Difference between API Gateway, Load Balancer, and Reverse Proxy
Below are the differences between API gateway, Load Balancer and Reverse Proxy.
Feature |
API Gateway |
Load Balancer |
Reverse Proxy |
---|---|---|---|
Functionality |
API management, security, and orchestration |
Traffic distribution and load balancer |
Client-server communication mediation |
Protocol Support |
HTTP, HTTPS, REST, SOAP, gRPC, etc. |
TCP, UDP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, etc. |
HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, etc. |
Routing |
Based on API endpoints and paths |
Based on predefined algorithms |
Based on URL patterns and rules |
Scalability |
Handles API-specific traffic |
Distributes all types of traffic |
Handles HTTP/HTTPS traffic |
Security |
Offers security features like authentication, authorization, and rate limiting |
Primarily focuses on traffic distribution and SSL termination |
Enhances security by hiding backend servers |
Performance |
Includes additional processing for API management tasks |
Directs traffic efficiently based on load balancing algorithms |
Balances load and improves response times |
Load Balancing Algorithms |
N/A |
Round Robin, Least Connections, IP Hash, Least Response Time, etc. |
N/A |
SSL/TLS Offloading |
Handles SSL/TLS termination |
May handle SSL/TLS offloading |
Handles SSL/TLS termination |
Centralized Management |
Provides a central interface for managing APIs |
May offer centralized configuration for load balancing settings |
N/A |
API Versioning Support |
Facilitates versioning and backward compatibility |
May support version-based routing |
N/A |
Web Application Firewall |
Includes WAF for API security |
May incorporate WAF for application security |
May include WAF for enhanced security |
API Gateway vs. Load Balancer vs. Reverse proxy
In System Design, several terms often come up that can be confusing: Through the use of API Gateway, Load Balancer, and Reverse Proxy. This article explains each of these terms to understand what they are, and their differences.
Important Topics for API Gateway vs. Load Balancer vs. Reverse proxy
- What is API Gateway?
- What is a Load Balancer?
- What is a Reverse Proxy?
- Difference between API Gateway, Load Balancer, and Reverse Proxy
- Use Cases of API Gateway, Load Balancer, and Reverse Proxy
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