About Kong
Kong is an open source API gateway that sits in front of your services. It routes, secures and limits requests before they reach your backend.
What it does
The gateway receives API calls and applies rules you configure, such as rate limits, access control and caching. Plugins extend the core features. Kong also offers Konnect, a commercial platform for managing gateways and their policies across teams and organizations.
Key features
- Rate limiting and request routing
- Plugin system to add features to the gateway
- Access control on routes and services
- Caching for repeated responses
- Central management through the Konnect platform
Who it's for
Platform engineers and backend teams who run many APIs and need one place to enforce rules. Larger organizations often use it to apply the same governance across several services.
Pricing and good to know
The gateway is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. Konnect is offered as a commercial service, and the site lets you try it free. Running the gateway yourself means you also handle its hosting, upgrades and monitoring.
Highlights
- Rate limiting and request routing
- Plugin system to add features to the gateway
- Access control on routes and services
- Caching for repeated responses
- Central management through the Konnect platform
