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APIs · head to head

Kong Gateway vs Weavr

Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

APIs

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Weavr logo

Weavr

APIs

Packaged embedded finance for B2B SaaS, with an in-house EU e-money licence

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.; Weavr products are packaged rather than open, so a flow Weavr does not support is not something you can build around, and you discover the limits after integrating.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Weavr covers Plug-and-play products.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kong Gateway and Weavr differ
AttributeKong GatewayWeavr
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, linux, apiWeb, REST API
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 Weavr

  • Plug-and-play products
  • Regulated cover
  • Card issuing
  • Multi-currency accounts
  • Identity and onboarding
  • Data insights

What people use each for

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

Kong Gateway

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

Weavr

  • A project management SaaS adding expense cards without hiring a compliance officernot Kong Gateway
  • A marketplace paying out sellers from accounts held inside its own productnot Kong Gateway
  • A procurement platform issuing virtual cards against approved purchase ordersnot Kong Gateway
  • A European SaaS vendor wanting a regulated entity to sit behind its financial featuresnot 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.

Weavr

  • Products are packaged rather than open, so a flow Weavr does not support is not something you can build around, and you discover the limits after integrating.
  • Programme economics depend on interchange, and SaaS vendors routinely overestimate how much card volume their customers will actually route through the embedded product.
  • It is a small company with limited headcount supporting a regulated dependency, which is a real concentration risk for a feature your customers rely on.
  • Monthly minimums on card programmes mean a slow-adopting customer base leaves you paying for volume you never reach.
  • European interchange caps hold programme revenue well below what US embedded finance case studies suggest, so imported business cases do not transfer.

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

Weavr

On request
  • Weavr embedded finance$undefined/year
    • Platform subscription plus per-account and per-card fees
    • Interchange share negotiated as part of the commercial terms
    • Monthly minimums apply to card programmes

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 Weavr if

  • You need plug-and-play products.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want regulated cover.
Weavr review

Questions people ask

Is Kong Gateway or Weavr better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong Gateway starts at Free and Weavr at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong Gateway or Weavr?
Kong Gateway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong Gateway and On request for Weavr.
Does Kong Gateway or Weavr run on more platforms?
Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api. Weavr runs on Web, REST API.
Can I use Kong Gateway for free?
Yes. Kong Gateway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Weavr 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 Weavr is typically brought in for.
What can Kong Gateway do that Weavr cannot?
Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway. Weavr covers Plug-and-play products, Regulated cover, Card issuing, Multi-currency accounts.

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
Weavr: Do I need my own financial licence?

No. Weavr holds an e-money licence, including a Maltese authorisation for the EU, and acts as the regulated entity for the embedded product.

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
Weavr: How is it different from a banking-as-a-service API?

It sells finished product shapes with compliance built in rather than raw banking primitives, which trades flexibility for a much shorter route to launch.

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
Weavr: How does Weavr make money?

Platform fees plus per-account and per-card charges, with a negotiated share of card interchange.

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