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APIs · head to head

Enfuce vs Kong

Enfuce logo

Enfuce

APIs

European issuer processor holding its own payment institution licence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kong logo

Kong

APIs

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Kong has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Enfuce coverage is European, so a programme that also needs US or Asian issuing requires a separate processor and a separate integration.; Kong the Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million
  • They diverge on capability: Enfuce covers Licensed issuing, Kong covers API Gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Enfuce and Kong actually diverge.

Attributes where Enfuce and Kong differ
AttributeEnfuceKong
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, REST APILinux, Docker, Kubernetes
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: 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 Enfuce

  • Licensed issuing
  • Card processing
  • Tokenisation
  • Spend controls
  • Multi-currency programmes
  • Carbon and data services

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.

Enfuce

  • A European fintech launching cards without spending two quarters finding a sponsor banknot Kong
  • A corporate issuing fuel or expense cards across several EU countries on one programmenot Kong
  • A bank migrating an existing European card portfolio off a legacy processornot Kong
  • A programme that must report cardholder transaction carbon data to meet sustainability commitmentsnot Kong

Kong

  • API gateway management and routingnot Enfuce
  • API development and testingnot Enfuce
  • Enterprise API security and governancenot Enfuce

Where each one falls short

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

Enfuce

  • Coverage is European, so a programme that also needs US or Asian issuing requires a separate processor and a separate integration.
  • Where Enfuce acts as the licensed issuer it takes on regulatory risk and prices accordingly, so the convenience of skipping a sponsor bank is not free.
  • European interchange caps limit programme revenue far below US levels, so business cases imported from a US card model do not survive the move.
  • It is a smaller supplier than Marqeta or i2c, which means less negotiating room on scheme fees and a thinner partner ecosystem around it.
  • Pricing is entirely quoted with monthly minimums, so low-volume programmes carry a fixed cost that does not scale down with a slow launch.

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

Enfuce

On request
  • Enfuce issuing and processing$undefined/year
    • Per-active-card and per-transaction fees with monthly minimums
    • Higher pricing where Enfuce acts as licensed issuer rather than processor only
    • Interchange arrangements depend on who holds the issuing licence

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 Enfuce if

  • You need licensed issuing.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want card processing.
Enfuce review

Choose Kong if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want authentication & authorization.
Kong review

Questions people ask

Is Enfuce or Kong better?
Neither clearly leads. Enfuce starts at On request and Kong at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Enfuce or Kong?
Kong has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Enfuce and Free for Kong.
Does Enfuce or Kong run on more platforms?
Enfuce runs on Web, REST API. 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. Enfuce starts at On request.
What is Enfuce best used for?
Enfuce is most often used for a european fintech launching cards without spending two quarters finding a sponsor bank, a corporate issuing fuel or expense cards across several eu countries on one programme, a bank migrating an existing european card portfolio off a legacy processor, a programme that must report cardholder transaction carbon data to meet sustainability commitments. Of those, a european fintech launching cards without spending two quarters finding a sponsor bank and a corporate issuing fuel or expense cards across several eu countries on one programme are not what Kong is typically brought in for.
What can Enfuce do that Kong cannot?
Enfuce covers Licensed issuing, Card processing, Tokenisation, Spend controls. Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Enfuce: Do I need my own licence to use Enfuce?

Not necessarily. Enfuce holds Finnish payment institution authorisation and can act as issuer, or process under your own licence if you have one.

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
Enfuce: Which regions does it cover?

Europe. It is not a route to issuing cards in the United States or Asia.

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
Enfuce: How does interchange work?

Who holds the issuing licence determines who receives interchange, so the licensing choice and the revenue model are the same decision.

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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