A Modern Alternative to MuleSoft
Kgateway is an open source, standalone Kubernetes API gateway, an alternative to MuleSoft's Flex Gateway without requiring the full Anypoint Platform suite or its licensing. Compare it with MuleSoft before you choose.
Capability comparison
Kgateway leads in 6 of 7 categories
Why Teams Choose Us
“We only need an API gateway, but MuleSoft wants us on the full Anypoint Platform.”
Kgateway is a standalone Kubernetes-native API gateway, so you get the gateway layer without adopting an entire integration and iPaaS platform around it.
“Our MuleSoft licensing costs keep climbing as we add more APIs and traffic.”
Kgateway is open source and CNCF-hosted at its core, with enterprise support and policy on top only where you need it, instead of scaling licensing costs with every API and every request.
“We want Kubernetes-native configuration, not a separate Anypoint policy model to learn.”
Kgateway configures routing and policy through the Kubernetes Gateway API standard your platform team already knows, instead of a MuleSoft-specific tool chain.
Customer proof
"Solo.io helps Grainger keep the world working by powering innovation at scale."
4,000+ releases/year
Trust & compliance
SOC 2
Certification supports security and procurement review for regulated Kubernetes environments
OSS roots
Build on Envoy, Istio, Cilium, and Gateway API foundations for open source service mesh adoption.
CNCF maintainer status
keeps Solo.io engineers close to the projects shaping cloud native mesh standards.
FIPS builds
provide FIPS 140-2 validated options for service mesh security requirements.
Published SLAs
Define support expectations for enterprise service mesh operations.
Customer references
include production outcomes from teams running large-scale Kubernetes networking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kgateway a good alternative to MuleSoft's Flex Gateway?
Is kgateway a good alternative to MuleSoft's Flex Gateway?
Yes, if you want a standalone Mule API gateway alternative rather than a component of a larger integration platform. Kgateway covers the gateway and policy layer Flex Gateway provides, built on the Kubernetes Gateway API standard.
Do I need the full Anypoint Platform to use kgateway?
Do I need the full Anypoint Platform to use kgateway?
No. Kgateway runs on its own as a Kubernetes-native API gateway. You don't need to adopt MuleSoft's broader Anypoint Platform or its integration tooling to use it.
Is kgateway open source, unlike MuleSoft?
Is kgateway open source, unlike MuleSoft?
Yes. Kgateway is open source and CNCF-hosted, free to run on your own, with enterprise support and advanced policy available on top when you need production SLAs. MuleSoft's gateway and platform are proprietary, commercially licensed products.
How does kgateway's architecture compare to MuleSoft Flex Gateway's?
How does kgateway's architecture compare to MuleSoft Flex Gateway's?
Both kgateway and MuleSoft's Flex Gateway are built on Envoy, so the core data plane technology is similar. The difference is in packaging and configuration: kgateway is open source, standalone, and configured through the Kubernetes Gateway API standard, while Flex Gateway ships as part of the broader Anypoint Platform with MuleSoft's own policy and management tooling.
What does it cost to run kgateway versus MuleSoft?
What does it cost to run kgateway versus MuleSoft?
Cost depends on your traffic, API count, and support tier. MuleSoft licensing is generally tied to the Anypoint Platform as a whole rather than the gateway alone. A demo is the fastest way to get kgateway numbers scoped to your environment.
See How Kgateway Compares to MuleSoft
Request a demo to see kgateway scoped to your environment, or compare it with MuleSoft and other API gateway companies in the Buyer's Guide first.
