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APIs · head to head

Kong vs OutSystems

Kong logo

Kong

APIs

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OutSystems logo

OutSystems

No-Code

Enterprise low-code platform priced by application complexity units, not just users

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; OutSystems application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong covers API Gateway, OutSystems covers Visual application modelling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kong and OutSystems actually diverge.

Attributes where Kong and OutSystems differ
AttributeKongOutSystems
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionApplication Object consumption plus internal and external user packs
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryAPIsNo-Code
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 OutSystems

  • Visual application modelling
  • Generated deployable code
  • One-click deployment
  • AI-assisted development
  • Application Object governance
  • Prebuilt integrations

What people use each for

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

Kong

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

OutSystems

  • An enterprise replacing custom .NET or Java application development with a governed low-code platform at scalenot Kong
  • A company building customer-facing portals where the external-user pricing tier (packs of 10,000) is materially cheaper than licensing customers as internal usersnot Kong
  • An IT department that wants generated, inspectable code rather than a proprietary black-box runtimenot Kong
  • An organisation with a large existing application portfolio needing centralised governance across many apps built by different teamsnot 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

OutSystems

  • Application Objects grow with every screen, table and API an app gains, so a successful app that keeps adding features can push the account into AO overage charges that were not modelled at initial budget time.
  • Internal users are sold in packs of 100 and external users in packs of 10,000, so a company just over a pack boundary in either category pays for a full additional pack rather than a handful of extra seats.
  • Entry-level ODC pricing starts around 36,300 US dollars a year before any AO overage or extra user packs, which puts it out of reach for smaller teams evaluating low-code options.
  • Cloud infrastructure and hosting costs are frequently separate from the platform licence, so the all-in bill is higher than the headline subscription figure suggests.
  • Migrating a large application portfolio off OutSystems once built is difficult, since the generated code and platform-specific patterns are not designed for a clean export to standard frameworks.

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

OutSystems

On request
  • ODC Entry$undefined/year
    • Entry-level Application Object allowance included
    • Internal users sold in packs of 100
    • External users sold in packs of 10,000
  • ODC Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom AO, user pack and environment volumes
    • Negotiated multi-year enterprise agreements
    • Premium support and dedicated infrastructure options

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 OutSystems if

  • You need visual application modelling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want generated deployable code.
OutSystems review

Questions people ask

Is Kong or OutSystems better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong starts at Free and OutSystems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong or OutSystems?
Kong has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong and On request for OutSystems.
Does Kong or OutSystems run on more platforms?
Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. OutSystems runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Kong for free?
Yes. Kong has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OutSystems 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 OutSystems is typically brought in for.
What can Kong do that OutSystems cannot?
Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes. OutSystems covers Visual application modelling, Generated deployable code, One-click deployment, AI-assisted development.

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
OutSystems: What is an Application Object?

A unit OutSystems uses to measure application complexity, counting elements such as screens, database tables and exposed APIs; more AOs mean a bigger licence requirement.

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
OutSystems: Is there a free tier?

OutSystems has offered free or trial tiers historically for evaluation, but production use at any scale runs on paid ODC plans.

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
OutSystems: How does external user pricing work?

External users, typically customers or partners, are sold in packs of 10,000 at roughly a hundredth of the per-seat cost of internal (employee) user packs.

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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