Hello peers,
I work for a large bank in the United Arab Emirates. I am currently researching API management tools.
Can you share with me any performance reports of Kong API Gateway and Azure API Management? Which product do you believe performs better?
Thank you for your help.
Kong Gateway Detailed Performance Benchmark:
Architecture: Kong's foundation on NGINX/OpenResty is designed for high throughput and minimal overhead, which allows for very fast processing of API requests. Azure API Management, on the other hand, is a fully managed service that is tightly integrated with the Azure cloud ecosystem. While this provides convenience and a rich feature set, it can result in slightly higher latency compared to Kong.
Use Case: Kong is often favored for scenarios that demand high performance and low latency, such as in microservices architectures and hybrid or multi-cloud deployments. Azure API Management is a strong choice for enterprises that are heavily invested in the Azure ecosystem and require features like advanced security, compliance, and seamless integration with other Azure services.
Scalability: Both platforms are scalable, but their approaches differ. Kong's lightweight nature allows it to scale efficiently in containerized environments. Azure API Management provides auto-scaling capabilities that are managed for you within the Azure platform.
Monitoring and Analytics: Azure API Management includes more comprehensive built-in analytics and dashboards, which can help in proactively managing and tuning performance. Kong can be integrated with external monitoring tools like Prometheus and Grafana for detailed performance insights.
In essence, if your primary concern is raw performance and you need a flexible, lightweight gateway for a high-traffic environment, Kong is likely the better choice. If your needs prioritize ease of use, deep integration with the Azure ecosystem, and a rich set of managed features, Azure API Management would be more suitable, even with a slight trade-off in performance.