Software · head to head
HTTPie vs Kong
HTTPie
Software
Command-line HTTP client with intuitive interface and syntax
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Kong
Software
Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: HTTPie the desktop application is in public beta rather than a finished release; Kong the Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million
- They diverge on capability: HTTPie covers REST Client, Kong covers API Gateway.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which HTTPie and Kong actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), 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 HTTPie
- REST Client
- JSON support
- Colored output
- CI/CD
- Shell scripting
- Automation
- MacOS support
- Windows support
Only in Kong
- API Gateway
- Authentication & Authorization
- Rate Limiting
- Kubernetes
- Consul
- Eureka
- PostgreSQL
- Docker support
Both cover
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
HTTPie
- Sending and inspecting HTTP requests from the terminalnot Kong
- A readable alternative to curl for API debuggingnot Kong
- Testing APIs through a graphical clientnot Kong
- Installing through apt, brew or pip in a development environmentnot Kong
Kong
- Running an API gateway in front of internal and public servicesnot HTTPie
- Publishing and governing APIs through a developer portalnot HTTPie
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
HTTPie
- The desktop application is in public beta rather than a finished release
- Pricing for the desktop and web products is not published, while the terminal client is free and open source
- The graphical versions are newer than the CLI, so parity between them is not guaranteed
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
HTTPie
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full HTTPie CLI
- Community support
- HTTPie for Web$10/monthly
- Web interface
- Cloud storage
- Team collaboration
Kong
Free- CommunityFree
- Core API gateway
- Community support
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Advanced features
- Priority support
- SLA
Which should you pick?
Choose HTTPie if
- You need rest client.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Web.
- You also want json support.
Choose Kong if
- You need api gateway.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- You also want authentication & authorization.
Questions people ask
- Is HTTPie or Kong better?
- Neither clearly leads. HTTPie 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, HTTPie or Kong?
- HTTPie starts at Free and Kong at Free.
- Does HTTPie or Kong run on more platforms?
- HTTPie runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Web. Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
- Can I use HTTPie for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is HTTPie best used for?
- HTTPie is most often used for sending and inspecting http requests from the terminal, a readable alternative to curl for api debugging, testing apis through a graphical client, installing through apt, brew or pip in a development environment. Of those, sending and inspecting http requests from the terminal and a readable alternative to curl for api debugging are not what Kong is typically brought in for.
- What can HTTPie do that Kong cannot?
- HTTPie covers REST Client, JSON support, Colored output, CI/CD. Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes. Both handle Linux support.