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APIs · head to head

Kong Gateway vs Paw

Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

APIs

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paw logo

Paw

APIs

Full-featured REST client for macOS with powerful scripting and testing

From
$99/one-time
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.; Paw no specific pricing amounts published for subscription tiers
  • They diverge on capability: Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Paw covers REST Client.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kong Gateway and Paw differ
AttributeKong GatewayPaw
Starting priceFree$99/one-time
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, linux, apiMacOS
Founded20172013

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 Paw

  • REST Client
  • Scripting
  • Dynamic Values
  • Slack
  • GitHub
  • Custom extensions
  • MacOS support

What people use each for

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

Kong Gateway

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

Paw

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

Paw

  • No specific pricing amounts published for subscription tiers
  • Individual and volume licensing requires direct contact
  • Limited details on team subscription pricing

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

Paw

$99/one-time
  • Standard$99/one-time
    • Full REST client
    • Advanced scripting
    • Extensions
  • Annual License$49/yearly
    • All features
    • Updates
    • Priority support

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 Paw if

  • You need rest client.
  • You work on MacOS.
  • You also want scripting.
Paw review

Questions people ask

Is Kong Gateway or Paw better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong Gateway starts at Free and Paw at $99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong Gateway or Paw?
Kong Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong Gateway and $99/one-time for Paw.
Does Kong Gateway or Paw run on more platforms?
Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api. Paw runs on MacOS.
Can I use Kong Gateway for free?
Yes. Kong Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paw starts at $99/one-time.
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 Paw is typically brought in for.
What can Kong Gateway do that Paw cannot?
Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway. Paw covers REST Client, Scripting, Dynamic Values, Slack.

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
Paw: How much does RapidAPI for Mac (Paw) cost?

Paw offers a free tier for personal and professional use. Paid subscription plans are available on monthly and yearly billing, but specific pricing amounts are not disclosed and require direct contact with RapidAPI.

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
Paw: Is there a free version of Paw?

Yes, RapidAPI for Mac (Paw) is free for both personal and professional use.

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
Paw: What features are included in the free version of Paw?

The free tier includes HTTP client capabilities for API testing, API documentation, personal sync across devices, and support for Swagger, RAML, and API Blueprint formats.

Source
Paw: What additional features do Paw team subscriptions include?

Team subscription plans include all personal features plus collaborative tools, team project access, synchronized workflows with safe data merges, and real-time notifications and updates.

Source
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