API Management · head to head
Janus Gateway vs Kong Gateway
Janus Gateway
API Management
WebRTC gateway and media server for real-time communication
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Kong Gateway
API Management
Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Janus Gateway janus Gateway is open source (GPLv3) and ships with no hosted SaaS from Meetecho; production deployments require self-managing STUN/TURN and signalling infrastructure.; Kong Gateway the free open-source gateway lacks the analytics, portals, and support of the paid Konnect tiers.
- They diverge on capability: Janus Gateway covers WebRTC Gateway, Kong Gateway covers API request routing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Janus Gateway and Kong Gateway actually diverge.
| Attribute | Janus Gateway | Kong Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | freemium |
| Platforms | Linux, MacOS, BSD | web, linux, api |
| Founded | 2010 | 2017 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).
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 Janus Gateway
- WebRTC Gateway
- Media Routing
- Video Conferencing
- RTP
- SRTP
- REST API
- Linux support
- MacOS 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.
Janus Gateway
- 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 Janus Gateway
- Publishing internal or external developer portalsnot Janus Gateway
- Managing rate limits and authentication at the API edgenot Janus Gateway
- Gateway-level routing to multiple LLM providersnot Janus Gateway
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Janus Gateway
- Janus Gateway is open source (GPLv3) and ships with no hosted SaaS from Meetecho; production deployments require self-managing STUN/TURN and signalling infrastructure.
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
Janus Gateway
Free- Open SourceFree
- Core WebRTC gateway
- Community 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 Janus Gateway if
- You need webrtc gateway.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, MacOS, BSD.
- You also want media routing.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Janus Gateway or Kong Gateway better?
- Neither clearly leads. Janus Gateway 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, Janus Gateway or Kong Gateway?
- Janus Gateway starts at Free and Kong Gateway at Free.
- Does Janus Gateway or Kong Gateway run on more platforms?
- Janus Gateway runs on Linux, MacOS, BSD. Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api.
- Can I use Janus Gateway for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Janus Gateway best used for?
- Janus Gateway 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 Janus Gateway do that Kong Gateway cannot?
- Janus Gateway covers WebRTC Gateway, Media Routing, Video Conferencing, RTP. 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.
SourceKong 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.
SourceKong Gateway: What support is included?
Plus includes email support with a 2-business-day SLA, while Enterprise adds dedicated success managers and professional services.
SourceRelated pages
More on Janus Gateway
More on Kong Gateway
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