Softwr

APIs · head to head

Kong Gateway vs ToolJet

Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

APIs

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ToolJet logo

ToolJet

No-Code

Open-source low-code platform for building internal tools and business apps

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.; ToolJet free and Pro tiers cap end users at 50, which may be too low for apps needing broad internal distribution.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong Gateway covers API request routing, ToolJet covers Drag-and-drop app builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kong Gateway and ToolJet differ
AttributeKong GatewayToolJet
Platformsweb, linux, apiweb, api, linux, windows, mac
CategoryAPIsNo-Code
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 ToolJet

  • Drag-and-drop app builder
  • AI-assisted generation
  • Database and API connectors
  • Self-hosted and air-gapped deployment
  • Multi-instance deployments
  • Dedicated support manager

What people use each for

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

Kong Gateway

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

ToolJet

  • Building internal admin dashboards and appsnot Kong Gateway
  • Self-hosted or air-gapped internal tool deploymentnot Kong Gateway
  • AI-assisted rapid app prototypingnot Kong Gateway
  • Connecting multiple data sources into one appnot 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.

ToolJet

  • Free and Pro tiers cap end users at 50, which may be too low for apps needing broad internal distribution.
  • Enterprise pricing starts at a steep $3,000/month, a large jump from the $199/month Team plan.
  • AI credits reset monthly and do not roll over, penalizing uneven month-to-month usage.
  • Smaller integration and community ecosystem than more established players like Retool.

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

ToolJet

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 builders
    • 50 end users
    • 2 apps
  • Pro$79/month
    • Unlimited builders (per-builder pricing)
    • 50 end users
    • 5 apps
  • Team$199/month
    • Unlimited builders (per-builder pricing)
    • 100 end users
    • Unlimited apps
  • Enterprise$3000/month
    • Unlimited end users
    • Custom AI credits
    • Dedicated support manager

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 ToolJet if

  • You need drag-and-drop app builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
  • You also want ai-assisted generation.
ToolJet review

Questions people ask

Is Kong Gateway or ToolJet better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong Gateway starts at Free and ToolJet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong Gateway or ToolJet?
Kong Gateway starts at Free and ToolJet at Free.
Does Kong Gateway or ToolJet run on more platforms?
Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api. ToolJet runs on web, api, linux, windows, mac.
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 ToolJet is typically brought in for.
What can Kong Gateway do that ToolJet cannot?
Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway. ToolJet covers Drag-and-drop app builder, AI-assisted generation, Database and API connectors, Self-hosted and air-gapped deployment.

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
ToolJet: What happens if I run out of AI credits?

Users can continue using all other ToolJet features as normal and can contact support to purchase additional AI credits when the monthly allotment runs out.

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
ToolJet: Do unused AI credits roll over?

No, AI credits reset every month and unused credits do not carry over, which ToolJet says helps maintain consistent service quality.

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
ToolJet: Can ToolJet be deployed on-premise?

Yes, both the community and enterprise editions support on-premise and air-gapped deployments, typically completed in under 30 minutes.

Source
ToolJet: Is there a free trial for paid plans?

ToolJet offers a 14-day free trial for both its business and enterprise editions.

Source
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