Azure API Management
Azure API Management came first with 4.5 out of 5 and a perfect features score. It suits teams already on Azure and Microsoft Entra ID, with a free plan and Developer from $50 a month.
We tested Aurinko hands-on for 14 days, from October 18 to October 31, 2026. Like every tool in our API management group, we put the same 3 APIs behind it and checked setup, rate limiting, analytics and the delay it added. Aurinko scored 3 out of 5 overall and came fourth of the seven tools we tested.
It passed 18 of our 30 gateway checks across the 3 APIs and got 9 of 15 rate-limit rules right. Setup took 111 minutes from the docs, which was manageable, and the extra delay it added stayed low at 86 milliseconds for 95% of calls.
Aurinko is really a unified API for email, calendars, contacts and tasks, priced per connected account from $1 a month. It suits developers adding mailbox or calendar features to their own product. Teams after a full API gateway with deep traffic controls will find better options.
How we scored it
Aurinko's five parts were close together. Developer experience, reliability and value each scored 3 out of 5, while performance and features scored 2.5, giving 3 out of 5 overall.
Performance2.5
Developer experience3.0
Features2.5
Reliability3.0
Value for money3.0
Overall score: 3 / 5, the average of the five parts, rounded to the nearest half point.
- Performance (2.5/5): It passed 18 of our 30 gateway checks and got only 9 of 15 rate-limit rules right, though the extra delay was low.
- Developer experience (3/5): We reached a first working result in 111 minutes, and 7 of 10 documentation checks passed.
- Features (2.5/5): It covers email, calendar, contacts, tasks and CRM sync well, but it isn't built for the full set of gateway jobs we test.
- Reliability (3/5): 3 of 5 setup examples worked as written, so the build mostly went to plan with a few fixes.
- Value for money (3/5): Per-account prices start at $1 a month, which is low for small apps, but there is no free plan.
Best of 2026
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The best API management
Before you pick Aurinko, see how all 7 tools ranked in the same test.
Aurinko in plain terms
Aurinko gives developers one API to read and write email, calendars, contacts and tasks across providers such as Google, Office 365, Outlook.com, Microsoft Exchange, Zoho and iCloud. Instead of building a separate connection for each provider, your app talks to Aurinko and Aurinko talks to them.
It also sells ready-made CRM sync logic, called Bright Sync, and a virtualized CRM API that sits over tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, SugarCRM, Pipedrive and NetSuite. The company behind it is Yoxel, Inc., according to the site's copyright notice.
The main thing that sets Aurinko apart is pricing per connected account per month, rather than flat tiers. It sits with the developer tools we review, and it names Nylas, Calendly and Cronofy as the products it competes with.
What happens after you sign up
Getting Aurinko into your app takes four steps, the last optional.
1. Sign up and register an app. You start the 14-day trial, which needs no card, and register your app in the dashboard.
2. Connect your users' accounts. Your users authorise their mailbox or calendar through Aurinko, so you never handle each provider's sign-in yourself.
3. Call the API. Your app uses one set of endpoints for email, calendar, contacts and tasks, whichever provider the user is on.
4. Switch on sync if you need it. Bright Sync can mirror email, calendar, contacts and tasks with a CRM-style platform, using logic Aurinko hosts.
What you get
Aurinko's features centre on mailbox and calendar data, with CRM links on top. Some of the bigger pieces are only on a custom plan.
Unified email, calendar, contacts and tasks APIs
One API covers several mailbox providers, which saves you building and maintaining separate integrations.
Scheduling automation
Booking profiles, an availability API and shareable links help you add meeting booking to your app.
Bright Sync
Hosted logic that keeps email, calendar, contacts and tasks in step with CRM-style platforms.
Virtualized CRM API
One API over several CRMs and ERPs, on a custom plan.
Outlook and Gmail add-ons
Workspace add-ons with a backend API, also on a custom plan.
Who gets the most out of Aurinko
Aurinko makes most sense when your product needs to work with people's email or calendars and you want to pay only for the accounts you connect. It makes less sense if you need proof of compliance up front or a long public track record.
A good fit for
- SaaS teams adding email or calendar features to their product
- Teams that want to pay only for the APIs and accounts they use
- Builders who need ready-made CRM contact and calendar sync
- Developers looking for a lower-cost option to Nylas
Not a good fit for
- Buyers who need published compliance reports before they evaluate
- Teams that want a free tier
- Anyone who wants plenty of public user reviews
- Teams that need full API gateway features for their own APIs
Aurinko vs Nylas, Azure API Management and building it yourself
The closest match is Nylas, another unified API for email and calendars. In our test Aurinko scored 3 out of 5 and Nylas scored 2, the lowest in the group. Nylas has a free plan and flat tiers from $15 a month, while Aurinko charges per account from $1 a month.
