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Kong Gateway Enterprise vs MuleSoft API Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.2
Kong Gateway Enterprise scales cost-effectively, enabling quick API delivery and efficient problem detection, with free community accessibility.
Sentiment score
5.5
MuleSoft API Manager automates processes and cuts IT costs by enhancing efficiency, reusability, and reducing application development time.
This iPaaS platform with CloudHub eliminates variable infrastructure-related costs and saves enterprises on connectivity and operations costs, as everything comes bundled from the MuleSoft side.
Enterprise Architect at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.9
Kong Gateway Enterprise's support is responsive and capable, with some feedback on response times and communication improvements needed.
Sentiment score
7.2
MuleSoft API Manager's customer service is responsive and knowledgeable but needs better prioritization of concerns and clearer premium support.
The technical support from Kong Gateway Enterprise would be rated about eight, as we missed local technical support.
Enterprise Architect at El Al
Our enterprise pays for a special success program, which provides priority support.
Lead Software Engineer at Franklin Templeton
If bug fixing is required for downtimes or issues, we receive prompt support with alternative solutions or workarounds.
Enterprise Architect at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
They can be slow in addressing security vulnerabilities.
Senior Developer at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
Kong Gateway Enterprise offers scalable integration for diverse environments, excelling in deployments but facing some geographical licensing limitations.
Sentiment score
7.0
MuleSoft API Manager offers scalable deployment, supporting varied enterprise sizes, though cost and configuration complexities can affect scaling efficiency.
The scalability of this solution would be rated about eight or nine.
Enterprise Architect at El Al
Regarding availability, especially with iPaaS solutions, they guarantee 99.99%.
Enterprise Architect at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Kong Gateway Enterprise is rated highly for stability, with users praising its reliable performance and improved documentation.
Sentiment score
7.8
MuleSoft API Manager is praised for stability, reliability, and effective AWS usage despite occasional cost and capacity concerns.
There was an issue when trying to implement a request-reply pattern using JMS, which was not functioning as expected despite being documented.
Senior Developer at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Kong Gateway Enterprise needs improvements in pricing, connectivity, usability, documentation, API features, integration, and intuitive scaling options.
MuleSoft API Manager struggles with complex integration, necessitating simpler interfaces, better tools, security enhancements, flexible pricing, and improved support.
Security is a major concern, especially with new security architecture coming into place.
Business Consultant at Ernst & Young
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 with .NET solutions.
Enterprise Architect at El Al
Introducing features related to auto governance without manual effort would make the API Manager smarter and more efficient for enterprises with complex landscapes.
Lead Software Engineer at Franklin Templeton
Managing the cost of MuleSoft, particularly the billing model based on the number of active cores/threads, has been challenging.
Senior Developer at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
I see some gaps for improvement in MuleSoft API Manager.
VP at Coforge Growth Agency
 

Setup Cost

Kong Gateway Enterprise pricing is competitive, with varying costs, and a cost-benefit analysis is recommended for specific needs.
MuleSoft API Manager's comprehensive features are valued, but high costs lead some enterprises to explore alternatives and seek discounts.
The pricing is high, which is the biggest point where some customers are hesitant about adopting it.
Founder at EAIESB
The major challenge they face is the high pricing, which has become notable especially since they transitioned from a VCore to a usage-based subscription.
Enterprise Architect at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
MuleSoft is typically more expensive compared to using Java or Spring Boot APIs hosted in containers.
Senior Developer at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
 

Valuable Features

Kong Gateway Enterprise offers scalability, security, seamless Kubernetes integration, and customization, enhancing API management with a user-friendly dashboard.
MuleSoft API Manager provides secure, scalable API management with seamless integration, user-friendly tools, and supports cloud and on-premise deployments.
The most valuable features of Kong Gateway Enterprise are its seamless integration with Kubernetes and cloud, many plugins that can be incorporated in a solution, and its incorporation with low-code function systems.
Enterprise Architect at El Al
Price is not a concern for us, but based on our experience working with financial institutions, maintainability and security are the primary concerns and areas they focus on.
Business Consultant at Ernst & Young
I am satisfied with combining all APIs in one place, and the monitoring capabilities in MuleSoft API Manager for all my APIs are useful for operational efficiency.
VP at Coforge Growth Agency
MuleSoft's ability to connect to third-party monitoring platforms like AWS, Datadog, and Elastic makes operational analysis more efficient.
Lead Software Engineer at Franklin Templeton
It also enables us to create additional layers of authentication, like integrating external providers for OAuth, within reduced timelines.
Senior Developer at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Kong Gateway Enterprise
Ranking in API Management
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MuleSoft API Manager
Ranking in API Management
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the API Management category, the mindshare of Kong Gateway Enterprise is 5.8%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MuleSoft API Manager is 4.5%, down from 5.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
API Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Kong Gateway Enterprise5.8%
MuleSoft API Manager4.5%
Other89.7%
API Management
 

Q&A Highlights

NC
Content Manager at PeerSpot
Oct 26, 2021
 

Featured Reviews

ES
Enterprise Architect at El Al
Seamless integration and efficient security boost API management capabilities
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 with .NET solutions. I mostly missed local resellers or partners that we could use within our enterprise, because it was difficult for some tech personnel to work with remote tech support.
D.Rajesh Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise Architect at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Improved Integration Efficiency and Potential for Further Enhancements in Monitoring and User Experience
The policies in MuleSoft API Manager are significant features. We get the policies by default, with more than 25 out-of-the-box policies. If any additional requirement exists specific to the customer, there is a custom policy framework. We can build the policy according to our requirement, and deploy and enable it at the API Manager level to consume across different business groups, environments, or organizations altogether within the platform. Developing the custom policy is not challenging; you just need to follow the custom policy framework to implement. The custom policy and the different levels of SLAs of the API Manager are notable. Regarding the monitoring side of the API Manager, MuleSoft provides substantial monitoring with logs, offering search capability, raw data accessibility, and different subscriptions. With the top tier, integration with third-party platforms such as ELK or Splunk becomes unnecessary because all search capabilities, dashboards, and functional monitoring can be built within the platform itself. This is excellent from the monitoring perspective, and there have been recent improvements focusing on observability. For DevOps, if you want to make your continuous integration and continuous deployment effective, irrespective of the tool, there are options to integrate. For example, you can use the Maven plugin, platform APIs, or CLI to build your end-to-end DevOps cycle.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Healthcare Company
5%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Large Enterprise20
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise44
 

Questions from the Community

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 ...
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...
What needs improvement with Kong Enterprise?
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 f...
How does Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager compare with Amazon API Gateway?
I have found that Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager is the best integration tool out there for API management. It is easy to implement and learn; it provides several options for deployment, (including ...
What do you like most about Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager?
The most valuable features of the solution for securing APIs stem from the tool's ability to allow users to deploy policies.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager?
When it comes to pricing, I find it always expensive. The pricing is high, which is the biggest point where some customers are hesitant about adopting it, and their deployment strategy is also more...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Anypoint API Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cargill, Zillow, Ferrari, WeWork, Healthcare.gov, Yahoo! Japan, Giphy, SkyScanner
Coca-Cola, Splunk, Citrix, UCSF, Vertu, State of Colorado, National Post, TiVo, Deakin, LLS, Oldcastle Precast, ParcelPoint, Justice Systems, Ube, Sumitomo Corporation, PacificComp, University of Witwatersrand, Groupe Initiatives, Camelot, Panviva
Find out what your peers are saying about Kong Gateway Enterprise vs. MuleSoft API Manager and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
882,606 professionals have used our research since 2012.