What is an API Proxy?

API proxies serve as intermediaries between applications and the APIs they consume, providing essential control and security features. There are two main types: client-side and server-side. A server-side API proxy, often compared to a satellite, facilitates communication by load balancing requests among multiple server instances and enforcing policies like authentication, authorization, and rate limiting. On the other hand, a client-side API proxy, likened to the moon, helps manage consumption issues across multiple instances of an application, ensuring scalability and efficiency without overwhelming servers. Tools like Lunar offer a streamlined solution for developers to manage these interactions, enhancing security, control, and scalability in the process.