kgateway review
A focused open-source Gateway API gateway for teams needing routing, security, and traffic controls.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
kgateway is an open-source Kubernetes-native ingress controller and API gateway for teams managing service, API, serverless, or legacy application traffic in Kubernetes. It implements the Kubernetes Gateway API and uses Envoy as its proxy data plane. The project is suited to organizations that want a self-hosted control plane with traffic management, authentication, authorization, TLS capabilities, and migration tooling for existing Ingress configurations.
Its pricing model is straightforward: kgateway is free and open source. There are no paid tiers described. The published feature set covers HTTP, TCP, TLS, and SNI listeners, along with weighted routing and canary traffic splitting. Rate limiting is available locally and globally. Security controls include API key, basic, JWT, OAuth2/OIDC, and external authentication, while TLS certificate automation works through ExternalDNS and cert-manager. Web application firewall support adds another security layer for teams that need gateway controls beyond basic routing.
Platform fit is centered on self-hosted Kubernetes deployments. kgateway can be installed in a cluster with Helm or Argo CD and integrates with ExternalDNS, cert-manager, Istio, and AWS ELB. That combination supports teams already operating Kubernetes infrastructure and using those surrounding systems. It is a focused choice rather than a broad ecosystem platform: teams wanting Gateway API coverage, Envoy-based traffic handling, rate limiting, authentication, TLS automation, and WAF support should find the scope relevant. Organizations seeking a managed service, a wider integration catalog, or AI gateway features should consider alternatives.
kgateway pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free open-source Gateway API implementation
- Weighted routing, canary splitting, and rate limiting
- Authentication, TLS automation, and WAF support
- Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires a Kubernetes environment
- Integration coverage centers on a focused set of platforms
- No AI features are included
kgateway fact sheet, pricing and score →
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