Kong
The Cloud Native API Platform.
Overview
Kong provides an open-source API Gateway and a comprehensive API platform, Kong Konnect. It's designed for modern, cloud-native architectures, enabling organizations to secure, manage, and orchestrate APIs and microservices across any environment.
✨ Key Features
- High-Performance API Gateway
- Plugin Architecture for extensibility
- Service Mesh support (Kuma)
- Developer Portal
- API Analytics
- Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Deployment
🎯 Key Differentiators
- High performance and low latency
- Open-source core with a large community
- Cloud-native and Kubernetes-friendly architecture
Unique Value: Provides a high-performance, flexible, and cloud-native way to connect, secure, and manage all APIs and services.
🎯 Use Cases (4)
✅ Best For
- Deploying as a Kubernetes Ingress Controller
- Creating a secure gateway for hybrid-cloud applications
- Managing the full lifecycle of APIs from a single platform
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Simple API request sending (use Insomnia instead)
- Complex, low-code business process automation (iPaaS)
🏆 Alternatives
More lightweight and performant than traditional Java-based gateways like Apigee or MuleSoft, and more focused on runtime management.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
🛟 Support Options
- ✓ Email Support
- ✓ Live Chat
- ✓ Phone Support
- ✓ Dedicated Support (Enterprise tier)
🔒 Compliance & Security
💰 Pricing
✓ 14-day free trial
Free tier: Kong Gateway is open-source and free. Kong Konnect has a free tier for small projects.
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