API gateway comparison
Kong vs. Azure API Management
Are you finding it challenging to choose a vendor for your API gateway, and are you struggling to make a decision? Our team of experts has conducted a comprehensive analysis and we are here to assist you in finding the best API gateway that suits your needs.
Comparison
Kong
Azure API Management
API7 Enterprise
Architecture
NGINX/OpenResty (Lua) + PostgreSQL
Proprietary (Azure-managed)
NGINX/OpenResty (Lua) + etcd
Vendor Lock-in
The open-source project is under the control of Kong Inc. and the license can be changed
Fully managed PaaS from Microsoft, tightly integrated with Azure services (e.g., Logic Apps, AAD)
Based on Apache APISIX, which is fully open source and licensed under the Apache 2.0 License
Performance
High throughput, low latency, horizontally scalable, but relies on PostgreSQL or Cassandra for persistence
Moderate throughput and latency, scalable but Azure-region dependent and Azure-only
Ultra-high performance and ultra-low latency, with a single-core QPS of 18,000 and an average delay of 0.2 ms, elastic scaling
Deployment
Highly flexible with self-hosted, SaaS (Konnect), and hybrid deployments
Azure-only for SaaS option and hybrid deployment but not available for self-hosted, multi-cloud environments and edge computing
Provides true multi-cloud support and can run on hybrid, edge, and Kubernetes
RBAC Granularity
Role-based access with custom permissions (Enterprise)
Azure AD integration (fine-grained)
Supports built-in RBAC, IAM, and role mapping for fine-grained permission management
Plugins
Large ecosystem of plugins, but enterprise features are locked behind a paid version
Rich plugin and tool ecosystem but limited to Azure-specific extensions and integrations
Open-source plugin ecosystem, including custom plugins, security, observability, and authentication
Security & Authentication
Supports JWT, OAuth2, API keys, and ACLs
Provides OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and built-in security features such as IP filtering
Supports JWT, OIDC, OAuth2, fine-grained RBAC and IAM, and mTLS
Observability & Monitoring
Integrates with Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry
Integrates with Azure Monitor for logging and monitoring
Advanced monitoring dashboards, OpenTelemetry support, and AI-based anomaly detection
Developer Portal
Offers Kong Dev Portal for API documentation and onboarding
Offers a customizable Developer Portal with API documentation
API7 Portal provides robust management and monitoring tools and powerful monetization strategies
Dashboard
Enterprise dashboard for API management, but requires licensing
Offers a comprehensive dashboard with detailed insights and management capabilities
A visual, user-friendly dashboard for managing APIs, security policies, and traffic
Auditing & Reporting
Logs API requests, but lacks built-in auditing features
Integrates with Azure Monitor for comprehensive audit logging and compliance
Advanced auditing & logging with detailed API access records and event tracking
CI/CD Integrations
Supports CI/CD pipelines but requires manual configurations for integration
Integrates with Azure DevOps and other CI/CD tools for seamless deployment and management
Offers seamless CI/CD integrations, enabling DevOps teams to automate API deployment, configuration management, and testing
Community Support
Large open-source community, but enterprise support is expensive
Supported by the Azure community and Microsoft support channels
Strong open-source & enterprise support, with direct engagement and customization options
Pricing Model
Subscription-based (Enterprise), tiered pricing for features/support. About 5350 USD for 5 million API requests and 50 services
Usage-based pricing model with multiple tiers
Custom pricing, often competitive for high-scale deployments, CPU core-based. Only 1260 USD for 5 million API requests, 3 clusters and 50 services, lower than a quarter of Kong
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