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Comparison

SatGate vs Zuplo

Both are gateways for APIs and MCP. Here is where they differ.

TL;DR

Zuplo is a gateway for APIs, AI and MCP, with spend caps for LLM traffic, API monetization plans and an MCP gateway. SatGate focuses on per-tool budgets for your agents' MCP calls, payment from external agents in Lightning or USDC on the routes you choose, and signed receipts anyone can check.

Feature Comparison

FeatureSatGateZuplo
Hard budget enforcementfor LLM traffic
Per-tool cost attribution
Credit budgets with a configurable unit
MCP Server Handler
Traditional API gateway
Rate limiting
GraphQL-to-MCP
SOC 2 certified
API monetization plans and metering
Open source
Self-hosted option

Key Differences

Economic Controls

SatGate

Purpose-built for agent economics. Hard budget caps, per-tool cost profiles, spend governance, fiat-denominated budget governance, and charging external agents in Lightning or USDC.

Zuplo

Gateway for APIs, AI and MCP. Auth, rate limits, spend caps for LLM traffic, and API monetization plans.

MCP Approach

SatGate

MCP + economics. Parse MCP tool calls, apply per-tool cost profiles, enforce budgets at the tool level. Cost attribution by tool name.

Zuplo

MCP exposure. Turn your existing APIs into MCP tools with their Server Handler. Great for making APIs agent-accessible.

Deployment Model

SatGate

Open-core. Use SatGate Cloud, or run it on your own servers with Enterprise.

Zuplo

Managed or self-hosted. Managed edge, managed dedicated, or self-hosted on Kubernetes.

When to Use Each

Use SatGate when...

  • You need to control what agents spend on your APIs
  • You want per-tool cost attribution for MCP calls
  • You're monetizing API access with micropayments
  • You need self-hosted deployment in your infrastructure
  • You want open-source transparency and auditability

Use Zuplo when...

  • You need a mature, SOC 2 certified API gateway
  • You want to expose existing APIs as MCP tools quickly
  • You have GraphQL APIs to convert to MCP
  • You want a managed edge gateway, with dedicated and self-hosted options
  • Your primary need is traditional API management

Where SatGate fits

SatGate gives each agent its own token with a budget and allowed tools, which it can hand on, smaller, to a helper. On the routes you choose, external agents pay in Lightning or USDC before they get in.

FAQ

SatGate vs Zuplo questions

What is the main difference between SatGate and Zuplo?

Zuplo is a gateway for APIs, AI and MCP, with spend caps for LLM traffic, API monetization plans and an MCP gateway. SatGate focuses on per-tool budgets for your agents’ MCP calls, scoped delegation, payment from external agents in Lightning or USDC, and signed receipts anyone can check.

Does rate limiting replace economic controls for AI agents?

No. Rate limits control request volume, not business cost. AI agents need dollar-denominated, per-agent, and per-tool controls so expensive calls can be capped before spend occurs.

Can SatGate work with an existing API gateway like Zuplo?

Yes. SatGate can be deployed as the economic policy layer in front of, behind, or alongside an existing API gateway so teams can keep API management while adding agent spend governance.

Ready to add economic controls?

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