Where Absorb fits
Absorb is not a gateway, a wrapper or an agent framework. It is the policy layer between the APIs you already operate and the agents your teams already use. Each page below also states where the alternative is the better choice.
Absorb vs OpenAPI-to-MCP wrappers
Publishing an entire specification as tools, against compiling a policy into a defined allowlist.
Absorb vs MCP gateways
Governing the MCP servers you already run, against compiling a governed server from your own API.
Absorb vs API gateways
Forwarding the requests you receive, against determining which operations exist for an agent.
Absorb vs building it yourself
A wrapper per service and its maintenance cost, against one policy per API.
In brief
- An OpenAPI-to-MCP wrapper publishes the entire API. Absorb publishes what the policy permits and filters every response.
- An MCP gateway governs MCP servers you already run. Absorb compiles the governed server from your OpenAPI specification.
- An API gateway forwards requests. Absorb determines which operations exist for an agent, and operates behind the gateway.
- An in-house build is reasonable for the first API and costly by the tenth.
If the right comparison is unclear, review the walkthrough or send us a specification.
Evaluate it against your own API
Every edition includes unlimited non-production use, so you can compile and probe every API you operate before licensing any.