Apache APISIX vs Kong Gateway Enterprise comparison

Apache and Kong are both solutions in the API Management category. Apache is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.0, while Kong is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.7. Apache holds a 3.5% mindshare in APIM, compared to Kong’s 7.2% 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

2,981 Views
2,981 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Kong Gateway Enterprise

Read 25 Kong Gateway Enterprise reviews

7,416 Views
7,416 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: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Apache APISIX vs. Kong Gateway Enterprise

July 2025

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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

14th

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

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the API Management category, the mindshare of Apache APISIX is 3.5%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Kong Gateway Enterprise is 7.2%, up from 5.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

API Management

Featured Reviews

Aritra Basak

Associate Consultant at Ernst & Young

User-friendly platform simplifies traffic management and boosts API management through integrated plugins

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. These plugins are self-integrated, allowing features like JWT authentication, rate limiting, and diverse authentication methods without extra integration. The tool is beneficial for its plugin orchestration which enhances API management with redirection, response rewrite, key authentication, and observability with Grafana and Prometheus.

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ASHOK YADAV

Solutions Architect at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Offers OIDC, Rate Limiting, Lambda functions but lacks software upgrades

Upgrading Kong Gateway Enterprise should be more sophisticated and innovative. The main issue is with the update process. Our DevOps and admin teams need to update multiple files, which is cumbersome. For instance, in cases where Palantir countries are involved, they have to update many files, which is not ideal. However, for other tasks like configuring the message routing and services and handling all the configurations, the process is acceptable. The software version upgrade process should be improved. Additionally, the DevOps portal should be integrated more natively. There are a few other areas for improvement, such as implementing automatic load balancing. The status of the office team, whether it is up or down, should be checked at the API gateway level to facilitate load balancing.

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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."

"It offers a wide range of plugins that we leverage, including OIDC, Rate Limiting, Lambda functions, and more."

"Kong Gateway helped to improve performance. It's good enough for our users."

"In terms of stability, the tool's team has made some good efforts, and my company is very happy with the product's approach."

"Protocol transformation is the most valuable feature of Kong Enterprise."

"The tool's feature that I find most beneficial is rate limiting. In our usage, especially in the financial sector, we prioritize limiting API usage. This is crucial because we provide APIs to other companies and must ensure they adhere to their allocated usage limits. Without rate limiting, there's a risk of excessive usage, which could result in significant costs."

"I like everything about it. It provides the security we need."

"This is a solid intrusion prevention system that combines a firewall and antivirus in a single solution."

"The route limiting feature is very valuable."

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."

"Kong Enterprise can improve the customization to be able to do the integration properly."

"Because it is open-source, it should be less expensive than others."

"The tool needs improvement in UX."

"Kong Enterprise has decided not to support the web portal feature anymore, but I think that feature should stay in the on-premises solution."

"The ease of billing is lost when Kong is not available directly on the Azure marketplace. This is one area where they can improve."

"We are facing issues with the solution's features like reports and traffic analysis."

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

"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."

More Kong Gateway Enterprise cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The price is really reasonable compared to that of alternative solutions."

"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."

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

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

"The licensing fees are paid yearly."

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

"I don't have any information on licensing costs currently."

More Kong Gateway Enterprise pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

19%

Computer Software Company

13%

Insurance Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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...

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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.

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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 ...

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What do you like most about Kong Enterprise?

The tool's feature that I find most beneficial is rate limiting. In our usage, especially in the financial sector, we prioritize limiting API usage. This is crucial because we provide APIs to other...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Kong Enterprise?

More plugins for additional integrations would be helpful and openness for traditional development languages, such as .NET, because many enterprises are looking for .NET solutions or incorporating ...

See all answers

Comparisons

WSO2 API Manager vs Apache APISIX

Compared 19% of the time

Apigee vs Apache APISIX

Compared 15% of the time

Traefik Enterprise vs Apache APISIX

Compared 14% of the time

Tyk vs Apache APISIX

Compared 8% of the time

Amazon API Gateway vs Apache APISIX

Compared 7% of the time

More Apache APISIX Competitors

WSO2 API Manager vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 13% of the time

Apigee vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 10% of the time

Kong Konnect vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 10% of the time

Microsoft Azure API Management vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 10% of the time

Amazon API Gateway vs Kong Gateway Enterprise

Compared 6% of the time

More Kong Gateway Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

API Management

July 2025

Download Apache APISIX product report

Buyer's Guide

Kong Gateway Enterprise

July 2025

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 delivers a next generation API platform built for modern architectures. With a lightnight-fast, lightweight, and flexible core, Kong delivers sub-millisecond latency across all your services. Kong's is deployment-, vendor-, and pattern-agnostic, allowing you to run your services how you want, where you want, and with who you want - from baremetal to cloud, monolith to microservices, service mesh, and beyond.

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

July 2025

Free Report: Apache APISIX vs. Kong Gateway Enterprise

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