The Consul API Gateway is an implementation of the Kubernetes Gateway API that provides a single entry point that routes public requests to services within the service mesh.
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# Consul Compared to Other API Gateways
**Examples**: Kong Gateway, Apigee, Mulesoft, Gravitee
The [Consul API Gateway](/docs/api-gateway) is an implementation of the [Kubernetes Gateway API](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/). Traditionally, API gateways are used for two things: _client traffic management_ and _API lifecycle management_.
Client traffic management refers to an API gateway's role in controlling the point of entry for public traffic into a given environment, also known as _managing north-south traffic_. The Consul API Gateway is deployed alongside Consul service mesh and is responsible for routing inbound client requests to the mesh based on defined routes. For a full list of supported traffic management features, refer to the [Consul API Gateway documentation](/docs/api-gateway).
API lifecycle management refers to how application developers use an API gateway to deploy, iterate, and manage versions of an API. At this time, the Consul API Gateway does not support API lifecycle management.
