Tyk API Gateway is a high-performance, open-source API gateway written in Go, designed to secure, manage, and monitor APIs across multiple protocols including REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and TCP. Originally developed in 2014, it has evolved into one of the fastest API gateways available, serving thousands of organizations in industries like Open Banking and cloud-native applications. Tyk is built for developers and DevOps teams who need a lightweight, scalable gateway with no feature lockout — offering full access to core API management capabilities like authentication, rate limiting, and analytics without requiring a commercial license. It integrates seamlessly with Kubernetes via the Tyk Operator and supports deployment through Docker, Helm, Ansible, and direct source compilation.
Tyk’s architecture is designed for production use with hitless reloads, granular access control, and extensible plugin support. Its open-source version (MPL 2.0 licensed) provides a complete API gateway stack, while commercial features are available in the enterprise edition (ee folder). The gateway is used by Tyk Technologies to protect its own APIs and is ideal for teams building microservices, exposing APIs to partners, or managing API lifecycles in cloud environments.
What You Get
- Multi-protocol support - Native handling of REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and TCP APIs with protocol-specific transformation and proxying capabilities.
- Batteries-included API management - Built-in authentication (JWT, OIDC, Basic Auth, bearer tokens, client certificates), rate limiting, quotas, and analytics without requiring external plugins.
- OpenAPI/Swagger import - Import existing OAS 2.0 and OAS 3.0.1 definitions to automatically scaffold API configurations in Tyk.
- Content mediation - Transform request and response headers, body content, or convert between protocols (e.g., SOAP to GraphQL) using Tyk’s middleware engine.
- Extensible plugin architecture - Write custom middleware in Go, Python, JavaScript, or any gRPC-compatible language to extend gateway behavior.
- Rate limiting and quotas - Enforce per-key, per-endpoint, or global rate limits to protect upstream services from overload.
- Hitless reloads - Dynamically update API configurations and restart the gateway without dropping active requests.
- Kubernetes-native deployment - Use the Tyk Operator to define APIs, policies, and auth configurations as Kubernetes Custom Resources.
- IP allowlisting/blocklisting - Restrict API access by source IP address on a per-API or per-version basis.
- CORS configuration - Enable cross-origin resource sharing for browser-based clients with fine-grained origin, header, and method control.
- Webhooks - Trigger HTTP callbacks on events like quota violations, authentication failures, or API key creation.
Common Use Cases
- Building a multi-tenant SaaS platform with isolated API access - Use Tyk’s granular access control and per-tenant rate limits to manage hundreds of customers accessing the same backend services with distinct quotas and authentication methods.
- Exposing microservices as APIs in a cloud-native environment - Deploy Tyk on Kubernetes with the Tyk Operator to define and manage APIs using YAML manifests, integrating seamlessly with Helm charts and CI/CD pipelines.
- Migrating legacy SOAP services to modern GraphQL interfaces - Use Tyk’s content mediation to transform incoming GraphQL requests into SOAP payloads and vice versa without modifying upstream services.
- DevOps teams managing API gateways across staging, QA, and production - Leverage Tyk Sync to version-control API definitions in Git and automate deployments across environments.
- Securing internal APIs with OIDC and client certificates - Enforce enterprise-grade authentication using identity providers like Keycloak or Azure AD via Tyk’s OIDC integration, with mutual TLS for machine-to-machine communication.
- High-throughput API ingestion for IoT or financial data - Utilize Tyk’s low-latency, single-CPU performance to handle thousands of RPS from IoT devices or real-time trading systems without horizontal scaling.
Under The Hood
The Tyk Gateway is a high-performance, modular API gateway built with Go that serves as a comprehensive solution for managing and securing APIs. It supports advanced features like versioning, analytics, authentication, and extensibility through custom plugins.
Architecture
Tyk follows a well-structured monolithic architecture with clear module boundaries and separation of concerns.
- The system is organized into distinct functional modules handling configuration, storage, analytics, and security
- Configuration-driven design allows flexible deployment across various environments
- Dependency injection and plugin architecture support extensibility and customization
Tech Stack
Built primarily in Go, Tyk leverages modern infrastructure and tooling for scalable API management.
- The core is implemented in Go with extensive use of the standard library and ecosystem modules
- Redis integration provides caching, session management, and state persistence
- Docker and Taskfile support containerization and task automation for development and deployment
- Comprehensive test suites utilize Go’s native testing framework with strong coverage across components
Code Quality
Tyk demonstrates mature code practices with consistent testing and error handling patterns.
- Extensive test coverage ensures reliability across core API and middleware functionalities
- Error handling uses consistent wrapping and validation practices throughout the codebase
- Code follows Go conventions with well-defined structure and naming standards
- Some legacy components show signs of technical debt and duplicated logic that could be refactored
What Makes It Unique
Tyk distinguishes itself through its advanced API management capabilities and extensibility model.
- Unique support for OpenAPI and GraphQL integration sets it apart from generic gateways
- Advanced API versioning and management features provide granular control over API lifecycle
- Coprocess architecture enables custom logic without modifying core gateway code