Free Open-Source CLI Tools for API Management

API management used to mean a GUI console and a vendor invoice. That still exists, but much of the real work now happens from the terminal: define routes, plugins, and rate limits in configuration, commit it to Git, and let a CLI apply it to the gateway. This avoids dashboard-only changes and reduces drift between reviewed and deployed configuration.

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The open-source angle matters. If you run your own gateway, the license determines what you can self-host, fork, and ship without per-seat costs. Most tools below use Apache 2.0 or MPL 2.0 licenses, so you can run their source on your infrastructure. The practical evaluation criteria are license terms, self-hosting support, repository activity, and how well the CLI fits Git-based delivery.

This is a terminal-first list of open-source gateways with a real command-line workflow:

• Kong Gateway OSS with decK
• Tyk
• KrakenD Community Edition
• Apache APISIX
• Gravitee

For each option, you will see its license, what its CLI actually handles, and commands you can use in a local workflow or CI pipeline. For a broader platform comparison, see the open-source API management tools roundup. If you have not reviewed it before, skim the official Apache 2.0 license text.

One honest note: Apidog appears near the end, but not as an open-source entry. It is a commercial product with a free tier.

What makes a CLI tool “open source” for API management?

Use these three checks before adopting an API management tool.

1. Verify the core license

Look for Apache 2.0, MIT, or MPL 2.0 on the gateway itself, not only its SDKs or surrounding tools.

• Apache 2.0 allows self-hosting and modification with permissive terms.
• MPL 2.0 is file-level copyleft. Changes to MPL-covered files must remain open, while separate proprietary files can coexist with them.
• Source-available and BSL licenses are not equivalent to open source. Read the repository's LICENSE file.

2. Confirm self-hosting is viable

The gateway should run on your infrastructure without depending on a vendor license server. You should control the data plane and be able to deploy it as more than a limited demo edition.

3. Test the Git and CLI workflow

A useful CLI workflow lets you version gateway configuration, review it in pull requests, and apply it in CI. Check commit activity in addition to GitHub stars.

For the broader concepts involved, see what API management actually covers.

Kong Gateway OSS with decK

Kong Gateway OSS is the Apache 2.0-licensed Kong build. Kong Gateway is configured through its Admin API, but for configuration-as-code workflows, use decK.

decK is Kong's declarative configuration CLI. It can export the gateway state to YAML, let you version and review that file, then calculate and apply a sync.

# Export the current Kong configuration
deck gateway dump -o kong.yaml

# Review and commit kong.yaml, then apply it
deck gateway sync kong.yaml

A practical workflow looks like this:

1. Export the initial gateway state with deck gateway dump.
2. Commit kong.yaml to Git.
3. Make route and plugin changes through pull requests.
4. Run deck gateway sync kong.yaml from CI after approval.

Best for: Kong users who want routes and plugins managed as infrastructure as code.

Limits: decK is Kong-specific and manages gateway configuration rather than API design, documentation, or testing. Kong is also a fuller stack than a single-binary gateway.

Tyk

Tyk Gateway is open source under Mozilla Public License 2.0. The core gateway is written in Go and supports REST, GraphQL, TCP, and gRPC.

Its CLI story is focused on plugin packaging. The bundler, included in the gateway binary since v2.8, packages custom middleware into a signed bundle the gateway can load.

# Build a plugin bundle from your manifest and middleware files
tyk bundle build -o bundle.zip

Use this when your gateway behavior depends on custom authentication, request transformation, or similar middleware.

A typical implementation flow is:

1. Add your middleware and bundle manifest.
2. Build the bundle with tyk bundle build.
3. Store the generated bundle as a build artifact.
4. Deploy the bundle alongside your gateway configuration.

Best for: Teams extending Tyk with custom plugins that need repeatable packaging.

Limits: The CLI is primarily for bundling, not full declarative configuration of the gateway. Much Tyk management uses the Gateway API directly or the paid Dashboard.

KrakenD Community Edition

KrakenD Community Edition is an Apache 2.0-licensed, stateless gateway. Its stateless design means it does not require a database: the gateway behavior is defined in configuration files.

The krakend binary validates and runs those configurations.

# Validate and lint the configuration before deployment
krakend check -c krakend.json --lint

# Start the gateway with the validated configuration
krakend run -c krakend.json

Put validation in CI before building or deploying the gateway:

krakend check -c krakend.json --lint && \
krakend run -c krakend.json

For larger deployments, enable Flexible Configuration with FC_ENABLE=1. This lets you split a large configuration into templates and variables so environment-specific values do not duplicate the whole config.

Best for: Stateless, config-as-code gateway deployments where the configuration file is the source of truth.

Limits: Community Edition has no built-in persistence or admin UI. You compose behavior in configuration instead of changing settings through a dashboard.

