Kong Konnect vs Microsoft Azure API Management comparison

Kong and Microsoft are both solutions in the API Management category. Kong is ranked #25 with an average rating of 8.5, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 7.9. Kong holds a 0.9% mindshare in APIM, compared to Microsoft’s 16.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Kong users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Kong Konnect

Read 2 Kong Konnect reviews

388 Views
316 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure API Management

Read 81 Microsoft Azure API Management reviews

19,771 Views
16,260 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Kong Konnect

Microsoft Azure API Management

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Kong Konnect and Microsoft Azure API Management 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 Kong Konnect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Kong Konnect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management

June 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 860,168 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

Kong Konnect

Ranking in API Management

25th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Azure API Management

Ranking in API Management

1st

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

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 Kong Konnect is 0.9%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure API Management is 16.7%, down from 19.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

API Management

Featured Reviews

Shahnawaz_Alam

Senior Software Engineer at Netenrich

Significant email security benefits combined with efficient spam filtering, yet cost hinders long-term use

The integration with our on-prem Exchange was very straightforward; the only thing we did was redirect all email traffic over Proofpoint, so Proofpoint did everything independently, and we were very happy. I am still receiving emails from Proofpoint's site. Not using it at the moment, but in the short term we will be tackling that portion of the product as well. We cannot provide feedback regarding Dynamics because we are not experienced enough at the moment; we have initiatives going on but did not get enough feedback from end users. Based on my overall experience with Proofpoint, considering the cost perspective, I would rate it a 7 out of 10.

Read full review

Praveen_Srivastava

Solution Architect at Cognizant

Streamlined operations with gateway and authentication features

Azure API Management has helped streamline our operations by acting as a gateway for upstream and downstream applications. It provides authentication and authorization, ensuring that both verified and suspicious users are managed efficiently. The use of analytics within API Management is also valuable for tracking user behavior and ensuring security.

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 documentation is excellent, and it includes a developer portal, which helps create a common distribution channel for APIs within and outside the enterprise."

"Technical support from Proofpoint was absolutely excellent."

"The API management and the hosting of the API platform are great."

"What I like most about Microsoft Azure API Management is that it's flexible and user-friendly. The solution also has rich documentation and guides available, so users can configure and use it."

"It's easy to use compared to other products. It's easy to set up."

"Security is the top feature of Azure API Management."

"I like that security features can be integrated with API Management. I also like that you can perform rate-limiting and throttling functions."

"I like the support they provide for the APIs more than the solution itself. First of all, documentation-wise, both Microsoft Azure and even Google Cloud are up there. But in comparison, the real-time consulting and support for APIs make Microsoft stand out a little. I also like the performance. Standard public cloud provider-built APIs are more resilient and flexible in terms of what feature you want to use and what feature you don't want to use, and they're more customizable. They are more resilient in terms of performance in that particular environment because that is the design aspect of the offering. When public clouds build APIs and deploy them after testing them on their framework for a certain amount of time, I feel there is a massive difference in the product's performance. On the interface, everything is strong."

"It seems quite good so far. It handles our current workload well, and I'm optimistic it can scale effectively as our needs grow."

"It's really easy to use for simple passthrough APIs."

More Microsoft Azure API Management pros

Cons

"Pricing was the issue as it becomes very expensive due to the nature of local circumstances."

"Kong Konnect's RBAC needs to evolve more, as they currently offer only one or two levels of RBAC in terms of organization and teams."

"This solution is only available as a cloud-based deployment and it would be very helpful to have an on-premises version."

"It should be easier to integrate."

"The integration with other API gateways is where they might try to improve."

"The developer portal can be improved."

"It would be better if it were easier to transition to Azure from JIRA. For example, different nomenclature must be performed when you shift to Azure from JIRA. JIRA's storage, tasks, and ethics are treated differently from Azure. Here they might become functions, which is not an option in JIRA because that nomenclature difference is there. If someone has to get into the nomenclature, then there can be different tasks from clients, and here, they may be treated as functions. JIRA has sub-tasks, but sub-tasks don't exist in Azure. The nomenclature and the linking between ethics and a function and a story are different, and people may have to learn to adapt to the new nomenclature."

"Technical support could be more flexible and try to meet the client's needs a bit more effectively."

"I could that the UI could be improved."

"Microsoft Azure API Management's most valuable features are the microservices we used to use. They were API callers to receive communication with the network and building system, to complete the request. The response would be through the processing system."

More Microsoft Azure API Management cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Compared to other solutions the cost is a seven out of ten."

"I rate the solution's pricing between three and four, as it could be more competitive."

"There are additional costs to the standard licensing fees."

