head to head · open source
openapi-generator vs Apache APISIX
openapi-generator has 26,745 GitHub stars, 7,674 forks, 5,751 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Apache APISIX has 17,135 stars, 2,946 forks, 235 open issues and last shipped yesterday. openapi-generator leads on adoption by 56% (26,745 vs 17,135 stars). openapi-generator is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Apache APISIX is written in Lua under Apache-2.0. openapi-generator has attracted 29% as many forks as stars, Apache APISIX 17%. openapi-generator was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (api), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| openapi-generator | Apache APISIX | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 27K | ★ 17K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Lua |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 7.7K | ⑂ 2.9K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick openapi-generator if
- You weight community size — 27K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Apache APISIX if
- You want the Apache APISIX feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Lua
- You evaluated both and Apache APISIX fits your workflow better
About openapi-generator
OpenAPI Generator is an Apache 2.0 licensed Java tool that generates API client libraries, server stubs, documentation, and configuration automatically from an OpenAPI Specification, and it is built for development teams that keep a machine readable API description and want generated code to stay in step with it.
read the full openapi-generator overview →
About Apache APISIX
Apache APISIX is a dynamic, real time, high performance API gateway and AI gateway built on NGINX and etcd. It provides rich traffic management features, such as load balancing, dynamic upstream, canary release, circuit breaking, authentication, and observability. The project lives in the Lua and LuaJIT ecosystem, and it uses the Apache 2.0 license.
read the full Apache APISIX overview →
More in Developer Tools
Related comparisons
More API Development & Testing projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the API Development & Testing field.
Frequently asked questions
Is openapi-generator or Apache APISIX more popular?
openapi-generator has 26,745 GitHub stars and Apache APISIX has 17,135. openapi-generator has the larger community by that measure.
Are openapi-generator and Apache APISIX free?
Both are open source. openapi-generator is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Apache APISIX under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between openapi-generator and Apache APISIX?
openapi-generator is written in Java and Apache APISIX in Lua. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, openapi-generator or Apache APISIX?
Choose openapi-generator if you want the larger community (26,745 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Apache APISIX if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.