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Automation Integration · head to head

Automation Anywhere vs Kong

Automation Anywhere logo

Automation Anywhere

Automation Integration

Enterprise automation software

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Kong logo

Kong

APIs

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Kong has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Automation Anywhere no enterprise pricing tiers published; contact sales required for commercial deployment pricing; Kong the Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million
  • They diverge on capability: Automation Anywhere covers Desktop RPA, Kong covers API Gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Automation Anywhere and Kong actually diverge.

Attributes where Automation Anywhere and Kong differ
AttributeAutomation AnywhereKong
Starting price$200/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsDesktop, WebLinux, Docker, Kubernetes
CategoryAutomation IntegrationAPIs
Founded20032010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Automation Anywhere

  • Desktop RPA
  • Cloud RPA
  • No-code automation
  • Intelligent process automation
  • Analytics
  • Monitoring
  • Scalability
  • 500+ connectors

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.

Automation Anywhere

  • Workflow Automationnot Kong
  • Data Integrationnot Kong
  • Process Automationnot Kong
  • App Integrationnot Kong
  • API Connectivitynot Kong

Kong

  • API gateway management and routingnot Automation Anywhere
  • API development and testingnot Automation Anywhere
  • Enterprise API security and governancenot Automation Anywhere

Where each one falls short

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

Automation Anywhere

  • No enterprise pricing tiers published; contact sales required for commercial deployment pricing
  • Cloud Community Edition is free but limited compared to enterprise offerings

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

Automation Anywhere

$200/month
  • CommunityFree
    • Community version
    • Limited use
  • Enterprise$200/month
    • Full RPA capabilities
  • Premium$500/month
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support

Kong

Free
  • Kong Konnect Free TrialFree
    • 30-day free trial
    • Full enterprise functionality
    • Unlimited gateways
  • Kong Konnect Plus$null/month
    • Per gateway pricing billed monthly
    • Up to 5 Serverless Gateways, 2 Hybrid, 2 Dedicated Cloud Gateways
    • 1M API requests included per month
  • Kong Insomnia EssentialsFree
    • Unlimited projects and CLI access
    • Up to 3 Git Sync users
    • 1,000 mock server requests per month
  • Kong Insomnia Pro$12/month
    • Unlimited users with Git Sync access
    • Unlimited organizations
    • RBAC

Which should you pick?

Choose Automation Anywhere if

  • You need desktop rpa.
  • You work on Desktop, Web.
  • You also want cloud rpa.

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 Automation Anywhere or Kong better?
Neither clearly leads. Automation Anywhere starts at $200/month and Kong at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Automation Anywhere or Kong?
Kong has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $200/month for Automation Anywhere and Free for Kong.
Does Automation Anywhere or Kong run on more platforms?
Automation Anywhere runs on Desktop, Web. Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use Kong for free?
Yes. Kong has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Automation Anywhere starts at $200/month.
What is Automation Anywhere best used for?
Automation Anywhere is most often used for workflow automation, data integration, process automation, app integration. Of those, workflow automation and data integration are not what Kong is typically brought in for.
What can Automation Anywhere do that Kong cannot?
Automation Anywhere covers Desktop RPA, Cloud RPA, No-code automation, Intelligent process automation. Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Automation Anywhere: How much does Automation Anywhere cost?

Automation Anywhere provides a Cloud Community Edition available free with full-featured automation access. Enterprise and commercial deployment pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires contact with the sales team for a custom quote.

Source
Kong: Does Kong offer a free trial?

Yes, Kong Konnect offers a 30-day free trial with full enterprise functionality, unlimited gateways, and no credit card required.

Source
Automation Anywhere: Does Automation Anywhere offer a free version?

Yes, Automation Anywhere offers the Cloud Community Edition as a free option with full-featured automation access for learning and development purposes. Commercial and enterprise use requires different licensing arrangements.

Source
Kong: How much does Kong Insomnia Pro cost?

Kong Insomnia Pro is $12 per user per month with 15% savings available for annual billing.

Source
Kong: What are Kong Konnect Plus API request limits?

Kong Konnect Plus includes 1M API requests per month; additional requests cost $200 per 1M (maximum 10M per month).

Source
Kong: What is included in Kong Insomnia Enterprise?

Kong Insomnia Enterprise is $45 per user per month with SSO, SCIM, vault integrations, unlimited mock server requests, and Konnect integration.

Source
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