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Software · head to head

Hoppscotch vs Kong Gateway

Hoppscotch logo

Hoppscotch

Software

Open-source API development ecosystem with web-based REST client

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

Software

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hoppscotch hoppscotch's core client is MIT licensed, but hoppscotch.io/pricing (per prior and repeated fetch) renders no server-side pricing content, meaning any hosted Team/Enterprise tier pricing is not readable without a JavaScript-executing browser; Kong Gateway the free open-source gateway lacks the analytics, portals, and support of the paid Konnect tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: Hoppscotch covers REST Client, Kong Gateway covers API request routing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hoppscotch and Kong Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where Hoppscotch and Kong Gateway differ
AttributeHoppscotchKong Gateway
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Self-hostedweb, linux, api
Founded20192017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Hoppscotch

  • REST Client
  • WebSocket
  • gRPC Client
  • GitHub
  • Documentation tools
  • CI/CD
  • Web support
  • Desktop support

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.

Hoppscotch

  • API Developmentnot Kong Gateway
  • API Gatewaynot Kong Gateway
  • API Testingnot Kong Gateway
  • API Documentationnot Kong Gateway
  • Microservicesnot Kong Gateway

Kong Gateway

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

Where each one falls short

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

Hoppscotch

  • Hoppscotch's core client is MIT licensed, but hoppscotch.io/pricing (per prior and repeated fetch) renders no server-side pricing content, meaning any hosted Team/Enterprise tier pricing is not readable without a JavaScript-executing browser

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

Hoppscotch

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full REST client
    • WebSocket support
    • Community
  • Teams$8/monthly
    • Team collaboration
    • Cloud sync
    • Priority support

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 Hoppscotch if

  • You need rest client.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Self-hosted.
  • You also want websocket.
Hoppscotch 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 Hoppscotch or Kong Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. Hoppscotch starts at Free and Kong Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hoppscotch or Kong Gateway?
Hoppscotch starts at Free and Kong Gateway at Free.
Does Hoppscotch or Kong Gateway run on more platforms?
Hoppscotch runs on Web, Desktop, Self-hosted. Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api.
Can I use Hoppscotch for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Hoppscotch best used for?
Hoppscotch is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Kong Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can Hoppscotch do that Kong Gateway cannot?
Hoppscotch covers REST Client, WebSocket, gRPC Client, GitHub. Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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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