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APIs · head to head

Kong Gateway vs Neonomics

Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

APIs

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Neonomics logo

Neonomics

APIs

Nordic open banking payments and data, now with UK coverage through Ordo

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Kong Gateway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Kong Gateway the free open-source gateway lacks the analytics, portals, and support of the paid Konnect tiers.; Neonomics coverage outside the Nordics and the UK is comparatively shallow, so a pan European merchant will find gaps and inconsistent bank behaviour in southern and eastern markets.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Neonomics covers Payment initiation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kong Gateway and Neonomics differ
AttributeKong GatewayNeonomics
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, linux, apiWeb, API
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

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 Kong Gateway

  • API request routing
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Developer portals
  • AI Gateway
  • Analytics and observability
  • SSO and audit logs

Only in Neonomics

  • Payment initiation
  • Account information
  • Nordic bank depth
  • UK coverage via Ordo
  • Variable recurring payments
  • Request to pay
  • White label journeys
  • Reconciliation data

What people use each for

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

Kong Gateway

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

Neonomics

  • A Norwegian or Swedish merchant collecting payments directly from bank accounts to avoid card feesnot Kong Gateway
  • A debt collection agency sending request to pay messages instead of chasing bank transfers manuallynot Kong Gateway
  • A software vendor embedding pay by bank into an accounting or invoicing product for Nordic customersnot Kong Gateway
  • A business needing both UK and Nordic bank payment coverage from one suppliernot Kong Gateway

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Neonomics

  • Coverage outside the Nordics and the UK is comparatively shallow, so a pan European merchant will find gaps and inconsistent bank behaviour in southern and eastern markets.
  • It is a small company relative to Tink and TrueLayer, so supplier viability and the depth of engineering support behind bank API changes are genuine procurement questions.
  • Payment initiation only means the merchant handles settlement, reconciliation and refunds, and there is no chargeback framework to fall back on.
  • Integrating a recently acquired UK business means two regulatory entities and, for a period, two technology stacks, so cross market feature parity is a promise rather than an existing state.
  • Conversion is governed by each bank's own authentication experience, and Nordic BankID flows behave differently from UK app redirects, so a single UX cannot be assumed across the footprint.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Neonomics

On request
  • Neonomics platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per customer, typically per initiated payment or per API call
    • Volume commitments and monthly minimums are common
    • Payment initiation only; merchant handles settlement and refunds

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Neonomics if

  • You need payment initiation.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want account information.
Neonomics review

Questions people ask

Is Kong Gateway or Neonomics better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong Gateway starts at Free and Neonomics at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong Gateway or Neonomics?
Kong Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong Gateway and On request for Neonomics.
Does Kong Gateway or Neonomics run on more platforms?
Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api. Neonomics runs on Web, API.
Can I use Kong Gateway for free?
Yes. Kong Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Neonomics starts at On request.
What is Kong Gateway best used for?
Kong Gateway is most often used for routing and securing traffic across microservices, publishing internal or external developer portals, managing rate limits and authentication at the api edge, gateway-level routing to multiple llm providers. Of those, routing and securing traffic across microservices and publishing internal or external developer portals are not what Neonomics is typically brought in for.
What can Kong Gateway do that Neonomics cannot?
Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway. Neonomics covers Payment initiation, Account information, Nordic bank depth, UK coverage via Ordo.

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
Neonomics: Is Neonomics authorised in the UK?

Yes, through the acquisition of Ordo, an FCA authorised open banking payments firm, approved by the FCA and the Norwegian regulator.

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
Neonomics: Does it support variable recurring payments?

Yes in the UK through the Ordo capability, subject to which banks support commercial VRP; support elsewhere is more limited.

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
Neonomics: Does Neonomics hold merchant funds?

No. It initiates payments; settlement, reconciliation and refunds remain with the merchant or its payment provider.

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