AWS API Gateway vs Kong: API Gateways Comparison (2026)
AWS API Gateway offers a pay-as-you-go model with a free tier that includes one million free API calls for new customers, focusing on scalability and flexible pricing. Kong provides a comprehensive API management platform with a starting price of $12/user/month, including features like AI Observability, advanced analytics, and enterprise-grade security controls, along with extensive integrations.
AI Citation Scorecard
How often each is cited by major AI engines when buyers ask api gateways questions. Last 90 days across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot.
Probes run hourly; each (engine × query) combo retests every ~3 days.
Pricing
Key Features
- ✓Pay-as-you-go pricing
- ✓One million free API calls
- ✓No minimum fees
- ✓No upfront commitments
- ✓API, protocol, and service support
- ✓Unlimited agents for agent-to-agent traffic
- ✓AI Observability with token-level tracking
- ✓Advanced analytics for up to 1M API requests
- ✓Developer portal support for 2 portals
- ✓Enterprise-grade security controls
- ✓Email support during trial
- ✓Unlimited access to plugins
When to choose AWS API Gateway
New customers or those with fluctuating API call volumes may prefer AWS API Gateway due to its one million free API calls and pay-as-you-go model. Its support for multiple API types and scalability are also beneficial for diverse workloads.
When to choose Kong
Organizations requiring comprehensive API management with features like AI Observability, advanced analytics for up to 1M API requests, and enterprise-grade security will find Kong suitable. Its robust integration ecosystem, including AWS, Azure, GCP, and Git, also caters to environments needing extensive connectivity. Developer portal support for two portals is also a distinguishing factor.
Frequently Asked Questions
AI visibility profiles
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