Feature/Aspect |
API Connections |
Service Provider Connections |
Function Connections |
Purpose |
Connect to third-party and Azure services' APIs |
Connect to Azure services |
Connect to Azure Functions |
Use Case |
Integrating with SaaS services, REST APIs, and more |
Direct integration with Azure services |
Executing custom serverless logic |
Setup and Configuration |
Requires setting up API connectors |
Typically easier to set up within the Azure ecosystem |
Requires creating and deploying Azure Functions |
Authentication |
OAuth, API keys, service principals, etc. |
Managed identities, Azure AD, and connection strings |
Function keys managed identities |
Scalability |
Dependent on the API and its limitations |
Highly scalable within the Azure environment |
Scales with Azure Functions infrastructure |
Security |
Varies based on the API and its authentication |
High security with Azure's built-in features |
Secure with Azure Function's authentication mechanisms |
Performance |
Depends on the third-party API performance |
Optimized for performance within Azure |
High performance with serverless execution |
Cost |
Can incur costs based on API usage |
Costs are based on Azure service usage |
Costs depend on the execution of Azure Functions |
Maintenance |
Managed by third-party or API provider |
Managed by Azure |
Managed within Azure Functions |
Example Services |
Office 365, Salesforce, Dynamics 365, etc. |
Azure Blob Storage, Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB |
Custom business logic, data processing functions |