Apache APISIX vs Kong Gateway Enterprise comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Apache and Kong are both solutions in the API Management category. Apache is ranked #21 with an average rating of 8.0, while Kong is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.0. Apache holds a 2.0% mindshare in APIM, compared to Kong’s 3.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Apache users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Kong users who would recommend it.

Apache APISIX

Read 2 Apache APISIX reviews

3,481 Views
3,481 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Kong Gateway Enterprise

Read 26 Kong Gateway Enterprise reviews

8,029 Views
8,029 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Apache APISIX

Kong Gateway Enterprise

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Apache APISIX and Kong Gateway Enterprise based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two API Management solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Apache APISIX vs. Kong Gateway Enterprise Report (Updated: November 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Apache APISIX vs. Kong Gateway Enterprise

November 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 920,939 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Apache APISIX

Ranking in API Management

21st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Kong Gateway Enterprise

Ranking in API Management

14th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the API Management category, the mindshare of Apache APISIX is 2.0%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Kong Gateway Enterprise is 3.4%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

API Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Kong Gateway Enterprise	3.4%
Apache APISIX	2.0%
Other	94.6%

API Management

Featured Reviews

Ahmed_Sayed

Senior Java Software Developer

Integration with backend systems and runtime configuration simplicity enhance operational efficiency

Apache APISIX is easy to configure. It supports coding for filters and can integrate with many languages. Its configuration at runtime is very easy. You can configure your gateway at runtime without needing to restart the gateway to apply configurations. This is a perfect feature. The service discovery feature integrates with backend systems and provides powerful load balancing. Also, its integration with Keycloak and authorization systems is a valuable feature.

Read full review

KuntalSaha

Business Consultant at Ernst & Young

Modernization projects have progressed well but documentation and security guidance still need work

Bringing in additional features to Kong Gateway Enterprise would not necessarily help it. Improving the existing features, increasing security, and adding robustness would be more beneficial. The focus should be on stabilizing the product, improving it, and increasing the documentation. Kong should focus on how the product can be self-onboarded or self-implemented, as this would ease and help customers significantly. The necessary deployment of Kong Gateway Enterprise, API management, and guidance on how customers can use it or improve that area would be helpful. Security is a major concern, especially with new security architecture coming into place. These are the areas that should be prioritized. Beyond these areas, I do not see anything lacking. Kong Gateway Enterprise is quite comprehensive.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable features of Apache APISIX include routing for upstream and frontend services, masking using proxy rewrite, and the integration of different plugins like Prometheus and Grafana."

"I recommend Apache APISIX to others because of its many useful features."

"Kong enterprise has significantly enhanced our ability to manage and secure our Microservices. Its most valuable feature is monitoring."

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it seamlessly supports a vast number of tools."

"Kong Gateway Enterprise is quite comprehensive."

"The solution provides good performance."

"We use the solution for load-balancing, caching, and rate-limiting APIs."

"There are a few features that I like about Kong when it comes to authentication and authorization. Specifically, being able to use Kong for role-based access control (RBAC), and then further being able to integrate the RBAC mechanism with our enterprise directory, was very useful."

"The features I like include ease of operation and implementation in a cloud environment, the dashboarding features for API statistics, and the user-friendly developer portal."

"Good at intercepting traffic and modeling APIs around that."

More Kong Gateway Enterprise pros

Cons

"The routing algorithms in Apache APISIX, such as node-based and round-robin, could be improved. Introducing more plugins and supporting AI features can enhance the solution."

"The user interface is limited and does not support all features of Apache APISIX."

"The OS upgrades are not as frequent as they should be and they are bulky."

"The tool needs improvement in UX."

"From an improvement perspective, the product should offer more readily available connectors and also allow for more seamless AI integrations."

"Mainly, I would say they need to improve the updates. The updates of the OS for Fortinet seem to require a lot of bandwidth."

"Kong Enterprise needs to improve its pricing, which starts at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Pricing should be based on API usage rather than monthly. It should improve its documentation as well."

"The open-source version of Kong does not support a dashboard, which would be very helpful."

"Kong is meant for north-south communications, so it will be interesting to see what solutions they can come up with in the realms of east-west communications, service-to-service communications, and Zero Trust architecture. I believe that if they can provide for these areas, then they will be able to solve the overall integration and security concerns for microservices architecture in general."

"Understanding the configurations and knowing what needs to be done can be a bit difficult initially."

More Kong Gateway Enterprise cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The licensing is expensive."

"Basically, my company uses the tool's open-source version."

"Kong Enterprise is cheaper than Apigee. I rate its pricing as four out of ten."

"There is a need to pay towards the licensing charges...In some areas, the functionalities are available free of charge."

"Kong Enterprise's pricing is at par compared to the other technologies."

"It's expensive in Thailand (10 million baht, in Thai currency)."

"The licensing fees are paid yearly."

