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APIs · head to head

Kong Gateway vs TrueLayer

Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

APIs

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TrueLayer logo

TrueLayer

APIs

Open banking payments and data across the UK and Europe, with the largest share of UK variable recurring payments

From
On request
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.; TrueLayer variable recurring payments, the strongest reason to choose TrueLayer, is a UK construct, and European businesses expecting the same capability in their market will not get it on the same timetable.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong Gateway covers API request routing, TrueLayer covers Pay by bank.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kong Gateway and TrueLayer differ
AttributeKong GatewayTrueLayer
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, linux, apiWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2017Unknown

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 TrueLayer

  • Pay by bank
  • Variable recurring payments
  • Payouts and refunds
  • Account information
  • Account name verification
  • Signup and KYC support
  • Multi-country coverage
  • Hosted payment page

What people use each for

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

Kong Gateway

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

TrueLayer

  • A UK subscription or top-up business that wants card-like recurring collection over bank rails using variable recurring paymentsnot Kong Gateway
  • A trading or crypto platform funding accounts instantly by bank transfer where card deposits carry chargeback risknot Kong Gateway
  • A marketplace paying sellers out to verified bank accounts with name checking to reduce misdirected paymentsnot Kong Gateway
  • A lender verifying income and affordability from bank transaction data rather than uploaded statementsnot 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.

TrueLayer

  • Variable recurring payments, the strongest reason to choose TrueLayer, is a UK construct, and European businesses expecting the same capability in their market will not get it on the same timetable.
  • Payment conversion varies substantially by bank, and a bank with a slow or broken authentication journey drags results down regardless of vendor, so aggregate coverage numbers say little about your actual mix.
  • Pay by bank has no chargeback mechanism, which merchants like until a customer disputes a purchase and finds no scheme protection, making it a poor fit for categories where buyers expect card style recourse.
  • Pricing is unpublished and varies by market and product, so multi-country merchants cannot model cost without a full sales engagement and often find rates differ significantly between countries.
  • Open banking authentication requires the customer to leave the checkout and authorise in their banking app, and that redirect remains the largest source of drop-off compared with a stored card.

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

TrueLayer

On request
  • TrueLayer Payments and Data$undefined/year
    • Per-payment fees quoted by volume, market and product
    • Separate commercial terms for payment initiation, VRP and account information
    • Platform and minimum commitment terms negotiated per contract

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 TrueLayer if

  • You need pay by bank.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want variable recurring payments.
TrueLayer review

Questions people ask

Is Kong Gateway or TrueLayer better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong Gateway starts at Free and TrueLayer at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong Gateway or TrueLayer?
Kong Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong Gateway and On request for TrueLayer.
Does Kong Gateway or TrueLayer run on more platforms?
Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api. TrueLayer runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Kong Gateway for free?
Yes. Kong Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. TrueLayer starts at On request.
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 TrueLayer is typically brought in for.
What can Kong Gateway do that TrueLayer cannot?
Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway. TrueLayer covers Pay by bank, Variable recurring payments, Payouts and refunds, Account information.

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
TrueLayer: Is VRP available outside the UK?

No. Variable recurring payments are a UK capability. EU adoption is on a slower path, with UK commercial VRP expanding into ecommerce during 2026.

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
TrueLayer: What does TrueLayer cost?

Not published. Per-payment fees are quoted by volume, market and product, usually with a platform component and a minimum commitment.

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
TrueLayer: Are there chargebacks on pay by bank?

No. Bank transfers have no card scheme chargeback mechanism, which removes that cost but also removes buyer recourse, so it suits some categories and not others.

TrueLayer: Which countries are covered?

The UK plus a substantial set of European markets under PSD2, though bank-level coverage and conversion vary by country and should be checked for your specific mix.

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