Softwr

API Management · head to head

Kong vs Akana

Kong logo

Kong

API Management

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Akana logo

Akana

API Management

Enterprise API lifecycle management platform

From
$2500/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Kong has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Kong the Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million; Akana owned by Perforce and sold within their portfolio rather than independently, and akana.com redirects to perforce.com
  • They diverge on capability: Kong covers API Gateway, Akana covers API Lifecycle Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kong and Akana actually diverge.

Attributes where Kong and Akana differ
AttributeKongAkana
Starting priceFree$2500/monthly
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesCloud, On-premise, Hybrid
Founded20102001

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).

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

  • API Gateway
  • Authentication & Authorization
  • Rate Limiting
  • Kubernetes
  • Consul
  • Eureka
  • PostgreSQL
  • Linux support

Only in Akana

  • API Lifecycle Management
  • API Security
  • Governance Controls
  • OAuth
  • SAML
  • LDAP
  • Active Directory
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Kong

  • Running an API gateway in front of internal and public servicesnot Akana
  • Publishing and governing APIs through a developer portalnot Akana

Akana

  • API lifecycle management across REST, SOAP and GraphQLnot Kong
  • Applying OAuth, JWT and SAML policies at the gatewaynot Kong
  • Running the same platform on-premises, in Kubernetes or across cloudsnot Kong
  • Developer portal and API monetisationnot Kong
  • Monitoring API traffic and enforcing quotasnot Kong

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Kong

  • The Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million
  • Plus is capped at 10M requests a month, so growth past that forces an Enterprise contract
  • Plus limits published APIs to 20 and includes one Developer Portal, with a second at $200 a month
  • SSO and audit logging are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise pricing is custom and billed annually

Akana

  • Owned by Perforce and sold within their portfolio rather than independently, and akana.com redirects to perforce.com
  • Pricing is not published; only a 30 day trial is offered

Pricing, plan by plan

Kong

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Core API gateway
    • Community support
  • Enterprise$undefined/monthly
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
    • SLA

Akana

$2500/monthly
  • Professional$2500/monthly
    • API Gateway
    • Developer Portal
    • Basic analytics
  • Enterprise$5000/monthly
    • Advanced governance
    • Multi-cloud support
    • Premium support
  • Custom$undefined/monthly
    • Custom solutions
    • Dedicated support
    • SLA guarantee

Which should you pick?

Choose Kong if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want authentication & authorization.
Kong review

Choose Akana if

  • You need api lifecycle management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
  • You also want api security.
Akana review

Questions people ask

Is Kong or Akana better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong starts at Free and Akana at $2500/monthly, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong or Akana?
Kong has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong and $2500/monthly for Akana.
Does Kong or Akana run on more platforms?
Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Akana runs on Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid.
Can I use Kong for free?
Yes. Kong has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Akana starts at $2500/monthly.
What is Kong best used for?
Kong is most often used for running an api gateway in front of internal and public services, publishing and governing apis through a developer portal. Of those, running an api gateway in front of internal and public services and publishing and governing apis through a developer portal are not what Akana is typically brought in for.
What can Kong do that Akana cannot?
Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes. Akana covers API Lifecycle Management, API Security, Governance Controls, OAuth.
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