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APIs · head to head

Kong Gateway vs Teable

Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

APIs

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Teable logo

Teable

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheet interface over real PostgreSQL tables, so the data stays queryable by anything that speaks SQL

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.; Teable the automation builder is far less capable than the established commercial alternatives, so multi step workflows usually end up in an external tool that must be paid for and maintained separately.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Teable covers PostgreSQL native storage.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kong Gateway and Teable differ
AttributeKong GatewayTeable
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
Platformsweb, linux, apiWeb, Linux
CategoryAPIsSpreadsheets
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 Teable

  • PostgreSQL native storage
  • Multiple views
  • Linked records and rollups
  • Generated REST API
  • Real time collaboration
  • Self hosting via Docker
  • Field level permissions

What people use each for

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

Kong Gateway

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

Teable

  • A team that has hit the record ceiling of a hosted spreadsheet database and does not want to move to raw SQLnot Kong Gateway
  • Operational data that a business intelligence tool must also read directly, without an export or a sync jobnot Kong Gateway
  • A regulated or data resident organisation that needs the underlying database inside its own infrastructurenot Kong Gateway
  • An internal tool where a grid interface and a REST API over the same table are both requirednot 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.

Teable

  • The automation builder is far less capable than the established commercial alternatives, so multi step workflows usually end up in an external tool that must be paid for and maintained separately.
  • Self hosting moves PostgreSQL backups, version upgrades, connection pooling and capacity planning onto your team, and the licence saving disappears if that time is costed honestly.
  • The integration catalogue is small, so connecting to a common business system often means writing against the REST API rather than installing a connector.
  • The project is young relative to the products it replaces, and interface and API changes still arrive at a pace that requires reading release notes before upgrading.
  • Storing every table as a real PostgreSQL table means schema changes are real migrations, so a careless field type change on a large table can lock it far longer than a spreadsheet user would expect.

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

Teable

Free
  • Self hosted open sourceFree
    • No licence fee
    • Unlimited rows subject to your PostgreSQL capacity
    • Docker deployment

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 Teable if

  • You need postgresql native storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want multiple views.
Teable review

Questions people ask

Is Kong Gateway or Teable better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong Gateway starts at Free and Teable at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong Gateway or Teable?
Kong Gateway starts at Free and Teable at Free.
Does Kong Gateway or Teable run on more platforms?
Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api. Teable runs on Web, Linux.
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 Teable is typically brought in for.
What can Kong Gateway do that Teable cannot?
Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway. Teable covers PostgreSQL native storage, Multiple views, Linked records and rollups, Generated REST API.

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
Teable: How many rows can it actually hold?

As many as your PostgreSQL instance can serve. There is no product imposed record limit on the self hosted edition, which is the main reason to choose it.

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
Teable: Can I query the data with SQL directly?

Yes. Tables are real PostgreSQL tables, so any SQL client or reporting tool can read them.

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
Teable: Is self hosting genuinely free?

The licence is. The database server, backups and the engineer maintaining them are not.

Teable: Does it replace Airtable feature for feature?

No. Views and field types are close; automations, apps and the integration catalogue are not.

Teable: What happens to my data if the project stops?

It remains in a standard PostgreSQL database that you control, which is a materially better exit than a proprietary export format.

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