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APIs · head to head

Kong vs Moov

Kong logo

Kong

APIs

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Moov logo

Moov

APIs

Payments API with a published rate card covering card acceptance, ACH and instant payouts

From
$500/month
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; Moov the 500 US dollar monthly minimum makes Moov unattractive below roughly 80,000 dollars a month of card volume, since the minimum rather than the rate becomes your effective price.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong covers API Gateway, Moov covers Interchange-plus card acceptance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kong and Moov actually diverge.

Attributes where Kong and Moov differ
AttributeKongMoov
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer transaction plus monthly minimum
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesWeb, API, iOS, Android
Founded2010Unknown

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

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

Only in Moov

  • Interchange-plus card acceptance
  • ACH transfers
  • Instant payments
  • Wallets
  • Payment links and invoices
  • Virtual cards
  • Account verification
  • Card account updater

What people use each for

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

Kong

  • API gateway management and routingnot Moov
  • API development and testingnot Moov
  • Enterprise API security and governancenot Moov

Moov

  • A vertical SaaS company embedding payments that needs published unit economics to price its own product before signing anythingnot Kong
  • A marketplace paying contractors that wants same-day ACH and instant push-to-card in one API with the cost of each visiblenot Kong
  • A platform that must hold balances for end users between collection and payout without becoming a money transmitternot Kong
  • A software company moving off a legacy gateway that wants interchange-plus transparency instead of a blended rate that hides interchange increasesnot 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

Moov

  • The 500 US dollar monthly minimum makes Moov unattractive below roughly 80,000 dollars a month of card volume, since the minimum rather than the rate becomes your effective price.
  • The 50 cent monthly charge per active wallet penalises platforms with many end users who transact rarely, and that cost grows with your user base rather than your revenue.
  • United States only, so any platform with international sellers or buyers needs a second provider and a second reconciliation process.
  • At very high volume the published interchange-plus markup is less competitive than a directly negotiated acquiring relationship, so success eventually creates a reason to leave.
  • The ecosystem of prebuilt integrations, plugins and third-party tooling is far smaller than Stripe's, so anything outside the core API, from tax handling to subscription logic, is work you build yourself.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kong

Free
  • Kong Konnect Free TrialFree
    • 30-day free trial
    • Full enterprise functionality
    • Unlimited gateways
  • Kong Konnect Plus$null/month
    • Per gateway pricing billed monthly
    • Up to 5 Serverless Gateways, 2 Hybrid, 2 Dedicated Cloud Gateways
    • 1M API requests included per month
  • Kong Insomnia EssentialsFree
    • Unlimited projects and CLI access
    • Up to 3 Git Sync users
    • 1,000 mock server requests per month
  • Kong Insomnia Pro$12/month
    • Unlimited users with Git Sync access
    • Unlimited organizations
    • RBAC

Moov

$500/month
  • Standard$500/month
    • 500 USD monthly minimum, no setup fee
    • Card online at interchange plus 0.60% and 15c
    • Tap to pay at interchange plus 0.50% and 15c
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • Negotiated rates for high volume
    • Specialised business models
    • Dedicated support

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 Moov if

  • You need interchange-plus card acceptance.
  • You work on Web, API, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ach transfers.
Moov review

Questions people ask

Is Kong or Moov better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong starts at Free and Moov at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong or Moov?
Kong has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong and $500/month for Moov.
Does Kong or Moov run on more platforms?
Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Moov runs on Web, API, iOS, Android.
Can I use Kong for free?
Yes. Kong has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Moov starts at $500/month.
What is Kong best used for?
Kong is most often used for api gateway management and routing, api development and testing, enterprise api security and governance. Of those, api gateway management and routing and api development and testing are not what Moov is typically brought in for.
What can Kong do that Moov cannot?
Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes. Moov covers Interchange-plus card acceptance, ACH transfers, Instant payments, Wallets.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kong: Does Kong offer a free trial?

Yes, Kong Konnect offers a 30-day free trial with full enterprise functionality, unlimited gateways, and no credit card required.

Source
Moov: Does Moov publish its prices?

Yes, in unusual detail: interchange-plus card rates, per-transaction ACH and RTP charges, dispute and return fees, and the monthly minimum are all on the pricing page.

Kong: How much does Kong Insomnia Pro cost?

Kong Insomnia Pro is $12 per user per month with 15% savings available for annual billing.

Source
Moov: What is the monthly minimum?

500 US dollars, with no setup fee. Wallet charges and transaction fees count towards it.

Kong: What are Kong Konnect Plus API request limits?

Kong Konnect Plus includes 1M API requests per month; additional requests cost $200 per 1M (maximum 10M per month).

Source
Moov: Can I use Moov outside the United States?

No. Moov handles US payments only, though it accepts international cards at an extra 1.5 percent.

Kong: What is included in Kong Insomnia Enterprise?

Kong Insomnia Enterprise is $45 per user per month with SSO, SCIM, vault integrations, unlimited mock server requests, and Konnect integration.

Source
Moov: Is Moov a bank?

No. It is a payments platform working with partner financial institutions, so account and settlement arrangements depend on those partners.

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