"There are many factors that influence the price of Kong Enterprise, such as scale, licenses, and usage."

More Kong Gateway Enterprise pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

16%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

16%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Large Enterprise	20

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Apache APISIX?

The routing algorithms in Apache APISIX, such as node-based and round-robin, could be improved. Introducing more plugins and supporting AI features can enhance the solution.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Apache APISIX?

The primary use case for Apache APISIX is to mask the API endpoints for my microservices and use self-given APIs in Apache APISIX and mask those with the actual real ones. This helps to prevent use...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Apache APISIX?

I rate Apache APISIX an eight out of ten overall. For new users, I advise going through the official documentation deeply to implement the solution efficiently.

See all answers

How does Kong Enterprise compare with Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager?

The Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager was designed with its users in mind. Though it is a reasonably complex piece of software, it is easy to install and upgrade. While there are different things that ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Kong Enterprise?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Kong Enterprise?

Our primary use cases for Kong Gateway Enterprise are modernizations, migrations, and digitalizations of financial institutions. These are the primary areas we are looking for.

See all answers

Comparisons

WSO2 API Manager vs Apache APISIX

Compared 11% of the time

Traefik Enterprise vs Apache APISIX

Compared 10% of the time

Tencent Cloud API Gateway vs Apache APISIX

Compared 6% of the time

Apigee vs Apache APISIX

Compared 6% of the time

Kong Konnect vs Apache APISIX

Compared 5% of the time

More Apache APISIX Competitors

Microsoft Azure API Management vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 11% of the time

Apigee vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 9% of the time

WSO2 API Manager vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 8% of the time

Kong Konnect vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 6% of the time

IBM API Connect vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 5% of the time

More Kong Gateway Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

API Management

October 2026

Download Apache APISIX product report

Buyer's Guide

Kong Gateway Enterprise

October 2026

Download Kong Gateway Enterprise product report

Overview

Apache APISIX is an open-source API Gateway that supports dynamic routing, plugins, and load balancing. It is highly scalable and suitable for managing, securing, and efficiently controlling API traffic. Users appreciate its flexible and robust capabilities.

Developed for developers and businesses seeking to optimize API management, Apache APISIX offers a range of features tailored to improve performance and adaptability. With support for real-time dynamic updates and a broad plugin ecosystem, it can easily integrate into diverse architectures. This tool caters to a range of use cases, from boosting API efficiency to refining load balancing and traffic management.

What are the key features of Apache APISIX?

Dynamic Routing: Enables users to modify routes without service disruption.
Plugin Framework: Allows the addition of custom features to enhance functionality.
HTTPS and SSL Termination: Increases security for API communications.
Load Balancing: Distributes traffic to optimize resource usage.
Comprehensive Monitoring: Offers real-time insights into API performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Scalability: Quickly adapts to increasing traffic demands.
Performance Enhancement: Optimizes API speed and responsiveness.
Reduced Downtime: Maintains stability with updates and changes.
Security: Enhances protection with strong encryption protocols.

Apache APISIX is widely implemented across industries, including finance and e-commerce, where it manages large volumes of transactions efficiently. Its adaptability allows it to meet specific industry needs, supporting businesses in achieving optimal API performance and security.

Apache

Kong Gateway Enterprise is an advanced API management platform offering seamless integration, robust security features, and flexible deployment options for modern enterprises needing efficient API handling.

Kong Gateway Enterprise stands out with its plugin-based network services and ease of implementation in Kubernetes environments. It delivers robust API governance, impressive rate limiting, and customization with Lua scripts. Enhanced with high-performance handling and AI-driven functionality, it supports efficient API monetization. It also ensures competitive pricing, scalability, and strong community support.

What are the key features of Kong Gateway Enterprise?

Plugin-Based Services: Allows easy customization and integration.
Security: Delivers comprehensive API security options.
Rate Limiting: Offers control over API traffic for better performance.
Deployment Flexibility: Supports cloud environments effortlessly.
AI Integration: Enhances functionality with AI-driven applications.

What benefits and ROI should users consider in Kong Gateway Enterprise?

Ease of Use: Simplifies API management tasks.
Scalability: Supports growth with robust infrastructure.
Customizability: Tailors API management with Lua scripts.
Community Support: Offers strong resources and collaboration opportunities.
API Monetization: Enables revenue opportunities through efficient management.

Organizations across finance, IoT, manufacturing, and e-commerce sectors implement Kong Gateway Enterprise to streamline microservices deployment and integration. It manages API security and traffic while providing observability and scalability. The platform enables integration with IDPs and other systems, securing extensive API ecosystems.

Kong

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Cargill, Zillow, Ferrari, WeWork, Healthcare.gov, Yahoo! Japan, Giphy, SkyScanner

Buyer's Guide

Apache APISIX vs. Kong Gateway Enterprise

November 2026

Free Report: Apache APISIX vs. Kong Gateway Enterprise

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