API gateway comparison
Kong vs. Traefik
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
Traefik
API7 Enterprise
Architecture & Performance
Built on NGINX and OpenResty, optimized for high performance but adds latency with Lua scripting
Uses Go-based dynamic routing, lightweight and optimized for containerized environments
Built on Apache APISIX, high-performance with LuaJIT-based execution, lower latency than Kong
Deployment
Supports Kubernetes, VM, and bare-metal deployments
Suited for Kubernetes and cloud-native environments
Flexible deployment, supports cloud, hybrid, and edge environments
Plugins
Large ecosystem of plugins, but enterprise features are locked behind a paid version
Supports middleware but lacks advanced traffic management features
Open-source plugin ecosystem, including custom plugins, security, observability, and authentication
Security & Authentication
Supports JWT, OAuth2, API keys, and ACLs
Provides TLS termination but lacks native authentication features
Supports JWT, OIDC, OAuth2, fine-grained RBAC and IAM, and mTLS
Observability & Monitoring
Integrates with Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry
Only monitors basic metrics, lacks deep observability features
Advanced monitoring dashboards, OpenTelemetry support, and AI-based anomaly detection
Vendor Lock-in
The open-source project is under the control of Kong Inc. and the license can be changed
Fully open-source but optimized for specific use cases (Kubernetes, microservices)
Based on Apache APISIX, which is fully open source and licensed under the Apache 2.0 License
Developer Portal
Offers Kong Dev Portal for API documentation and onboarding
No dedicated developer portal, mainly relies on community resources
API7 Portal provides robust management and monitoring tools and powerful monetization strategies
Dashboard
Enterprise dashboard for API management, but requires licensing
A basic dashboard is available but lacks fine-grained controls
A visual, user-friendly dashboard for managing APIs, security policies, and traffic
Auditing & Reporting
Logs API requests, but lacks built-in auditing features
No built-in auditing
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 well with cloud-native CI/CD tools like ArgoCD but lacks API-focused CI/CD support
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
Active open-source community, but lacks strong enterprise support
Strong open-source & enterprise support, with direct engagement and customization options
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