Kong Gateway -arvostelu: hyvät ja huonot puolet, ominaisuudet ja hinnoittelu

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By Gabriel Rosas

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Kong Gateway is an API tool that sits between your clients and backend services, handling traffic routing, authentication, rate limiting, and plugin-based extensibility at the gateway layer. It's worth considering if you're managing APIs across multiple services or environments and need a gateway that isn't locked to a single cloud provider. If you're already deep in AWS, you might default to AWS API Gateway—but Kong Gateway gives you more flexibility across hybrid and multi-cloud setups, plus a plugin ecosystem that lets you extend functionality without touching your underlying services.

Kong Gateway Evaluation Summary

Microservices API platform with gateway, mesh, security, plugins & analytics.
Customer rating

4.4/5

Pricing
  • Pricing upon request
  • 30-day free trial

Why Trust Our Software Recommendations

6,700+

Reviews

20

Industry experts

16+

Evaluation factors

14

Years

Our team has been testing and reviewing software since 2012. As tech leaders ourselves, we know how difficult—and important—it is to choose the right software.

For this guide, we evaluated tools using hands-on testing and independent research, scoring tools using our selection criteria.

Our reviews reflect our human editorial judgment, not a sales pitch.

Expert reviewers:

Kong Gateway Overview

In my opinion, Kong stands out for its solid API management and scalability, making it a valuable choice for enterprises handling large-scale microservices and Kubernetes clusters. While its onboarding and customer support are commendable, its pricing might not suit smaller businesses. Compared to other platforms, Kong excels in flexibility and integration capabilities but may lag in intuitive user interfaces. It's best for tech-driven enterprises and teams needing a reliable and scalable microservices management solution.

Pros

  • You can manage APIs efficiently with Kong's strong API management capabilities and low latency.
  • Kong scales well to handle large microservices architectures.
  • Your team will appreciate its flexibility in integration with various tools within the expansive ecosystem.

Cons

  • Your team might find the user interface less intuitive compared to others.
  • You may experience slower response times from customer support.
  • It could take a bit longer to fully onboard and utilize all features.

Is Kong Gateway Right For Your Needs?

Who Would be a Good Fit for Kong Gateway?

Kong is a great fit for tech-driven enterprises and large teams that manage extensive API networks. If your business relies heavily on microservices, Kong's scalability and strong API management capabilities will serve you well. Teams in industries such as e-commerce and SaaS, where efficient API handling is crucial, will find Kong particularly beneficial. It helps your team maintain performance while managing complex architectures and orchestration.

  • E-Commerce Giants
    Kong helps you efficiently manage a high volume of API requests.
  • SaaS Providers
    Your team can scale microservices easily with Kong's flexible architecture.
  • Large Enterprises
    Kong supports complex API networks, helping your IT department maintain performance.
  • Tech-Driven Teams
    Kong offers flexibility, making it ideal for your team's varied tool integrations.
  • API-Heavy Industries
    Kong's strong API management capabilities handle your extensive API calls.
  • DevOps Departments
    Kong aids your team in efficiently managing and monitoring microservices.

Who Would be a Bad Fit for Kong Gateway?

Kong might not be the best choice for small businesses or startups with limited budgets and simpler API needs. If your team doesn't require advanced API management functionalities, Kong's features might be more than you need and might not justify the cost. Industries with minimal API interactions or departments that prioritize ease of use over advanced capabilities might find Kong unnecessarily complex.

  • Small Startups
    Your small team might find Kong's advanced features and cost overwhelming for basic needs.
  • Budget-Conscious Firms
    If budget constraints are tight, Kong's pricing may not align with your financial plans.
  • Non-Tech Industries
    Kong's complex functionalities might be excessive for teams with minimal API use.
  • Simple API Needs
    Your team won't benefit from Kong if your API interactions are straightforward and minimal.
  • Ease-Of-Use Priorities
    If your team prioritizes simplicity, Kong's interface could be a hindrance.
  • Limited IT Resources
    Without a dedicated IT team, Kong's setup and management might be challenging for you.

Core Features

API Gateway: Kong's API Gateway manages API traffic efficiently, ensuring high performance and security. Your team can use it to route, secure, and manage API requests seamlessly. It also supports modern protocols such as gRPC and GraphQL.

Service Mesh: This feature offers your team visibility and control over service interactions, managing the data plane and control plane effectively. It enhances security and simplifies communication between microservices.

Load Balancing: Kong's load balancing distributes incoming traffic to maintain your system's reliability. It ensures that no single server gets overwhelmed.

Rate Limiting: With rate limiting, you can control the number of requests to your APIs. This helps prevent abuse and maintains service quality.

Monitoring and Analytics: You get insights into API performance with Kong's monitoring tools, providing deep observability. They help your team identify issues at any specific endpoint and optimize API usage.

Security Features: Kong provides robust API security measures, including authentication and encryption. You can protect your APIs from unauthorized access and data breaches.

Kong Gateway screenshot
Adds auth + encryption to block unauthorized access and breaches.

Ease of Use

Kong is relatively user-friendly, but it might take your team some time to get accustomed to its interface. While it offers powerful features, the complexity can be a hurdle for newcomers. Some users find the learning curve steep, especially if they're not familiar with microservices management. However, once you get past the initial setup, Kong's robust capabilities and flexible configuration options make it a valuable tool for your team's API management needs.

Kong Gateway screenshot
Powerful but has a learning curve; gets smoother after setup.

Integrations

Kong integrates with AWS, Datadog, Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk, New Relic, Elasticsearch, Zipkin, OpenTracing, and Syslog. Kong also provides an API and connects with third-party integration tools, including Docker, Microsoft products, and Istio.

Kong Gateway screenshot
Works with AWS + major observability tools; supports API, Docker, Istio.

Kong Gateway Specs

  • Access Management: Yes
  • API: Yes
  • Batch Permissions & Access: No
  • Custom Reports: Yes
  • Data Export: No
  • Data Import: No
  • Developer Tools: Yes
  • Development: Yes
  • External Integrations: No
  • History/Version Control: No
  • Multi-User: No
  • Notifications: Yes
  • Password & Access Management: No
  • Software Integration: No
  • Workflow Management: Yes

Alternatives to Kong Gateway

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