Top Kong Alternatives in 2024

An API gateway is essential for standardizing and centralizing the delivery of services through APIs or microservices, simplifying service delivery, and enhancing the security and organization of API-based integrations. Apart from Kong, there are various options for many organizations seeking efficient and reliable API management solutions, such as APISIX, Apigee, MuleSoft, 3scale, WSO2, and Amazon API gateway.

This passage aims to delve into the realm of Kong alternatives, shedding light on a few unique options in the market. By considering various alternatives to Kong, you can make informed decisions about the API gateway that best suits your business requirements, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and management of your APIs. If you are looking for some useful Kong API gateway alternatives, this blog can give you some insights.

Kong Alternative: APISIX

Apache APISIX, a cloud-native open-source API gateway, is a great alternative to Kong. In 2019, APISIX was donated to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) by API7.ai, a company devoted to delivering comprehensive solutions to full API lifecycle management for enterprises.

Based on NGINX and LuaJIT, APISIX boasts high performance with a single-core QPS of 23,000 with an average delay of only 0.2 milliseconds. As one of ASF's top open-source projects, Apache APISIX has many features like dynamic routing, hot reloading, canary release, rate limiting, and service observability.

Over 100 out-of-the-box plugins can be another merit of APISIX, allowing customization in multiple programming languages while providing a solid technical foundation. It has solved challenges for customers from various industries and areas, including Zoom, Amber Group, Airwallex, Lotus Cars, Lenovo, iQIYI, and more.

Apache APISIX wins the trust and popularity of developers, and developers and open-source lovers make contributions to it in turn. The virtual circle among Apache APISIX and developers paves the road for APISIX's solid growth.

As the creator of APISIX, API7.ai presents its premier solution, API7 Enterprise, tailored to meet the complex needs of enterprise-level API management. Versatile deployment options include on-premises, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud environments. Beyond the core features of APISIX, API7 Enterprise elevates functionality with enhanced authentication, observability, and security measures. Noteworthy additions encompass role-based access control (RBAC) management, audit logging, and gateway group management. Moreover, it introduces the API7 portal, a customizable and adaptable interface designed to streamline user interactions and enhance operational efficiency.

For more information, you can also check Apache APISIX vs Kong.

Kong Alternative: Apigee

Apigee, known initially as Sonoa Systems, was founded in 2004, rebranded as Apigee in 2010, and was acquired by Google in 2016. Apigee is a Google Cloud-based API gateway management tool designed to facilitate the exchange of data across various cloud services and applications by connecting sites and services through RESTful APIs.

Comparing Apigee and Kong, they have both pros and cons. As with any cloud-based service, reliance on a third-party provider may raise concerns regarding data privacy and security. It's important to carefully evaluate these factors and assess whether Apigee aligns with specific organizational needs and requirements before adopting it as an API management solution. Moreover, there may be a learning curve for new users, potential complexity in configuration and setup, and the need for ongoing maintenance and monitoring of the APIs and environment.

Kong Alternative: MuleSoft

MuleSoft, a Salesforce company, is a software platform that offers integration tools for connecting applications, data, and devices. Started in 2006, the company's Anypoint Platform of integration products is designed to integrate software as a service (SaaS), on-premises software, legacy systems, and other platforms.

However, since its acquisition by Salesforce, there has been a shift in focus toward iPaaS rather than pure API Management components. Nevertheless, MuleSoft still provides solutions such as an API Gateway, Management console, API Design, and API governance solutions. Some common pain points associated with these solutions include the lack of pre-built canned policies, implementation difficulties, and heavyweight architecture.

Kong Alternative: 3scale

3scale, an API management software developed by Red Hat, can be another Kong API gateway alternative. It offers a hybrid-cloud architecture that separates the API management policy execution (API gateway) from the API management policy configuration (API manager), allowing for efficient management and configuration of APIs.

3scale possesses great API traffic control with good security, but it has drawbacks. Its parent company IBM has similar products, resulting in its slow product iteration. In addition, there are too many complex components on its control plane, which is more complicated to achieve high availability. A user shared on PeerSpot: "It is a bit difficult to set up in the beginning, and UI is sometimes difficult to understand to find well-suited options. Pricing can be expensive for small-sized start-ups and companies."

Kong Alternative: WSO2

WSO2 is a technology company that provides products and tools for managing identity, security, and privacy in digital businesses. Their offerings, such as the WSO2 Identity Server, enable organizations to connect and control various identities across applications, cloud environments, IoT devices, and APIs, regardless of the standards used.

While it serves as a capable alternative, there are some drawbacks associated with it. One concern revolves around the lack of support for versioning. Additionally, there is an overhead when modifying configurations, which may necessitate server restarts, as noted by one reviewer. WSO2 has many modules and complex deployment and maintenance.

Kong Alternative: Amazon API Gateway

Amazon API Gateway is a feature provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that serves as a "front door" for applications to access backend services and resources, allowing developers to connect non-AWS applications to AWS infrastructure. It acts as a bridge, enabling efficient communication between applications and AWS services, and enhancing accessibility and utility for AWS customers.

When using Amazon API Gateway, it's important to consider that it is a service provided by AWS. As with any cloud service, migrating away from a specific cloud provider can involve complexities, such as rewriting or reconfiguring code, dealing with differences in service offerings and features, and potential data migration challenges.

Conclusion

By exploring these alternatives to Kong, you can carefully assess their unique features, strengths, and compatibility with your specific use cases. This process empowers you to make a well-informed decision regarding the API gateway that perfectly aligns with your business objectives.

The right platform can streamline the way you manage your APIs. Begin your journey with Apache APISIX and API7 Enterprise, and unlock a whole new realm of possibilities that await you in the world of API management.