API Management · head to head
Kong Gateway vs PubNub
Kong Gateway
API Management
Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
PubNub
API Management
Realtime communication platform for chat, IoT, and live data apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Kong Gateway the free open-source gateway lacks the analytics, portals, and support of the paid Konnect tiers.; PubNub free plan storage history is limited to 7 days, which is short for apps needing longer message retention.
- They diverge on capability: Kong Gateway covers API request routing, PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Kong Gateway and PubNub actually diverge.
| Attribute | Kong Gateway | PubNub |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | web, linux, api | web, ios, android, api |
| Founded | 2017 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Kong Gateway
- API request routing
- Plugin ecosystem
- Developer portals
- AI Gateway
- Analytics and observability
- SSO and audit logs
Only in PubNub
- Pub/sub messaging
- Presence tracking
- Message persistence
- Serverless Functions
- File sharing
- Encryption and access controls
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Kong Gateway
- Routing and securing traffic across microservicesnot PubNub
- Publishing internal or external developer portalsnot PubNub
- Managing rate limits and authentication at the API edgenot PubNub
- Gateway-level routing to multiple LLM providersnot PubNub
PubNub
- Building realtime chat applicationsnot Kong Gateway
- Streaming live IoT sensor datanot Kong Gateway
- Adding presence indicators to collaborative appsnot Kong Gateway
- Running edge logic with serverless Functions on realtime eventsnot 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.
PubNub
- Free plan storage history is limited to 7 days, which is short for apps needing longer message retention.
- MAU-based pricing means costs scale directly with user growth, which can be less predictable than flat message-based pricing.
- Pro-tier custom pricing above 50,000 MAU requires contacting sales rather than self-serve checkout.
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
PubNub
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 200 MAU or 1M transactions
- 1GB data storage (7 days)
- 5 test Serverless Functions
- Starter$98/month
- 1,000 MAU included
- User management
- Insights
- Pro$undefined/month
- Custom MAU packages
- Volume discounts
- Enterprise-scale configurations
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.
Choose PubNub if
- You need pub/sub messaging.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, ios, android, api.
- You also want presence tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Kong Gateway or PubNub better?
- Neither clearly leads. Kong Gateway starts at Free and PubNub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Kong Gateway or PubNub?
- Kong Gateway starts at Free and PubNub at Free.
- Does Kong Gateway or PubNub run on more platforms?
- Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api. PubNub runs on web, ios, android, api.
- Can I use Kong Gateway for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 PubNub is typically brought in for.
- What can Kong Gateway do that PubNub cannot?
- Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway. PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence tracking, Message persistence, Serverless Functions.
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.
SourcePubNub: What does PubNub cost?
PubNub offers a free plan for up to 200 MAU or 1 million transactions, a Starter plan at $98/month for 1,000 MAU, and custom Pro pricing for larger volumes, e.g. around $550/month for 10,000 MAU.
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.
SourcePubNub: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?
Yes, the free plan supports up to 200 monthly active users or 1 million transactions, includes 1GB of data storage retained for 7 days, and requires no credit card.
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.
SourcePubNub: How is usage metered?
PubNub bills primarily by Monthly Active Users, defined as a unique user who connects at least once in a billing cycle; messages are bundled into MAU pricing with no separate per-message fees, and overage is billed proportionally.
SourceRelated pages
More on Kong Gateway
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