Science Gateways (SGs) have emerged as systems that facilitate access to cyberinfrastructures. There is a growing interest in the exploitation and development of SGs. However, it remains challenging to understand and design SG with the required properties because of the complex nature of SGs. Additionally, it is difficult to decide upon frameworks that can be used to build them. In this paper we propose the Science Gateway Canvas, a business reference model for SGs that embodies the common SG functions and their organization into groups and categories. We used the Science Gateway Canvas for a systematic analysis and comparison of the functions offered by a selection of available frameworks that are used to build SGs. This illustrated the applicability of the Science Gateway Canvas as a comprehensive and generic reference model for understanding SGs. The canvas can also be used for systematic analysis by scientists who are searching for an existing SG that supports their research goal or developers who want to determine the functional requirements for a new SG.