Enterprise application integration is a critical part of software development. With myriads of integration products available in the market, it is challenging for organizations to identify and select the one most suitable for their application modernization and digital transformation efforts.

Two most popular middleware platforms for enterprise integration are WSO2 and MuleSoft. Both of them help organizations connect data, applications, and systems across different environments to deliver what the business needs.

This blog provides a practical overview of both products across development, deployment, and pricing features along with a quick comparison guide to help enterprises make the right product decision.

WSO2 – Product Overview

WSO2 is an open-source technology provider offering an integrated platform for application programming interface (API) management, enterprise integration, and identity and access management (IAM).

Development – WSO2 provides three components to meet different application development needs. These are:

• WSO2 APIM – This is the API gateway and management tool of the platform. WSO2 API Manager (WSO2 APIM) supports all the required API lifecycle management features like security, throttling, authentication, authorization, role-based access control (RBAC), API monetization, and multi-tenancy to effectively publish and manage APIs.
• WSO2 EI – This tool deals with enterprise integration. WSO2 Enterprise Integrator (WSO2 EI) provides a rich set of connectors that enable application integration and orchestration as well as EAI capabilities like message routing and transformation.
• WSO2 IS – WSO2 Identity Server (WS02 IS) offers robust support for identity and access management capabilities such as single sign on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), as well as federated and adaptive authentication.

Deployment and performance – WSO2 products can be deployed on-premises, on cloud, or in a hybrid model to support scalable and highly available deployment patterns. With on-premises deployment, users have better control over customizing and configuring products as per their business needs.

Pricing – WSO2 has a community (open-source) version and an enterprise support version with the same capabilities. The subscription costs for the enterprise support version are lower and includes three pre-production environments, 24/7 support, enterprise connectors, and different deployment options without additional cost.

Training, support, and documentation – The vendor provides strong 24/7 support, and their technical support team works closely with clients to resolve issues. The training portal contains training modules on all the WSO2 products, backed by thorough documentation.

MuleSoft – Product Overview

MuleSoft, a Salesforce company, provides an integration platform and follows API-led architecture to help businesses connect applications, data, and devices across on-premises and cloud infrastructure.

Development – MuleSoft’s development suite comprises the following components:

• Mule ESB – Mule Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) is the integration layer to connect applications together.
• Anypoint Studio – This is MuleSoft’s robust integrated development environment (IDE) with a rich set of out-of-the-box (OOTB) connectors that support enterprise application integration (EAI) and connect with third-party systems.
• Anypoint Platform – This is the web application where the APIs built in Anypoint Studio are deployed through the runtime manager. Users can publish business APIs using the API Manager in accordance with API management policies that can be used by the end-users.

Deployment and performance – MuleSoft’s API Manager runs on a Mule-hosted cloud environment. While users do not have complete control of this environment and API Manager, the integration layer (Mule ESB) supports on-premises deployment as well as on cloud that enables better user control, thereby offering scalability and high availability options.

Pricing – The subscription fees and total cost of ownership (TCO) in MuleSoft are high. Access to each environment, support, and premium connectors comes at an additional cost.

Training, support, and documentation – Backed by Salesforce, MuleSoft provides high-quality training, support, and documentation.

Choosing Between WSO2 and MuleSoft

While both MuleSoft and WSO2 are strong middleware contenders, organizations must choose between them based on their specific business scenarios. A quick comparison is provided below.

• For pricing, WSO2 has the open-source advantage and aligns easily with the IT budgets of organizations looking to begin their digital transformation journey.
• For API management, WSO2 APIM has an edge due to its rich features, customizations, and deployment options. It has also been frequently named a ‘Leader’ in Forrester Wave reports for strong API lifecycle management features.
• For IAM, WSO2 Identity Server is a clear winner, as MuleSoft does not provide any IAM product.
• For enterprise integration, Mule ESB is more robust and its OOTB connectors ensure ease of development.
• For training and documentation, MuleSoft offers an advantage with superior training modules, documentation and online community support compared to WSO2.

Understanding the key features of MuleSoft and WSO2 can help organizations choose the enterprise application integration platform that is best suited to their needs and priorities in order to achieve their growth objectives.