Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

HashiCorp Vault vs Kong

HashiCorp Vault logo

HashiCorp Vault

Cybersecurity

Manage secrets and protect sensitive data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kong logo

Kong

APIs

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HashiCorp Vault policies are written in HCL with no graphical user interface for policy management or editing; Kong the Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million
  • They diverge on capability: HashiCorp Vault covers Secret storage, Kong covers API Gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HashiCorp Vault and Kong actually diverge.

Attributes where HashiCorp Vault and Kong differ
AttributeHashiCorp VaultKong
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Mac, ApiLinux, Docker, Kubernetes
CategoryCybersecurityAPIs
Founded20142010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 HashiCorp Vault

  • Secret storage
  • Dynamic secrets
  • Encryption as a service
  • Identity-based access
  • Audit logging
  • Leasing and renewal
  • Secret engines
  • Auth methods

Only in Kong

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

Both cover

  • Kubernetes

What people use each for

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

HashiCorp Vault

  • Secrets managementnot Kong
  • Database credentialsnot Kong
  • API keysnot Kong
  • SSH accessnot Kong
  • PKI and certificatesnot Kong

Kong

  • API gateway management and routingnot HashiCorp Vault
  • API development and testingnot HashiCorp Vault
  • Enterprise API security and governancenot HashiCorp Vault

Where each one falls short

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

HashiCorp Vault

  • Policies are written in HCL with no graphical user interface for policy management or editing
  • Unsealing requires managing multiple key shares and coordinating a quorum of operators
  • Community Edition lacks enterprise features like namespaces and disaster recovery replication
  • Requires additional monitoring solutions for alerting and observability

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

HashiCorp Vault

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Secrets management
    • Encryption
    • Community support
  • Vault Enterprise$6000/year
    • Replication
    • HSM support
    • Advanced audit

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 HashiCorp Vault if

  • You need secret storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want dynamic secrets.
HashiCorp Vault 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 HashiCorp Vault or Kong better?
Neither clearly leads. HashiCorp Vault 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, HashiCorp Vault or Kong?
HashiCorp Vault starts at Free and Kong at Free.
Does HashiCorp Vault or Kong run on more platforms?
HashiCorp Vault runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use HashiCorp Vault for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HashiCorp Vault best used for?
HashiCorp Vault is most often used for secrets management, database credentials, api keys, ssh access. Of those, secrets management and database credentials are not what Kong is typically brought in for.
What can HashiCorp Vault do that Kong cannot?
HashiCorp Vault covers Secret storage, Dynamic secrets, Encryption as a service, Identity-based access. Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Consul. Both handle Kubernetes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HashiCorp Vault: Does HashiCorp Vault have a free version?

Yes. The open-source Community Edition is completely free and includes core secrets management, dynamic secrets, and encryption as a service. It is self-hosted with no licensing fees or secret count limits, but lacks enterprise features like namespaces, disaster recovery replication, and Sentinel policies.

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
HashiCorp Vault: Can I use HashiCorp Vault in production?

The Community Edition is suitable for non-production environments and small teams. For production deployments, organizations typically use HCP Vault Dedicated (managed cloud service starting at approximately 22 USD per month) or Vault Enterprise with custom pricing that includes disaster recovery, performance replication, and 24/7 support.

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
HashiCorp Vault: What are the main integrations available?

Vault integrates with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Active Directory, Okta, and 80+ other platforms. It supports dynamic credential generation for cloud providers, database systems, and identity services, enabling centralized secret management across multi-cloud infrastructure.

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
HashiCorp Vault: Does Vault work offline?

Vault requires network connectivity to function as it is a centralized secrets management server. However, it can be deployed on-premises for air-gapped environments, and clients can cache short-lived tokens for temporary offline access once authenticated.

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
Share

Related pages

More on HashiCorp Vault

More on Kong

Keep looking

Other head to heads