If you need a real API gateway, Azure API Management came first with 4.5 out of 5. Building each provider integration yourself avoids a monthly fee, but means separate work for Google, Microsoft and every other provider. Our best API management list ranks all seven.
| Option | Price | How it compares |
|---|---|---|
| Aurinko | $1 per account a month | One API for email, calendar, contacts and tasks, priced per connected account. |
| Nylas | $15 a month | A unified API for email, calendar, contacts and meeting notetaking, with a free plan. |
| Azure API Management | $50 a month | Microsoft's managed API gateway, portal and management service, with a free plan. |
| Build it yourself | No subscription | You write and maintain a separate integration for each email and calendar provider. |
Our 14-day Aurinko test
We tested Aurinko from October 18 to October 31, 2026, 14 days in all. Every tool in this group gets the same job: put the same 3 APIs behind it, then check how long setup takes, how well it limits traffic, what analytics it gives and how much delay it adds. We follow the official docs from a standing start. The full set-up is in how we test.
It took us 111 minutes to get a first successful result. That's a reasonable start for a developer tool. The docs passed 7 of our 10 checks, and 3 of the 5 setup examples we tried worked as written, so we had to fill in a couple of gaps ourselves.
Once it was running, Aurinko passed 18 of our 30 gateway checks across the 3 APIs. Rate limiting was the weak spot: it got 9 of our 15 rate-limit rules right. Rate limits stop one user or bug from flooding your service, so gaps here matter if you expose an API to the public.
Speed held up well. For 95% of calls, Aurinko added 86 milliseconds or less, which most users wouldn't notice. On lock-in, it passed 3 of our 5 export and open-format checks, and 2 parts of our setup would need to be moved by hand if we left.
What stood out was the fit. Aurinko is built as a unified email and calendar API, not a classic gateway, and our test showed it. It handled the basics, but the deeper traffic controls a gateway is judged on were patchy.
| What we measured | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first working result following the docs | 111 min to first successful result | A developer can expect a working result in under two hours. |
| Gateway checks passed across our 3 test APIs | 18/30 gateway checks passing across 3 APIs | It handled a little over half of what we ask a gateway to do, so expect gaps if that's your main need. |
| Documentation checks and setup examples that worked | 7/10 documentation checks; 3/5 setup examples work | The docs are mostly solid, but some examples need fixing before they run. |
| Export, open formats and manual migration work | 3/5 export/open-format checks; 2 manual migrations | You could leave, but part of your setup would have to be rebuilt by hand. |
Aurinko was quick enough to set up, added little delay and had fairly clear docs. Where it fell short was the gateway work itself: 18 of 30 checks and 9 of 15 rate-limit rules leave real gaps. That is partly because Aurinko is designed for a narrower job, connecting apps to email and calendars. Judged on that job it has clear appeal, especially its low per-account price.
Tested October 18, 2026 to October 31, 2026.
The good and the bad from our test
Low added delay
For 95% of calls, Aurinko added 86 milliseconds or less. Your users are unlikely to notice it sitting between your app and their data.
A reasonable setup time
We had a first working result in 111 minutes, and 7 of 10 documentation checks passed. That earned it 3 out of 5 for developer experience, matching the second-placed tools in our lineup.
Pricing that starts small
The Unified API starts at $1 per connected account a month. For an app with a handful of users, that keeps costs low while you find out if the feature is used.
Patchy rate limiting
Aurinko got only 9 of our 15 rate-limit rules right. If you need to protect a public API from heavy traffic, that's a weak spot.
Not a full gateway
It passed 18 of our 30 gateway checks across 3 APIs. Azure API Management, Kong and MuleSoft all ranked higher for teams that need a gateway for their own APIs.
Little public information
We couldn't find certifications, a founding date, team size or any user reviews. That makes it harder to judge the company before you send user mail data through it.
Pros
- Low added delay of 86 milliseconds for 95% of calls
- First working result in 111 minutes
- Prices from $1 per connected account a month
- 14-day free trial with no card required
- Ready-made CRM sync with Bright Sync
Cons
- Only 18 of 30 gateway checks passed
- Got 9 of 15 rate-limit rules right
- No free plan
- No certifications or user reviews found
- No yearly prices listed
How much Aurinko costs
Aurinko charges per connected account each month, so your bill grows with the number of users who link a mailbox or calendar. The Unified API costs $1 per account a month for under 1 GB of data transfer, $1.50 per account a month for under 5 GB, and $2 per account a month for unlimited transfer. All three include the email, calendar, contacts and tasks APIs.
Bright Sync is priced per user. A single sync costs $2 per user a month for calendar, contacts or tasks, or $3 per user a month for email only. Multiple syncs cost $4 per user a month. Most developers would start on the under 1 GB Unified API tier. Prices were checked on November 3, 2026.
Unified API, under 1 GB
$1
per account a month
- Email, calendar, contacts and tasks APIs
- Under 1 GB data transfer
Unified API, under 5 GB
$1.50
per account a month
- The same APIs
- Under 5 GB data transfer
Unified API, unlimited
$2
per account a month
- The same APIs
- Unlimited data transfer
Bright Sync, single sync
$2
per user a month ($3 for email only)
- CRM sync logic hosted by Aurinko
- One sync active
There is no free plan, but there is a 14-day free trial with full access to all features and no card required.