Apache APISIX

Apache APISIX is a top-level Apache Software Foundation project licensed under Apache 2.0. It provides a control CLI for lifecycle tasks and a REST Admin API for managing routes and plugins.

By default, the Admin API binds to 127.0.0.1. The CLI handles starting, stopping, and reloading the gateway.

# List available lifecycle commands
apisix help

# Start APISIX
apisix start

# Reload configuration without dropping connections
apisix reload

Use apisix reload after changing local configuration when you need to apply changes without a full restart. For runtime route and plugin changes, automate calls to the Admin API.

Best for: Dynamic, high-throughput routing where routes and plugins need runtime updates.

Limits: Route configuration is managed through the Admin API rather than a single declarative CLI sync. A Git-based workflow usually requires scripting Admin API calls or adding a tool such as APISIX ADC.

Gravitee

Gravitee's core API Management platform is open source under Apache 2.0. Community Edition includes:

• APIM Gateway for runtime traffic handling
• APIM API for REST-based management
• APIM Console for administration

The command-line workflow is primarily Docker plus the Management REST API. There is also a community-maintained graviteeio-cli project that wraps the Management API, but it is not a first-party binary. Validate its maintenance status before making it a production dependency.

# Run the self-hosted Gravitee APIM gateway container
docker run --name gravitee-gateway -p 8082:8082 graviteeio/apim-gateway:latest

For automation, treat the Management REST API as the primary integration surface:

1. Run the gateway and management components in your environment.
2. Use the Management API for repeatable provisioning.
3. Keep API definitions and automation scripts in Git.
4. Run those scripts through CI or deployment tooling.

Best for: Teams that want an open-source management layer with a gateway, console, and REST API.

Limits: The first-party automation surface is the Management REST API, not a polished single CLI. The community CLI may help, but it adds a maintenance dependency.

Where Apidog fits—and why it is not on the open-source list

Apidog is not open source, so it does not belong in the gateway list above. It is a commercial product with a free tier.

The distinction is practical: the gateways above manage traffic, routes, plugins, and policies. They do not inherently design an API schema, run endpoint tests, generate documentation, or mock responses before the backend exists.

Without an integrated tool, those tasks can mean combining tools such as Spectral, openapi-generator, a mock server, and Newman. Apidog combines design, testing, mocking, and documentation in one workspace, with apidog-cli for terminal and CI workflows.

# Install and authenticate the Apidog CLI
npm install -g apidog-cli
apidog login --with-token <TOKEN>

# Run a test scenario in CI
# The command exits non-zero on failure
apidog run

The CLI outputs structured JSON with agentHints.nextSteps, making it suitable for CI and AI-agent workflows. For an example pattern, see managing APIs without leaving your AI agents.

It also supports OpenAPI import and export, scenario execution, and command-line mock workflows. See the complete Apidog CLI guide for the command groups.

Treat it as an integrated free-tier tool that can sit next to a self-hosted OSS gateway, not as a replacement for one.

How to choose

Tool	Best for	License	Open source?	CLI / command
Kong Gateway OSS + decK	Kong configuration in Git	Apache 2.0	Yes	deck gateway sync
Tyk	Custom plugin bundling, multi-protocol support	MPL 2.0	Yes	tyk bundle build
KrakenD CE	Stateless config-as-code gateway	Apache 2.0	Yes	krakend run
Apache APISIX	Dynamic high-throughput routing	Apache 2.0	Yes, ASF project	apisix start, apisix reload
Gravitee	Full OSS management layer and console	Apache 2.0	Yes, core platform	Docker CLI / REST API
Apidog CLI	API design, testing, mocking, and docs	Freemium	No	apidog run

Choose based on the workflow you need, not just repository popularity:

• Already running Kong? Use decK to move gateway changes into Git.
• Need a stateless gateway defined entirely by files? Use KrakenD.
• Need dynamic route and plugin changes at runtime? Use APISIX.
• Need a gateway plus management API and console? Use Gravitee.
• Need custom middleware bundles in a multi-protocol gateway? Use Tyk.
• Need API design, testing, mocks, and docs around your gateway workflow? Add Apidog.

For a wider comparison that includes commercial platforms, see the best API management tools for 2026 and this overview of headless API management.

Wrapping up

CLI-driven open-source API management is mature. Kong Gateway OSS with decK, Tyk, KrakenD CE, Apache APISIX, and Gravitee are self-hostable options under Apache 2.0 or MPL 2.0 licenses, with terminal-driven workflows that fit Git review and CI.

Choose the gateway model that matches your deployment process:

• Declarative sync for Kong
• Plugin bundling for Tyk
• Stateless files for KrakenD
• Runtime Admin API control for APISIX
• Gateway plus a management layer for Gravitee

For design, testing, mocking, and documentation workflows that gateways do not cover, download Apidog and run apidog run in your pipeline alongside the OSS gateway you choose.