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APIs · head to head

Kong Gateway vs Ozone API

Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

APIs

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ozone API logo

Ozone API

APIs

Standards-compliant open banking API layer for banks and regulators

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.; Ozone API it provides the API layer, not the core connectivity, so the bulk of the project is still integrating your own core banking systems and that cost is not in the licence.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Ozone API covers Multi-standard support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kong Gateway and Ozone API actually diverge.

Attributes where Kong Gateway and Ozone API differ
AttributeKong GatewayOzone API
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, linux, apiWeb, REST API, Linux
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 Ozone API

  • Multi-standard support
  • Consent management
  • Developer portal
  • Regulatory reporting
  • Premium API monetisation
  • Deployment flexibility

What people use each for

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

Kong Gateway

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

Ozone API

  • A building society facing an open banking compliance deadline with no API team of its ownnot Kong Gateway
  • A bank operating in several jurisdictions that must satisfy different open banking standards at oncenot Kong Gateway
  • A regulator or standards body building national open finance infrastructurenot Kong Gateway
  • A bank wanting to sell premium APIs beyond the regulatory minimum without building entitlement plumbingnot 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.

Ozone API

  • It provides the API layer, not the core connectivity, so the bulk of the project is still integrating your own core banking systems and that cost is not in the licence.
  • Value is driven by regulatory obligation, so an institution not under a mandate struggles to build a business case for the spend.
  • It is a small UK vendor selling to large regulated institutions, which raises procurement and vendor viability questions during bank due diligence.
  • Premium API monetisation is a genuine capability but few banks have found real demand, so revenue projections used to justify the purchase often do not materialise.
  • Standards evolve continuously and each revision means a change programme in your own systems, even where Ozone absorbs the specification work at the API edge.

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

Ozone API

On request
  • Ozone API$undefined/year
    • Annual licence or managed service subscription, quoted
    • Scaling by institution size, standards in scope and API call volume
    • Implementation and core integration charged separately

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 Ozone API if

  • You need multi-standard support.
  • You work on Web, REST API, Linux.
  • You also want consent management.
Ozone API review

Questions people ask

Is Kong Gateway or Ozone API better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong Gateway starts at Free and Ozone API at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong Gateway or Ozone API?
Kong Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong Gateway and On request for Ozone API.
Does Kong Gateway or Ozone API run on more platforms?
Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api. Ozone API runs on Web, REST API, Linux.
Can I use Kong Gateway for free?
Yes. Kong Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ozone API 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 Ozone API is typically brought in for.
What can Kong Gateway do that Ozone API cannot?
Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway. Ozone API covers Multi-standard support, Consent management, Developer portal, Regulatory reporting.

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
Ozone API: Is this a competitor to Plaid or TrueLayer?

No, the opposite side. Ozone is bought by the bank exposing data; Plaid and TrueLayer consume it on behalf of third parties.

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
Ozone API: Does it connect to my core banking system?

It provides the standards-compliant API surface and adapters, but connecting your core is an integration project you scope separately.

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
Ozone API: Which standards does it support?

UK Open Banking, Berlin Group, FDX, Consumer Data Right and Gulf regional standards, among others, from one platform.

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