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APIs · head to head

Kong vs Neonomics

Kong logo

Kong

APIs

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Neonomics logo

Neonomics

APIs

Nordic open banking payments and data, now with UK coverage through Ordo

From
On request
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; Neonomics coverage outside the Nordics and the UK is comparatively shallow, so a pan European merchant will find gaps and inconsistent bank behaviour in southern and eastern markets.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong covers API Gateway, Neonomics covers Payment initiation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kong and Neonomics actually diverge.

Attributes where Kong and Neonomics differ
AttributeKongNeonomics
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesWeb, API
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 Neonomics

  • Payment initiation
  • Account information
  • Nordic bank depth
  • UK coverage via Ordo
  • Variable recurring payments
  • Request to pay
  • White label journeys
  • Reconciliation data

What people use each for

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

Kong

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

Neonomics

  • A Norwegian or Swedish merchant collecting payments directly from bank accounts to avoid card feesnot Kong
  • A debt collection agency sending request to pay messages instead of chasing bank transfers manuallynot Kong
  • A software vendor embedding pay by bank into an accounting or invoicing product for Nordic customersnot Kong
  • A business needing both UK and Nordic bank payment coverage from one suppliernot 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

Neonomics

  • Coverage outside the Nordics and the UK is comparatively shallow, so a pan European merchant will find gaps and inconsistent bank behaviour in southern and eastern markets.
  • It is a small company relative to Tink and TrueLayer, so supplier viability and the depth of engineering support behind bank API changes are genuine procurement questions.
  • Payment initiation only means the merchant handles settlement, reconciliation and refunds, and there is no chargeback framework to fall back on.
  • Integrating a recently acquired UK business means two regulatory entities and, for a period, two technology stacks, so cross market feature parity is a promise rather than an existing state.
  • Conversion is governed by each bank's own authentication experience, and Nordic BankID flows behave differently from UK app redirects, so a single UX cannot be assumed across the footprint.

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

Neonomics

On request
  • Neonomics platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per customer, typically per initiated payment or per API call
    • Volume commitments and monthly minimums are common
    • Payment initiation only; merchant handles settlement and refunds

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 Neonomics if

  • You need payment initiation.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want account information.
Neonomics review

Questions people ask

Is Kong or Neonomics better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong starts at Free and Neonomics at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong or Neonomics?
Kong has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong and On request for Neonomics.
Does Kong or Neonomics run on more platforms?
Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Neonomics runs on Web, API.
Can I use Kong for free?
Yes. Kong has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Neonomics starts at On request.
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 Neonomics is typically brought in for.
What can Kong do that Neonomics cannot?
Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes. Neonomics covers Payment initiation, Account information, Nordic bank depth, UK coverage via Ordo.

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
Neonomics: Is Neonomics authorised in the UK?

Yes, through the acquisition of Ordo, an FCA authorised open banking payments firm, approved by the FCA and the Norwegian regulator.

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
Neonomics: Does it support variable recurring payments?

Yes in the UK through the Ordo capability, subject to which banks support commercial VRP; support elsewhere is more limited.

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
Neonomics: Does Neonomics hold merchant funds?

No. It initiates payments; settlement, reconciliation and refunds remain with the merchant or its payment provider.

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
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