‍

For cloud-native applications, Envoy is an open-source service proxy mostly used to control microservices' communication with one another. Lyft created it to enhance service-to-service communication's performance and dependability. As a Layer 7 proxy, Envoy manages a variety of application-layer protocols, including gRPC, HTTP/1.1, and HTTP/2. 

‍

Its primary characteristics are dynamic service discovery, load balancing, traffic routing, and strong observability tools like distributed tracing, metrics, and logging. Envoy, a sidecar proxy that helps manage and secure inter-service communication, enhances resilience, and permits extensive monitoring without changing the application code, is frequently used in service mesh designs.

‍

How Much Does Envoy Cost?

Envoy’s pricing typically ranges from $5,000 to $70,000 annually, depending on the specific features, support, and scale required by your organization. Smaller teams or startups might opt for lower-tier plans that provide essential service proxy and traffic management features. On the other hand, larger enterprises with more complex infrastructures may need higher-tier plans to take advantage of advanced features like service mesh capabilities, dynamic routing, monitoring, and security integrations. Additionally, cost can vary based on the level of customer support, performance tuning, and custom solutions needed. 

‍

Plans Offered by Envoy

Here’s a detailed table summarizing the pricing plans for each of Envoy’s main products:

‍

‍

How to Get a Better Deal on Envoy?

Here are some of the best tips which will help you to save money on Envoy plans:
‍

• Research MSRP and invoice pricing ahead of time to understand dealer costs and profit      margins. Knowing the numbers puts you in a stronger negotiating position.
  ‍
• Consider buying at the end of the model year when dealers are trying to move old      inventory. You can get bigger discounts on outgoing models.
  ‍
• Ask for any applicable customer cash-back offers or incentive programs from the      manufacturer. These can lower the selling price.
  ‍
• Be prepared to walk out if the dealer won't come down to your target price. Be willing to      shop around between multiple dealerships to get them to compete.
  ‍
• Get quotes from other local dealers and use them as leverage when negotiating. Dealers      will often match or beat competitor deals.

‍

• Offer to pay in cash rather than financing. This saves the dealer fees, and they may pass      some savings along. However, low manufacturer interest rates can sometimes be better.

‍

Envoy Core Features

Below are some of the core features of Envoy:

‍

Out-of-process architecture: Envoy runs as an out-of-process proxy that is separate from the main application code. This enables it to work across any language or framework. By running independently, Envoy isolates itself from application crashes. The tradeoff is higher memory usage to maintain independence. This architecture makes Envoy reliable and application-agnostic.

‍

HTTP/2 and gRPC support: Envoy supports both HTTP/2 and gRPC natively for all inbound and outbound connections. This enables Envoy to handle the most modern transport protocols seamlessly. Envoy can automatically convert legacy HTTP/1.1 requests into HTTP/2 requests as needed. This means existing applications can benefit from protocol advancements transparently via Envoy.

‍

Advanced load balancing: Envoy has extensive load balancing abilities to distribute requests across healthy upstream services. Features like automatic retry, throttling, shadow traffic routing and zone-aware balancing improve load spreading. This reduces strain on overloaded services, decreases latency via proximity routing, and makes applications more resilient by shifting traffic from failing nodes.

‍

APIs for configuration management: Envoy's configuration management is dynamic. Instead of restarting, Envoy provides REST and gRPC APIs to alter settings like routing, filtering, and rate limits during runtime. This agility allows Envoy to respond to changing conditions smoothly without traffic disruption.

‍

Observability: Observability in Envoy encompasses both layer 7 application traffic analysis and with lower-level system diagnostics. Distributed tracing support tracks requests across all connected services. Database and external service monitoring provides code-level visibility. This comprehensive observability offers insight into application, infrastructure, and integration.

‍

‍

Envoy Alternatives

Here are some of the Envoy alternatives which you can consider:

‍

KrakenD

KrakenD is designed for optimal performance and economic resource use; on a single instance, it can handle an astounding 70k queries per second. Its stateless architecture avoids issues like database maintenance or node synchronization and guarantees hassle-free scaling.

‍

In addition, it is a multipurpose tool in terms of functionalities. It supports various protocols and API standards and provides caching, data shaping, and fine-grained access control.

‍

Officely

Officely's office administration software is superior to Envoy Workplace for several reasons. To guarantee greater uptake and usage among your organization, it is integrated into Slack and Microsoft Teams. Additionally, it doesn't have a ton of features that you might only occasionally utilize because we've meticulously refined its feature set. This translates into less time spent on training, less complexity for employees with busy schedules, and, ultimately, lower costs for enterprises. After all, who isn't looking to save costs these days?

‍

HAProxy Enterprise

The most reputable software load balancer on the market is HAProxy Enterprise. It enables the delivery of contemporary applications in any setting and size and offers the best security, observability, and performance. URIs, IP addresses, round-robin or least connections, and other hashing techniques can all be used to assess load balance. Advanced judgments can be made using any HTTP characteristic or TCP/IP information.

‍

Cilium

Cilium's open-source program facilitates, secures, and keeps track of network communication across container workloads. The ground-breaking Kernel technology eBPF powers it. Load balancing is not a feature of Kubernetes. Usually, your cloud provider handles this, or in private cloud settings, it's a networking team, and you exercise. Cilium can use XDP or eBPF to speed up and use BGP to draw this traffic.

How Spendflo Can Help You Get Better Deals on Envoy

Spendflo helps businesses save on Envoy subscriptions by managing their SaaS procurement and negotiating better deals on their behalf. They centralize all their SaaS tools, giving full visibility into spending and optimize usage to avoid unnecessary costs. By leveraging their relationships with vendors like Envoy, Spendflo can negotiate discounts, secure better contract terms, and improve pricing for new purchases or renewals. 

‍

Their expertise ensures you’re not overpaying, and they monitor renewals to avoid price hikes. This approach can lead to significant savings, often up to 30%, without compromising essential services.

‍

Frequently Asked Questions on Envoy Pricing

What is the typical annual pricing range for Envoy?

The typical pricing range is $5,000 to $70,000 per year. Actual pricing depends on features needed and organization scale.

‍

Does Envoy offer a free tier?

No, Envoy does not seem to offer a free tier. Even basic plans start at $5,000 annually.

‍

What factors affect Envoy's pricing?

Main factors affecting pricing are number of features, types of integrations needed, performance requirements, support levels, and organization size.

‍

Does Envoy charge per user?

No, Envoy does not charge per user. Pricing seems to be flat fees based on tiered plans.

‍

Is Envoy cheaper for smaller teams?

Yes, smaller teams and startups can likely get by with cheaper lower-tier Envoy plans around $5,000/year.

‍