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Gravitee vs Kong

Gravitee logo

Gravitee

Software

Open source API management platform for event-native APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kong logo

Kong

Software

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gravitee the entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway; Kong the Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million
  • They diverge on capability: Gravitee covers Developer Portal, Kong covers Authentication & Authorization.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gravitee and Kong actually diverge.

Attributes where Gravitee and Kong differ
AttributeGraviteeKong
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, KubernetesLinux, Docker, Kubernetes
Founded20152010

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

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 Gravitee

  • Developer Portal
  • Analytics Dashboard
  • Docker
  • Kafka
  • LDAP
  • Cloud support
  • On-premise support

Only in Kong

  • Authentication & Authorization
  • Rate Limiting
  • Consul
  • Eureka
  • PostgreSQL
  • Linux support
  • Docker support

Both cover

  • API Gateway
  • Kubernetes
  • Kubernetes support

What people use each for

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

Gravitee

  • API gateway and lifecycle managementnot Kong
  • Exposing Kafka event streams as managed APIsnot Kong
  • Protocol mediation between event brokers and clientsnot Kong
  • Self-hosting an open source API gatewaynot Kong
  • Access control and authentication in front of internal APIsnot Kong

Kong

  • Running an API gateway in front of internal and public servicesnot Gravitee
  • Publishing and governing APIs through a developer portalnot Gravitee

Where each one falls short

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

Gravitee

  • The entry paid API management tier is $2,500 a month and includes a single production gateway
  • Event management is priced separately, starting at $1,250 a month for the Comet tier
  • Tiers are gated on gateway and broker counts, so scaling horizontally means moving tier rather than paying incrementally
  • Data logging masking and other enterprise features are withheld from the lowest paid tier
  • 24/7 support requires the top Universe tier

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

Gravitee

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • API Gateway
    • Basic analytics
    • Community support
  • Enterprise$1500/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • SLA support
    • SSO integration
  • Custom$undefined/monthly
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated support
    • Premium SLA

Kong

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Core API gateway
    • Community support
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
    • SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Gravitee if

  • You need developer portal.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes.
  • You also want analytics dashboard.
Gravitee review

Choose Kong if

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

Questions people ask

Is Gravitee or Kong better?
Neither clearly leads. Gravitee 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, Gravitee or Kong?
Gravitee starts at Free and Kong at Free.
Does Gravitee or Kong run on more platforms?
Gravitee runs on Cloud, On-premise, Kubernetes. Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use Gravitee for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Gravitee best used for?
Gravitee is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management, exposing kafka event streams as managed apis, protocol mediation between event brokers and clients, self-hosting an open source api gateway. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management and exposing kafka event streams as managed apis are not what Kong is typically brought in for.
What can Gravitee do that Kong cannot?
Gravitee covers Developer Portal, Analytics Dashboard, Docker, Kafka. Kong covers Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Consul, Eureka. Both handle API Gateway, Kubernetes, Kubernetes support.
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