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APIs · head to head

Kong vs Weavr

Kong logo

Kong

APIs

Cloud-native API gateway and service connectivity platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Weavr logo

Weavr

APIs

Packaged embedded finance for B2B SaaS, with an in-house EU e-money licence

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; Weavr products are packaged rather than open, so a flow Weavr does not support is not something you can build around, and you discover the limits after integrating.
  • They diverge on capability: Kong covers API Gateway, Weavr covers Plug-and-play products.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kong and Weavr actually diverge.

Attributes where Kong and Weavr differ
AttributeKongWeavr
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, KubernetesWeb, REST 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 Weavr

  • Plug-and-play products
  • Regulated cover
  • Card issuing
  • Multi-currency accounts
  • Identity and onboarding
  • Data insights

What people use each for

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

Kong

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

Weavr

  • A project management SaaS adding expense cards without hiring a compliance officernot Kong
  • A marketplace paying out sellers from accounts held inside its own productnot Kong
  • A procurement platform issuing virtual cards against approved purchase ordersnot Kong
  • A European SaaS vendor wanting a regulated entity to sit behind its financial featuresnot 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

Weavr

  • Products are packaged rather than open, so a flow Weavr does not support is not something you can build around, and you discover the limits after integrating.
  • Programme economics depend on interchange, and SaaS vendors routinely overestimate how much card volume their customers will actually route through the embedded product.
  • It is a small company with limited headcount supporting a regulated dependency, which is a real concentration risk for a feature your customers rely on.
  • Monthly minimums on card programmes mean a slow-adopting customer base leaves you paying for volume you never reach.
  • European interchange caps hold programme revenue well below what US embedded finance case studies suggest, so imported business cases do not transfer.

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

Weavr

On request
  • Weavr embedded finance$undefined/year
    • Platform subscription plus per-account and per-card fees
    • Interchange share negotiated as part of the commercial terms
    • Monthly minimums apply to card programmes

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 Weavr if

  • You need plug-and-play products.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want regulated cover.
Weavr review

Questions people ask

Is Kong or Weavr better?
Neither clearly leads. Kong starts at Free and Weavr at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kong or Weavr?
Kong has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kong and On request for Weavr.
Does Kong or Weavr run on more platforms?
Kong runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Weavr runs on Web, REST API.
Can I use Kong for free?
Yes. Kong has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Weavr 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 Weavr is typically brought in for.
What can Kong do that Weavr cannot?
Kong covers API Gateway, Authentication & Authorization, Rate Limiting, Kubernetes. Weavr covers Plug-and-play products, Regulated cover, Card issuing, Multi-currency accounts.

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
Weavr: Do I need my own financial licence?

No. Weavr holds an e-money licence, including a Maltese authorisation for the EU, and acts as the regulated entity for the embedded product.

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
Weavr: How is it different from a banking-as-a-service API?

It sells finished product shapes with compliance built in rather than raw banking primitives, which trades flexibility for a much shorter route to launch.

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
Weavr: How does Weavr make money?

Platform fees plus per-account and per-card charges, with a negotiated share of card interchange.

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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