Below we have created an analysis of the basic features available in Laminas Api Tools and DotKernel API. It's intended to highlight the differences between the two and also to showcase why DotKernel API is a good alternative for Laminas API Tools, especially considering the latter's archived status.
The table below refers to Dotkernel API V7
| API Tools (formerly Apigility) | Dotkernel API | |
|---|---|---|
| URL | api-tools | Dotkernel API |
| First Release | 2012 | 2018 |
| PHP Version | <= 8.2 |  |
| Architecture | MVC, Event Driven | Middleware |
| OSS Lifecycle | Archived |  |
| Style | REST, RPC | REST |
| Versioning | Yes | Deprecations (API Evolution) * |
| Documentation | Swagger (Automated) | Postman (Manual), OpenAPI 3.0 (Swagger) |
| Content-Negotiation | Custom | Custom |
| License | BSD-3 | MIT |
| Default DB Layer | laminas-db | doctrine-orm 3.x |
| Authorization | ACL | RBAC-guard |
| Authentication | HTTP Basic/Digest OAuth2.0 | OAuth2.0 |
| CI/CD | Yes | Yes |
| Unit Tests | Yes | Yes |
| Code (Endpoint) Generator | Yes | dot-maker |
| PSR | PSR-7 | PSR-7, PSR-15 |
Note
- Versioning is replaced by Deprecations, using evolution strategy