AWS API Gateway Cost Calculator & Pricing Guide
API Gateway is the front door for Lambda-backed APIs — but its pricing model has several components that can surprise teams at scale. This guide breaks down REST vs HTTP API costs, caching economics, data transfer charges, and when to switch to alternatives.
API Gateway Pricing Comparison
| API Type | First Tier (per M req) | Higher Volume | Caching Available | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REST API (v1) | $3.50 | $2.80 (333M+) | Yes ($0.02-$3.80/hr) | Full features, WAF, usage plans |
| HTTP API (v2) | $1.00 | $0.90 (300M+) | No | JWT auth, CORS, 71% cheaper |
| WebSocket API | $1.00/M msgs | $0.80/M msgs | No | Real-time bidirectional |
Monthly Cost Estimator
| Monthly Requests | REST API Cost | HTTP API Cost | Savings with HTTP API |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 million | $3.50 | $1.00 | $2.50 (71%) |
| 10 million | $35.00 | $10.00 | $25.00 (71%) |
| 100 million | $350.00 | $100.00 | $250.00 (71%) |
| 1 billion | $3,080.00 | $910.00 | $2,170.00 (70%) |
Creating an HTTP API (Cheapest Option)
# AWS CLI — create HTTP API (v2, $1/M requests)
aws apigatewayv2 create-api \
--name my-http-api \
--protocol-type HTTP \
--cors-configuration AllowOrigins=["*"],AllowMethods=["GET","POST"],AllowHeaders=["Content-Type","Authorization"]
# Create Lambda integration
aws apigatewayv2 create-integration \
--api-id $API_ID \
--integration-type AWS_PROXY \
--integration-uri arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123456789:function:my-function \
--payload-format-version 2.0
# Serverless Framework — HTTP API (default in v3)
functions:
api:
handler: src/handler.ts
events:
- httpApi: # HTTP API (v2) — $1/M
path: /users
method: GET
# Use 'http' for REST API (v1) — $3.50/M
# - http:
# path: /users
# method: GETAPI Gateway vs ALB vs CloudFront
| Option | Base Cost | Per Request | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| API GW HTTP API | $0/mo min | $1.00/M | Serverless APIs, low traffic |
| ALB + Lambda | ~$16/mo min | ~$0.008/LCU-hr | High traffic, steady load |
| Lambda Function URL | $0/mo min | Lambda cost only | Direct Lambda, no routing needed |
Cost Optimization: Enable Caching
# REST API with caching (reduces Lambda invocations)
# serverless.yml
provider:
apiGateway:
restApiId: !Ref ApiGatewayRestApi
shouldStartNameWithService: true
custom:
apiGatewayThrottling:
maxRequestsPerSecond: 1000
maxConcurrentRequests: 500
functions:
getUser:
handler: src/getUser.handler
events:
- http:
path: /users/{id}
method: GET
caching:
enabled: true
cacheKeyParameters:
- name: request.path.id
ttlInSeconds: 300 # 5 min cache
# Cache size 0.5GB = $0.020/hour = $14.40/month
# If cache reduces 80% of 10M requests: saves $2.80/month on Lambda
# ROI: needs ~500K requests/day to justify 0.5GB cacheRelated Products
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What is the difference between REST API and HTTP API in API Gateway?▼
REST API (v1) is the original API Gateway type offering full features: usage plans, API keys, request/response mapping templates, caching, WAF integration, and custom authorizers. HTTP API (v2) is a newer, cheaper, faster alternative with fewer features but 71% lower cost. HTTP APIs support JWT authorizers, Lambda integrations, and CORS natively. For most new Lambda-backed APIs, HTTP API is the better choice unless you need caching, usage plans, or complex mapping templates.
How much does API Gateway cost per million requests?▼
REST API costs $3.50 per million requests in us-east-1 (first 333M/month), then $2.80/million. HTTP API costs $1.00 per million for the first 300M/month, then $0.90/million. WebSocket API costs $1.00 per million connection-minutes plus $1.00/million messages. HTTP API is 71% cheaper than REST API for most workloads.
Does API Gateway charge for data transfer?▼
API Gateway charges for data transfer out to the internet at standard AWS rates ($0.09/GB for the first 10TB). Requests from within AWS (same region) to API Gateway are free. For high-bandwidth APIs returning large responses, this data transfer cost can exceed the per-request cost. Use compression (gzip/brotli), response pagination, and caching to minimize data transfer.
How does API Gateway caching work and what does it cost?▼
REST API (not HTTP API) supports response caching with a configurable TTL. Cache sizes range from 0.5GB ($0.020/hour) to 237GB ($3.800/hour). Caching can dramatically reduce Lambda invocations and latency. Cache hits return stored responses without invoking Lambda. Consider caching if you have repeated identical requests with stable responses — the cache cost often pays for itself by reducing Lambda invocations.
Is API Gateway cheaper than ALB for Lambda backends?▼
Application Load Balancer (ALB) costs $0.008/LCU-hour plus $0.0065/hour base (~$4.75/month minimum). For low-traffic APIs (under 1M requests/month), API Gateway HTTP API is often cheaper — no minimum hourly cost. For high-traffic APIs (10M+ requests/month), ALB becomes cost-competitive and offers features like sticky sessions and health checks. CloudFront + Lambda Function URL is another option for global APIs.
What are the API Gateway request and payload size limits?▼
API Gateway limits: Maximum integration timeout is 29 seconds (REST/HTTP API). Maximum request payload is 10MB (REST) or 10MB (HTTP). Maximum response payload is 10MB. For larger payloads or longer timeouts, use S3 pre-signed URLs for file uploads, and Step Functions or SQS for async long-running operations triggered via API Gateway.