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APIs · head to head

Episode Six vs Kong Gateway

Episode Six logo

Episode Six

APIs

Payment processing and ledger platform deployable on premise or in your own cloud

From
On request
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

  • Only Kong Gateway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Episode Six deployment on premise or in a private tenancy means the institution carries infrastructure, upgrade and PCI scope work that a hosted processor would absorb.; Kong Gateway the free open-source gateway lacks the analytics, portals, and support of the paid Konnect tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: Episode Six covers Tritium API platform, Kong Gateway covers API request routing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Episode Six and Kong Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where Episode Six and Kong Gateway differ
AttributeEpisode SixKong Gateway
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, API, On-premiseweb, linux, api
FoundedUnknown2017

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 Episode Six

  • Tritium API platform
  • Flexible deployment
  • Multi product issuing
  • Digital wallets
  • Multi currency ledger
  • Network connectivity
  • Configurable product engine
  • Institutional controls

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.

Episode Six

  • A bank in a jurisdiction with data residency rules that forbid processing customer data in a shared multi tenant cloudnot Kong Gateway
  • A large institution replacing a legacy card processor without moving off its own infrastructurenot Kong Gateway
  • A telco or airline launching a branded wallet and card product at national scalenot Kong Gateway
  • A bank running prepaid, debit and credit products that wants them on one ledger rather than three processorsnot Kong Gateway

Kong Gateway

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

Where each one falls short

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

Episode Six

  • Deployment on premise or in a private tenancy means the institution carries infrastructure, upgrade and PCI scope work that a hosted processor would absorb.
  • Implementation runs to quarters and involves core banking, network certification and fraud system integration, so time to first card is far longer than with a self serve issuer processor.
  • Pricing is entirely bespoke and weighted to large programmes, which prices out fintechs and small issuers who would be better served by a hosted platform.
  • Being smaller than the incumbent processors, its network certifications and operational presence vary by region, so a global rollout can find gaps in specific markets.
  • The flexibility of six hundred APIs and a configurable product engine shifts design responsibility onto the buyer, and institutions without strong internal payments architects end up dependent on professional services.

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

Episode Six

On request
  • Tritium platform$undefined/year
    • Licence and implementation quoted per institution
    • Deployment model affects cost materially: on premise, private cloud or hosted
    • Processing fees typically per transaction or per active card

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 Episode Six if

  • You need tritium api platform.
  • You work on Web, API, On-premise.
  • You also want flexible deployment.
Episode Six 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 Episode Six or Kong Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. Episode Six starts at On request and Kong Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Episode Six or Kong Gateway?
Kong Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Episode Six and Free for Kong Gateway.
Does Episode Six or Kong Gateway run on more platforms?
Episode Six runs on Web, API, On-premise. Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api.
Can I use Kong Gateway for free?
Yes. Kong Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Episode Six starts at On request.
What is Episode Six best used for?
Episode Six is most often used for a bank in a jurisdiction with data residency rules that forbid processing customer data in a shared multi tenant cloud, a large institution replacing a legacy card processor without moving off its own infrastructure, a telco or airline launching a branded wallet and card product at national scale, a bank running prepaid, debit and credit products that wants them on one ledger rather than three processors. Of those, a bank in a jurisdiction with data residency rules that forbid processing customer data in a shared multi tenant cloud and a large institution replacing a legacy card processor without moving off its own infrastructure are not what Kong Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can Episode Six do that Kong Gateway cannot?
Episode Six covers Tritium API platform, Flexible deployment, Multi product issuing, Digital wallets. Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Episode Six: Can Episode Six run inside our own data centre?

Yes. On premise and private cloud deployment is the main reason banks choose it over hosted only processors.

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
Episode Six: Is it suitable for a startup issuing its first cards?

Not really. The licence, implementation timeline and cost are aimed at banks and large institutions.

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
Episode Six: Do we still need a card licence or sponsor?

Yes. Episode Six is a processor. Network membership, licensing or a sponsor arrangement remains your responsibility.

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
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