"The developer and standard pricing tiers of Azure API Management are very competitive compared to other products."

"The solution appears cheaper because it's a cloud SaaS model."

"Licensing fees are paid on an annual basis."

"It's being paid monthly."

"The solution is highly expensive. Our customers worry about the costs. The price should be a lot less."

More Microsoft Azure API Management pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which API Management solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

24%

Insurance Company

14%

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Kong Konnect?

The pricing deserves a high rating for consideration. Cost was the reason we stopped using it. Pricing was the issue as it becomes very expensive due to the nature of local circumstances.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Kong Konnect?

Pricing might be a topic to consider regarding improvements. I may advise Proofpoint to adjust marketing solutions based on each country itself.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Kong Konnect?

The clients mainly were using Proofpoint for email security, which is the primary use case. We have used Proofpoint for email security.

See all answers

How does Apigee differ from Azure API Management?

Apigee offers both cloud-based and on-prem options while Microsoft Azure API Management currently only offers a cloud-based solution. Both solutions are easy to use. Apigee allows for the ability...

See all answers

Which is better - Azure API Management or Amazon API Gateway?

If you use Azure products, API Management is a great solution. It solves many of the problems of externalizing web services. For example, when you need versioning, establish a developer portal and ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure API Management?

Microsoft Azure API Management is a good, comprehensive solution for enterprise implementation.

See all answers

Comparisons

Kong Gateway Enterprise vs Kong Konnect

Compared 100% of the time

More Kong Konnect Competitors

Amazon API Gateway vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 45% of the time

Apigee vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 18% of the time

IBM API Connect vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 6% of the time

Kong Gateway Enterprise vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 5% of the time

MuleSoft API Manager vs Microsoft Azure API Management

Compared 4% of the time

More Microsoft Azure API Management Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

API Management

June 2025

Download Kong Konnect product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure API Management

June 2025

Download Microsoft Azure API Management product report

Also Known As

No data available

Azure API Management, MS Azure API Management

Overview

Kong Konnect facilitates efficient management and integration of APIs, providing a streamlined experience for developers to manage their services with high scalability.

Kong Konnect is a comprehensive platform tailored for API development and management. It offers an intuitive interface that simplifies the process of connecting, managing, and securing APIs. Organizations benefit from its scalable architecture, ensuring it meets diverse operational demands and optimizes service delivery, supporting a robust API ecosystem that aligns with modern development practices.

What are the key features of Kong Konnect?

API Gateway: Efficiently handles routing, transformations, and more for effective API management.
Security Management: Includes authentication and traffic control to protect data.
Analytics and Monitoring: Provides insights into API usage and performance metrics.
Developer Portals: Offers customizable portals for developer engagement and onboarding.
Plugin Architecture: Extends functionality through a rich library of plugins.

What benefits or ROI should users expect?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces operational costs through streamlined API processes.
Scalability: Easily adapts to increased API traffic without performance losses.
Improved Security: Enhances data protection through advanced security features.
Enhanced Developer Productivity: Accelerates development timelines with easy-to-use tools.
Better User Engagement: Improves collaboration through robust developer support.

In tech industries, Kong Konnect is often implemented to advance cloud-native applications by enhancing API connectivity and security. Financial services utilize it to ensure compliance and secure data sharing. Telecommunications deploy it to handle high data throughput efficiently.

Kong

Microsoft Azure API Management is essential for managing APIs, facilitating integration, and ensuring secure internal and external communication.

Organizations leverage Microsoft Azure API Management for seamless integration and effective API management. It supports microservices, legacy modernization, and platform orchestration in sectors like healthcare, telecom, and finance. Features such as developer portals and centralized libraries simplify usage. While it showcases strengths in hybrid cloud support and scalability, improvements are suggested in versioning and multi-tenancy.

What key features does it offer?

Integration with Microsoft services ensures robust access control and user-friendly deployment.
Developer portal and documentation improve usability and learning.
Hybrid cloud support offers seamless on-premise connectivity.
Scalability and security features are well-regarded.
Centralized API library simplifies management.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Facilitates API lifecycle management enhancing user experience.
Simplifies authentication and subscription models.
Enhances data exchange and real-time monitoring.
Streamlines API mapping and orchestration across platforms.
Promotes flexibility and transparency in system integration.

Microsoft Azure API Management aids modernization across healthcare, telecom, and financial services by enabling legacy system updates and facilitating smooth platform orchestration.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH, Opensistemas

Buyer's Guide

Kong Konnect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management

June 2025

Free Report: Kong Konnect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management

Find out what your peers are saying about Kong Konnect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Kong Konnect vs. Microsoft Azure API Management report.

See our list of best API Management vendors.

We monitor all API Management reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.