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API Management · head to head

Kong vs Sanity

Kong logo

Kong

API Management

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sanity logo

Sanity

API Management

Headless CMS with real-time collaborative editing and structured content APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kong the Plus plan includes 1M API requests a month and charges $200 a month for each additional million; Sanity free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets
  • They diverge on capability: Kong covers API Gateway, Sanity covers Content API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kong and Sanity actually diverge.

Attributes where Kong and Sanity differ
AttributeKongSanity
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesWeb
Founded20102011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Sanity

  • Content API
  • Collaborative editing
  • Structured content
  • Webhooks
  • Third-party services
  • GROQ query language
  • Cloud support
  • JavaScript SDK 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 Sanity
  • Publishing and governing APIs through a developer portalnot Sanity

Sanity

  • Headless CMS for structured content managementnot Kong
  • Collaborative content editing with real-time multiplayer supportnot Kong
  • API-driven content delivery with GROQ query languagenot 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

Sanity

  • Free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets
  • Free plan supports only public datasets
  • Growth plan capped at 50 seats maximum
  • Private datasets, scheduled drafts, and comments/tasks require paid plans
  • Annual billing unavailable for Growth plan; Enterprise-only

Pricing, plan by plan

Kong

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

Sanity

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Sanity review.

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 Sanity if

  • You need content api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want collaborative editing.
Sanity review

Questions people ask

Is Kong or Sanity better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong starts at Free and Sanity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong or Sanity?
Kong starts at Free and Sanity at Free.
Does Kong or Sanity run on more platforms?
Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Sanity runs on Web.
Can I use Kong for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Sanity is typically brought in for.
What can Kong do that Sanity cannot?
Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes. Sanity covers Content API, Collaborative editing, Structured content, Webhooks.
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