Softwr

APIs · head to head

Kong Gateway vs Read the Docs

Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

APIs

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Read the Docs logo

Read the Docs

Documentation

Documentation hosting with versioning built for open source

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.; Read the Docs build configuration is finicky, and build failures on dependency changes are a common frustration
  • They diverge on capability: Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Read the Docs covers Build on commit.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kong Gateway and Read the Docs actually diverge.

Attributes where Kong Gateway and Read the Docs differ
AttributeKong GatewayRead the Docs
Pricing modelfreemiumFree for open source; paid business plans for private documentation
Platformsweb, linux, apiWeb, Cloud
CategoryAPIsDocumentation
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Read the Docs

  • Build on commit
  • Version by branch and tag
  • Pull request previews
  • Free for open source

What people use each for

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

Kong Gateway

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

Read the Docs

  • Open-source projects needing free hosted versioned documentationnot Kong Gateway
  • Teams wanting docs rebuilt automatically on every commitnot Kong Gateway
  • Reviewing documentation changes in a pull request before mergenot 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.

Read the Docs

  • Build configuration is finicky, and build failures on dependency changes are a common frustration
  • Default themes are recognisable and dated, so sites look alike unless customised
  • Private documentation requires a paid business plan
  • Build times on large projects are slow enough to interrupt a review cycle

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

Read the Docs

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core functionality
    • Public projects

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 Read the Docs if

  • You need build on commit.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want version by branch and tag.
Read the Docs review

Questions people ask

Is Kong Gateway or Read the Docs better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong Gateway starts at Free and Read the Docs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong Gateway or Read the Docs?
Kong Gateway starts at Free and Read the Docs at Free.
Does Kong Gateway or Read the Docs run on more platforms?
Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api. Read the Docs runs on Web, Cloud.
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 Read the Docs is typically brought in for.
What can Kong Gateway do that Read the Docs cannot?
Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway. Read the Docs covers Build on commit, Version by branch and tag, Pull request previews, Free for open source.

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
Read the Docs: Is Read the Docs free?

Free for open-source public projects. Private documentation requires a paid business plan.

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
Read the Docs: What does it build from?

Most commonly Sphinx or MkDocs sources kept in your repository.

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
Read the Docs: How does versioning work?

It maps branches and tags to documentation versions, so several releases are served side by side without manual work.

Share

Related pages

More on Kong Gateway

More on Read the Docs

Keep looking

Other head to heads