A custom plan covers volume or tiered pricing, Outlook and Gmail add-on activation, the virtualized CRM API and help with meeting-app integrations. Volume pricing is on request, and no yearly prices are listed.
Aurinko's pricing page doesn't state refund or cancellation terms, so ask before you commit.
Prices checked November 3, 2026. Prices can change, so check before you buy.
Is Aurinko safe to use with your users' email data?
Aurinko handles some of the most sensitive data there is: your users' email, calendars and contacts. Its about page links to a certifications page, but we couldn't confirm any certifications, such as SOC 2 or GDPR compliance, from the research.
We also couldn't find its data training or data retention policy, and we didn't review its terms of service. We found no reported security incidents.
None of this means Aurinko is unsafe. It means you should ask for the details before you connect real user accounts.
Ask for the certification page and a data processing agreement before sending user mail data through Aurinko.
What Aurinko users say
There's almost nothing to go on. We couldn't find a Trustpilot, G2 or Capterra profile for Aurinko, so there is no user rating to report.
Many developer tools have few public reviews, so this isn't a warning sign on its own. But you can't lean on other buyers' experience.
With no user reviews, our test is the main outside view of Aurinko: easy enough to start and fast, but with gaps in rate limiting and gateway features. A trial on your own app is the best way to fill in the rest.
Aurinko alternatives worth a look
Aurinko came fourth of seven in our API management test. Here are the five next-best tools, highest score first.
Read review
Kong
Kong matched Aurinko's 3 out of 5 and ranked second, scoring higher on features. It suits platform teams that want a fast, plugin-driven gateway, from $25 a month.
MuleSoft
MuleSoft also scored 3 out of 5 and ranked third. It suits large enterprises needing integration plus API governance, often on Salesforce, but starts at $2,000 a month.
Apigee
Apigee scored 2.5 out of 5, below Aurinko on developer experience, reliability and value. It suits large organisations on Google Cloud, from $365 a month for a base environment.
Tyk
Tyk scored 2.5 out of 5, with weaker developer experience than Aurinko but the same value score. We found only a free option for it.
3/5
Should you use Aurinko?
Aurinko is a sensible pick for developers who need their product to work with users' email, calendars and contacts. In our test it was quick to start, at 111 minutes, added very little delay and scored 3 out of 5, fourth of seven. Its per-account pricing from $1 a month is easy to start small with.
It isn't the right tool if you need a full API gateway. It passed 18 of our 30 gateway checks and got 9 of 15 rate-limit rules right, and the lack of certifications and user reviews means you'll need to do your own checks. Use the 14-day trial on your own app, and ask for compliance details before going live.
Aurinko suits developers adding email and calendar features cheaply; teams needing a full API gateway should look elsewhere.
Still deciding?
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See how Aurinko compares
Every tool in our API management test got the same jobs. Our ranking puts the results side by side.
Disagree with our review?
Make your case
If you use Aurinko, or work there, and think we got something wrong, email us. Tell us what you saw and attach screenshots if you have them. We'll take another look and update the review if it changes our findings.
review.now.team@gmail.com
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Aurinko cost?
The Unified API costs $1 per connected account a month for under 1 GB of transfer, $1.50 for under 5 GB, or $2 for unlimited. Bright Sync costs $2 per user a month for one sync, $3 for email only, or $4 for multiple syncs. A custom plan covers the CRM API and add-ons. Prices were checked on November 3, 2026.
How did you test Aurinko?
We spent 14 days putting the same 3 APIs behind Aurinko that we use for every API management tool. We timed how long it took to get a first result from the docs, ran 30 gateway checks and 15 rate-limit rules, measured the delay it added, checked the docs and setup examples, and looked at how easy it would be to leave.
Does Aurinko have a free trial?
Yes. Aurinko's homepage offers a 14-day free trial with full access to all features, and you don't need a credit card to start it. There is no free plan after the trial, so you'll move to per-account pricing if you keep using it.
Which email and calendar providers does Aurinko support?
For mail and calendars, Aurinko supports Google, Office 365, Outlook.com, Microsoft Exchange, Zoho and iCloud. Its scheduling features cover Google, Office 365, Outlook.com, Exchange and iCloud. Its CRM tools work with platforms such as Salesforce, HubSpot, SugarCRM, Pipedrive and NetSuite.
Is Aurinko an alternative to Nylas?
Yes. Aurinko's about page says it offers an alternative to Nylas, Calendly and Cronofy. In our test Aurinko scored 3 out of 5 and Nylas scored 2. Aurinko charges per account from $1 a month, while Nylas has a free plan and flat tiers from $15 a month.
Does Aurinko offer CRM sync?
Yes. Bright Sync is hosted logic that keeps email, calendar, contacts and tasks in step with CRM-style platforms, from $2 per user a month. For deeper work, a virtualized CRM API on the custom plan gives you one API over Salesforce, HubSpot, SugarCRM, Pipedrive, NetSuite and other systems.
Written by
Jason Kim
I've never been impressed by software simply because it looks modern. I'm far more interested in what happens when you actually start using the platform.