Microsoft MCP Gateway and Azure API ManagementMicrosoft | Datasheet DS-012 | Rev 2026-11-03 |
| Total 4.85 / 10 | Ranks twelfth of 14 | |
| Status: MCP Gateway is open source (MIT); MCP support documented in Azure API Management. | ||
In short: Microsoft scores 4.85 out of 10 and ranks twelfth of 14 in this guide. Its strongest area is deployment, and its weakest is human approval. Deployment is listed as Open source or Azure. MCP Gateway is free under MIT; Azure API Management is billed separately. Each score below has a reason and a dated source.
Features
- Kubernetes MCP gateway with control and data plane
- Entra ID authentication and RBAC
- Managed identity for backend access
- MCP servers exposed and governed in API Management
- Private MCP registry through Azure API Center
Specifications
| Parameter | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Open source gateway plus managed API gateway | [ms-gw] |
| Licence | MIT (MCP Gateway) | [ms-gw] |
| Auth | Entra ID JWT, RBAC | [ms-gw] |
| Registry | Azure API Center | [ms-apim] |
| Price as published | Gateway free; API Management billed by Azure | [ms-apim] |
How does Microsoft score on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Reason | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 Identity-bound per-call authorization | 25 | 5 | Requests are validated with Entra ID JWTs and RBAC at the adapter level, but per-call checks on whom an agent acts for are not described. | [ms-gw][ms-apim] |
| G2 Credential brokering | 20 | 4 | Managed identity gives the gateway credential-less access to Azure backends, but per-call brokering for agents was not described. | [ms-gw] |
| G3 Human approval and escalation | 15 | 2 | No human approval step was found. | [ms-gw][ms-apim] |
| G4 Server registry and discovery | 10 | 6 | Azure API Center offers a private MCP server registry. | [ms-apim] |
| G5 Audit evidence | 10 | 5 | API Management monitoring is documented, but per-call logs tied to a person were not confirmed. | [ms-apim] |
| G6 Standards | 10 | 6 | JWT validation with Entra ID or other providers and OAuth for backends are documented. | [ms-apim] |
| G7 Deployment and buying clarity | 10 | 8 | The MCP Gateway is MIT open source; API Management is a paid Azure service. | [ms-gw][ms-apim] |
| Total | 100 | 4.85 | Sum of score times weight, divided by 100. | |
Typical deployment
Self-hosted on Kubernetes, or managed through Azure API Management.
Pricing as published
MCP Gateway free under MIT; API Management billed as an Azure service.
Works alongside your identity provider?
Yes. Entra ID is the documented identity provider, and API Management accepts JWTs from other providers. [ms-gw][ms-apim]
Frequently asked questions
- Does Microsoft work alongside my identity provider?
- Yes. Entra ID is the documented identity provider, and API Management accepts JWTs from other providers.
- How is Microsoft deployed?
- Self-hosted on Kubernetes, or managed through Azure API Management.
- What does Microsoft cost?
- MCP Gateway free under MIT; API Management billed as an Azure service.
How does it compare?
Revision history
| Rev | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-11-03 | First issue of this datasheet. |
Sources
- microsoft/mcp-gateway README [ms-gw] read 2026-11-03
- Azure API Management: MCP servers [ms-apim] read 2026-11-03
By The Datasheet desk · Published and reviewed 2026-11-03