The Battle of Titans: Kong vs. Gloo Gateway

In the fiercely competitive realm of API management platforms, two standout contenders vie for dominance: Kong Gateway and Gloo Gateway. Each offers a robust solution tailored to different organizational needs and preferences.

Established Presence or Modern Architecture?

Kong Gateway, with its established presence in the API management space, boasts a strong user base and community support. Its wide array of out-of-the-box integrations and plugins enhance its functionality, while online documentation aids user understanding. However, Kong faces limitations in scalability and load-balancing capabilities compared to its counterpart, Gloo Gateway.

On the other hand, Gloo Gateway shines with its modern architecture and seamless scaling capabilities. Leveraging a container-based architecture with Kubernetes, Gloo Gateway ensures optimal performance even during workload spikes. Various load-balancing strategies on top of the highly performant Envoy proxy further enhance its appeal. Gloo Gateway’s lightweight resource usage and clear documentation contribute to its user-friendliness.

Developer Experience

When it comes to developer experience, Kong Gateway offers a Developer Portal integrated into Kong Konnect, streamlining API access and consumption. In contrast, Gloo Gateway leverages Kubernetes native resources for API discovery and documentation, providing a customizable Developer Portal UI. Its built-in GraphQL support and seamless integration with other capabilities enhance developer experience.

Security & Governance

Security and governance are paramount considerations for both platforms. Kong Gateway employs role-based access control (RBAC) through Kong Manager, while Gloo Gateway utilizes Kubernetes RBAC capabilities. Both platforms offer comprehensive authentication and authorization mechanisms, ensuring secure access to resources.

What Do You Need From Your API Management?

In conclusion, while Kong Gateway and Gloo Gateway excel in their own rights, organizations must carefully evaluate their specific requirements and objectives. Kong Gateway stands out for its established integrations and community support, while Gloo Gateway shines in scalability, performance, and modern architecture. Ultimately, the choice between the two hinges on factors such as deployment environment, developer experience, and security needs.

To learn more about how Kong and Gloo Gateway compare, download our Buyer’s Guide.