway Plugins & extensions API gateway, service mesh, API mgmt Full lifecycle mgmt Limited Cloud, hybrid, on-prem Very high Developer-oriented Yes Strong, zero-trust support Real-time metrics Usage-based Cloud-native orgs
    WSO2 Open-source API & ESB Many connectors via community API mgmt, ESB, identity server Full lifecycle mgmt Moderate Cloud, on-prem High Moderate Yes Strong, customizable Monitoring add-ons Open-source + enterprise Dev & IT teams
    TIBCO iPaaS/ESB Large connector catalog API mgmt, event streaming, analytics Full lifecycle mgmt Strong data transformation Cloud, on-prem, hybrid Enterprise-grade Moderate Yes Strong compliance Rich dashboards Enterprise pricing Large enterprises

    Effectively Manage Your APIs With Integrate.io

    Managing your APIs doesn't have to be complicated. Generate, manage, secure, and monitor your APIs with Integrate.io. Try the platform for yourself by signing up for a free demo today!

    API Management FAQs

    Why Is API Management Important?

    API management is crucial for businesses to ensure their APIs' security, scalability, and governance while providing a seamless developer experience and enabling integration between systems.

    What Is an Example of API Management?

    One example of API management is using an API gateway, which acts as a mediator between API consumers and backend services, enabling businesses to manage and secure their APIs at a single point of entry. An API gateway manages incoming and outgoing API requests and enforces security policies.

    For example, let's say you have an e-commerce website that needs to connect to payment providers to process payments. Instead of connecting directly to each payment provider, the e-commerce website can connect to an API gateway, which checks each payment request to ensure it's valid and secure.

    The API gateway can also provide additional features, such as caching and request throttling, to improve the overall payment processing performance.

    How Do You Choose an API Management Platform?

    The best course of action when choosing an API management platform is to create a short list of the tools we have covered so far, request demos to see how they fit your needs, start a trial, and then decide which one is best for you.

    What are the best API management tools with advanced data transformation features?

    • Integrate.io: Offers automated API generation paired with powerful data transformation capabilities within a low-code interface, ideal for simplifying complex API-based pipelines.

    • MuleSoft (Anypoint Platform): Enterprise-grade integration suite, featuring rich data mapping, business logic orchestration, and API lifecycle control for advanced transformation needs.

    • Jitterbit: Provides low-code API design combined with data transformation, real-time analytics, and automation, great for integrating systems with minimal coding.

    Which API management platforms are suitable for complex data pipeline automation?

    • MuleSoft: Built for complex enterprise ecosystems, its integration and API orchestration tools support intricate workflows across hybrid architectures.

    • Integrate.io: Enables end-to-end data pipeline automation using API-based connectors, transformation logic, and flow scheduling, all through a visual, no-code interface.

    • Boomi (Dell Boomi): Offers a unified API management and integration platform tailored for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, enabling automated, reliable data workflows.

    What are the top API management tools for real-time data workflows?

    • Boomi: Supports real-time analytics and monitoring of API usage, with low-latency routing and automation for real-time data delivery.

    • MuleSoft: Designed for real-time data synchronization, with APIs integrated into event-driven architectures for instant data propagation.

    • Integrate.io: Delivers real-time or near real-time API-driven ETL, enabling seamless real-time workflows via automated, secure pipelines.