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Head-to-head · API Gateway Software

Spring Cloud Gateway vs Kong Gateway

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Spring Cloud Gateway #5 in API Gateway Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Spring Cloud
Kong Gateway #11 in API Gateway Software 8.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Kong Gateway

Spring Cloud Gateway leads on 0 checks, Kong Gateway on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreSpring Cloud Gateway · 9.0/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Kong Gateway

Spring Cloud Gateway scores higher on our rubric for api gateway software: 9.0 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #11.

On deployment model, Kong Gateway gives you Hybrid where Spring Cloud Gateway offers Self-hosted.

Spring Cloud Gateway is the better fit for spring-based application teams. Kong Gateway is the better fit for flexible hybrid deployments and Kubernetes teams.

  • Spring Cloud Gateway fits best

    Spring-based application teams

  • Kong Gateway fits best

    Flexible hybrid deployments and Kubernetes teams

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Spring Cloud Gateway 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Kong Gateway 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.4
Ranking #5 in API Gateway Software #11 in API Gateway Software
Best for Spring-based application teams Flexible hybrid deployments and Kubernetes teams
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan —
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 30 days
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Support Docs, Community Email, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7
Integrations 4 integrations 10 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Spring Cloud Gateway 2/2 · Kong Gateway 2/2
Rate limiting ✓ ✓
Request transformation ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment model Self-hosted Hybrid
Supported protocols HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, gRPC REST, HTTP, Kafka, WebSockets, gRPC, GraphQL, UDP, TCP, TLS
Authentication methods Spring Security, OAuth 2.0, JWT, opaque tokens Basic Auth, HMAC, JWT, Key Auth, LDAP, mutual TLS, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML, Vault
Monthly request limit Not checked yet 1e+06 requests/mo
Our review
Pros
  • Dynamic routing with route-specific predicates and filters
  • Rate limiting, rewrites, transformations, and circuit breaker integration
  • Supports HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, and gRPC conversion
  • Supports REST, Kafka, WebSockets, gRPC, GraphQL, UDP, TCP, and TLS
  • Combines routing, authentication, rate limiting, transformations, and load balancing
  • Offers open-source, self-managed, hybrid, and managed cloud deployment options
Cons
  • Requires self-hosted deployment and operational ownership
  • Delivered as a library rather than a hosted gateway service
  • Best suited to teams already working within the Spring ecosystem
  • Plus uses metered gateway and request charges rather than one fixed listed price
  • The Free trial retains analytics for 30 days
  • Dedicated support and customer success are listed for Enterprise
Our verdict

Spring Cloud Gateway is an open-source library for building API gateways on Spring. It routes requests to backend services while adding capabilities such as security integration, monitoring, resiliency, rate limiting, path rewriting,…

Read the review →

Kong Gateway is a cloud-native API gateway and reverse proxy for configuring, routing, securing, and observing APIs and microservices. It is aimed at platform teams, developers, and enterprises managing services across Kubernetes,…

Read the review →
  1. Spring Cloud GatewayAPI Gateway Software 9.0Free plan
  2. Kong GatewayAPI Gateway Software 8.4Free plan · 30-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Spring Cloud Gateway — where it wins

    • Dynamic routing with route-specific predicates and filters
    • Rate limiting, rewrites, transformations, and circuit breaker integration
    • Supports HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, and gRPC conversion

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires self-hosted deployment and operational ownership
    • Delivered as a library rather than a hosted gateway service
    • Best suited to teams already working within the Spring ecosystem

  • Kong Gateway — where it wins

    • Supports REST, Kafka, WebSockets, gRPC, GraphQL, UDP, TCP, and TLS
    • Combines routing, authentication, rate limiting, transformations, and load balancing
    • Offers open-source, self-managed, hybrid, and managed cloud deployment options

    Where it doesn't

    • Plus uses metered gateway and request charges rather than one fixed listed price
    • The Free trial retains analytics for 30 days
    • Dedicated support and customer success are listed for Enterprise

More comparisons

All API gateway software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update