Softwr

APIs · head to head

Apidog vs Kong Gateway

Apidog logo

Apidog

APIs

All-in-one platform for API design, documentation, testing, and mocking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

APIs

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apidog free plan is capped at 4 users, limiting larger teams from using it at no cost.; Kong Gateway the free open-source gateway lacks the analytics, portals, and support of the paid Konnect tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: Apidog covers API design and documentation, Kong Gateway covers API request routing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apidog and Kong Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where Apidog and Kong Gateway differ
AttributeApidogKong Gateway
Platformsweb, windows, mac, linuxweb, linux, api
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apidog

  • API design and documentation
  • Mock servers
  • Automated testing
  • Team collaboration
  • Scheduled imports
  • Branded documentation

Only in Kong Gateway

  • API request routing
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Developer portals
  • AI Gateway
  • Analytics and observability
  • SSO and audit logs

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apidog

  • Designing and documenting APIs in a shared team workspacenot Kong Gateway
  • Mocking API responses for frontend development before backend is readynot Kong Gateway
  • Running automated API test suitesnot Kong Gateway
  • Replacing separate Postman, Swagger, and mock-server tools with one platformnot Kong Gateway

Kong Gateway

  • Routing and securing traffic across microservicesnot Apidog
  • Publishing internal or external developer portalsnot Apidog
  • Managing rate limits and authentication at the API edgenot Apidog
  • Gateway-level routing to multiple LLM providersnot Apidog

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apidog

  • Free plan is capped at 4 users, limiting larger teams from using it at no cost.
  • Faster scheduled imports and unlimited projects require the Professional tier or higher.
  • Smaller community and plugin ecosystem compared to long-established tools like Postman.
  • Advanced enterprise security controls require the top-tier Enterprise plan.

Kong Gateway

  • The free open-source gateway lacks the analytics, portals, and support of the paid Konnect tiers.
  • Plus tier caps API requests at 1M/month before incurring per-million overage charges.
  • Enterprise pricing is custom and not published, making budgeting harder without sales contact.
  • Configuration and plugin management can require significant operational expertise to run at scale.

Pricing, plan by plan

Apidog

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 4 users
    • Core design, mock, and testing features
  • Basic$9/month
    • Per-seat pricing billed annually
    • Expanded team collaboration
  • Professional$18/month
    • Unlimited projects
    • Team-level shared variables
    • Faster scheduled imports
  • Enterprise$27/month
    • Advanced admin and security controls
    • Priority support

Kong Gateway

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • 30-day enterprise functionality trial
    • Unlimited gateways
    • 30-day analytics retention
  • Plus$undefined/month
    • Up to 5 serverless, 2 hybrid, 2 dedicated cloud gateways
    • 1M API requests/month included
    • Up to 2 developer portals
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited hybrid and dedicated cloud gateways
    • Unlimited developer portals
    • SSO and audit logs

Which should you pick?

Choose Apidog if

  • You need api design and documentation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want mock servers.
Apidog review

Choose Kong Gateway if

  • You need api request routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, linux, api.
  • You also want plugin ecosystem.
Kong Gateway review

Questions people ask

Is Apidog or Kong Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. Apidog starts at Free and Kong Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apidog or Kong Gateway?
Apidog starts at Free and Kong Gateway at Free.
Does Apidog or Kong Gateway run on more platforms?
Apidog runs on web, windows, mac, linux. Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api.
Can I use Apidog for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apidog best used for?
Apidog is most often used for designing and documenting apis in a shared team workspace, mocking api responses for frontend development before backend is ready, running automated api test suites, replacing separate postman, swagger, and mock-server tools with one platform. Of those, designing and documenting apis in a shared team workspace and mocking api responses for frontend development before backend is ready are not what Kong Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can Apidog do that Kong Gateway cannot?
Apidog covers API design and documentation, Mock servers, Automated testing, Team collaboration. Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apidog: What does Apidog cost?

Apidog offers a free plan for up to 4 users, with paid per-seat plans at roughly $9/month for Basic, $18/month for Professional, and $27/month for Enterprise when billed annually.

Source
Kong Gateway: Is Kong Gateway free?

Kong's core gateway is open source and free to self-host. Kong Konnect, the managed cloud platform, offers a 30-day free trial before moving to paid Plus or custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
Apidog: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

The free plan supports up to 4 users with access to core design, documentation, mocking, and testing features.

Source
Kong Gateway: How is usage metered on the Plus plan?

The Plus plan includes 1M API requests per month, with additional usage billed at $200 per extra 1 million requests up to a 10M/month cap, plus per-gateway and per-LLM-model charges.

Source
Apidog: Can I try paid plans before subscribing?

Paid plans include a 14-day free trial, giving teams full access to premium features before committing to a subscription.

Source
Kong Gateway: What support is included?

Plus includes email support with a 2-business-day SLA, while Enterprise adds dedicated success managers and professional services.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Apidog

More on Kong Gateway

Keep looking

Other head to heads