API Management · head to head
Kong vs TIBCO Mashery
Kong
API Management
Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
TIBCO Mashery
API Management
Cloud-native API management for digital business
- From
- $2000/monthly
- Rated
- -
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; TIBCO Mashery lack of support for open API standards requires workarounds
- They diverge on capability: Kong covers API Gateway, TIBCO Mashery covers Cloud-native Gateway.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Kong and TIBCO Mashery actually diverge.
| Attribute | Kong | TIBCO Mashery |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $2000/monthly |
| Pricing model | open-source | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Linux, Docker, Kubernetes | Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud |
| Founded | 2010 | 1997 |
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 TIBCO Mashery
- Cloud-native Gateway
- Developer Portal
- API Analytics
- TIBCO Cloud
- AWS
- Azure
- GCP
- 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 TIBCO Mashery
- Publishing and governing APIs through a developer portalnot TIBCO Mashery
TIBCO Mashery
- API Developmentnot Kong
- API Gatewaynot Kong
- API Testingnot Kong
- API Documentationnot Kong
- Microservicesnot 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 $200 a month
- SSO and audit logging are Enterprise only
- Enterprise pricing is custom and billed annually
TIBCO Mashery
- Lack of support for open API standards requires workarounds
- Policy management is difficult and sometimes requires support intervention for configuration changes
- Monetization and customization features are inadequate for some enterprise use cases
- Delays under heavy load conditions; stability issues reported affecting performance
- Logging and monitoring limitations; logs are hard to follow when calls cannot be filtered by keys
Pricing, plan by plan
Kong
Free- CommunityFree
- Core API gateway
- Community support
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Advanced features
- Priority support
- SLA
TIBCO Mashery
$2000/monthly- Standard$2000/monthly
- API Gateway
- Developer Portal
- Standard support
- Professional$5000/monthly
- Advanced analytics
- Multi-region
- Priority support
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Custom solutions
- Dedicated support
- Premium SLA
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.
Choose TIBCO Mashery if
- You need cloud-native gateway.
- You work on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
- You also want developer portal.
Questions people ask
- Is Kong or TIBCO Mashery better?
- Neither clearly leads. Kong starts at Free and TIBCO Mashery at $2000/monthly, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Kong or TIBCO Mashery?
- Kong has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong and $2000/monthly for TIBCO Mashery.
- Does Kong or TIBCO Mashery run on more platforms?
- Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. TIBCO Mashery runs on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
- Can I use Kong for free?
- Yes. Kong has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. TIBCO Mashery starts at $2000/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 TIBCO Mashery is typically brought in for.
- What can Kong do that TIBCO Mashery cannot?
- Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes. TIBCO Mashery covers Cloud-native Gateway, Developer Portal, API Analytics, TIBCO Cloud.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
TIBCO Mashery: What is TIBCO Cloud API Management (Mashery)?
TIBCO Cloud API Management, formerly known as TIBCO Cloud Mashery, is an enterprise platform delivering full lifecycle API management capabilities including API creation, productization, security, analytics, and support for API development, mediation, and event-driven initiatives.
SourceTIBCO Mashery: What is the pricing structure?
TIBCO Mashery pricing starts at $2000/monthly for cloud-hosted deployments based on capacity and throughput. Annual maintenance for on-premises perpetual licenses typically ranges from 18-22% of license cost. Custom plans are available based on customer requirements.
SourceTIBCO Mashery: Does Mashery support OpenAPI standards?
TIBCO Mashery supports native OpenAPI specifications. The platform provides contract-first modeling with native OpenAPI Spec support and native Node.js hosting of API implementations.
TIBCO Mashery: What's the current status of TIBCO Mashery?
Mashery, formerly sold as TIBCO Cloud API Management, has had its capabilities integrated into Boomi's enterprise platform. Users should verify current product status and support roadmap with TIBCO's sales team, as the product landscape has undergone significant changes.