API Management · head to head
Asyncapi vs Kong
Asyncapi
API Management
Specification and tools for defining asynchronous APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Kong
API Management
Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Asyncapi complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature; Kong the Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million
- They diverge on capability: Asyncapi covers API Specification, Kong covers API Gateway.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Asyncapi and Kong actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Asyncapi
- API Specification
- Code generation
- Documentation
- Multiple messaging protocols
- Code generators
- Specification support
- Tools support
- CLI support
Only in Kong
- API Gateway
- Authentication & Authorization
- Rate Limiting
- Kubernetes
- Consul
- Eureka
- PostgreSQL
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Asyncapi
- API Developmentnot Kong
- API Gatewaynot Kong
- API Testingnot Kong
- API Documentationnot Kong
- Microservicesnot Kong
Kong
- Running an API gateway in front of internal and public servicesnot Asyncapi
- Publishing and governing APIs through a developer portalnot Asyncapi
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Asyncapi
- Complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature
- Keeping AsyncAPI documents up to date is challenging as systems evolve
- Tracing and debugging asynchronous operations is more difficult than synchronous request-response patterns
Kong
- The Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million
- Plus is capped at 10M requests a month, so growth past that forces an Enterprise contract
- Plus limits published APIs to 20 and includes one Developer Portal, with a second at $200 a month
- SSO and audit logging are Enterprise only
- Enterprise pricing is custom and billed annually
Pricing, plan by plan
Asyncapi
Free- Open SourceFree
- AsyncAPI specification
- Tools
- Community support
Kong
Free- CommunityFree
- Core API gateway
- Community support
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Advanced features
- Priority support
- SLA
Which should you pick?
Choose Asyncapi if
- You need api specification.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions.
- You also want code generation.
Choose Kong if
- You need api gateway.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- You also want authentication & authorization.
Questions people ask
- Is Asyncapi or Kong better?
- Neither clearly leads. Asyncapi starts at Free and Kong at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Asyncapi or Kong?
- Asyncapi starts at Free and Kong at Free.
- Does Asyncapi or Kong run on more platforms?
- Asyncapi runs on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions. Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- Can I use Asyncapi for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Asyncapi best used for?
- Asyncapi is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Kong is typically brought in for.
- What can Asyncapi do that Kong cannot?
- Asyncapi covers API Specification, Code generation, Documentation, Multiple messaging protocols. Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Asyncapi: What is AsyncAPI used for?
AsyncAPI is an open-source specification for defining and documenting asynchronous APIs, message-driven systems, and event-driven architectures. It serves the same purpose for async APIs as OpenAPI does for REST APIs, providing standardized documentation, code generation, and tooling.
SourceAsyncapi: Is AsyncAPI free to use?
Yes, AsyncAPI is completely free and open-source. It is hosted by the Linux Foundation and supported by community contributions and sponsorships from companies like Postman, IBM, IQVIA Technology, and Solace.
SourceAsyncapi: What protocols and technologies does AsyncAPI support?
AsyncAPI supports multiple protocols and technologies including Kafka, RabbitMQ, MQTT, Socket.IO, AWS EventBridge, and others. It provides language support for JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, C#/.NET, Kotlin, and PHP.
SourceAsyncapi: Does AsyncAPI have IDE support?
Yes, AsyncAPI has IDE extensions available for VSCode and IntelliJ, along with CLI utilities and GitHub Actions integration for developers.
Source