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Kong

by Kong

Cloud-native API gateway.

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Reviewed by the Softwares.com Editorial Team · Last updated June 2026 · How we rate

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Key facts

Vendor
Kong
Pricing
Freemium — Free
Free tier
Yes
Platforms
Web, Self Hosted, Api
Best for
Platform Teams
Editor rating
4.5 / 5
Founded
2017
Headquarters
San Francisco, CA, USA

What is Kong?

Kong is a api tools tool from Kong. Kong is an open-source API gateway and service connectivity platform for microservices.

Kong uses freemium pricing and offers a free tier you can start on without a credit card. Free.

It's best suited to platform-teams and runs on Web, Self Hosted, Api.

Standout strengths include high-performance gateway, open source, plugin ecosystem. Worth weighing: ops complexity.

Kong pricing

Open source (free)
Free
Get Open source (free)
Plus
Custom
Get Plus

Pros

  • High-performance gateway
  • Open source
  • Plugin ecosystem

Cons

  • Ops complexity

Kong vs alternatives

See all Kong alternatives →

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Frequently asked questions

What is Kong?

Kong is an open-source API gateway and service connectivity platform for microservices.

How much does Kong cost?

Kong is freemium-priced. It has a free tier.

Does Kong have a free trial?

Kong offers a free tier rather than a time-limited trial.

What platforms does Kong support?

Kong is available on Web, Self Hosted, Api.