--- title: "Zuplo vs Kong API Gateway" description: "Zuplo is the enterprise API gateway built for teams running regulated and high-volume workloads who want managed, modern API management — without Kubernetes operator overhead or Lua plugin specialists. SOC 2 Type II, SAML SSO, audit logs, and managed dedicated deployment on AWS, Azure, GCP, or Akamai. Companies including Blockdaemon, Duck Creek Payments, and Finsolutia replaced Kong with Zuplo for sub-20-second global deploys, GitOps workflows, and a built-in AI Gateway with MCP support." canonicalUrl: "https://zuplo.com/api-gateways/kong-alternative-zuplo" pageType: "comparison" competitor: "Kong API Gateway" subtitle: "Skip the Kubernetes, the Lua plugins, and the consumption-pricing surprises." --- # Zuplo vs Kong API Gateway _Skip the Kubernetes, the Lua plugins, and the consumption-pricing surprises._ > Zuplo is the enterprise API gateway built for teams running regulated and high-volume workloads who want managed, modern API management — without Kubernetes operator overhead or Lua plugin specialists. SOC 2 Type II, SAML SSO, audit logs, and managed dedicated deployment on AWS, Azure, GCP, or Akamai. Companies including Blockdaemon, Duck Creek Payments, and Finsolutia replaced Kong with Zuplo for sub-20-second global deploys, GitOps workflows, and a built-in AI Gateway with MCP support. ## Why Teams Move Away from Kong API Gateway ### Kubernetes operator burden Postgres or Cassandra, data-plane clusters, Redis for distributed limits, upgrade paths. Konnect helps the control plane — the data plane stays yours to run. ### Plugin-language fragmentation Lua, Go, Python, or JavaScript plugins via a proprietary PDK. Every custom integration carries a specialist hire and its own release cycle. ### AI Gateway is a plugin, not a product AI Gateway and MCP support shipped as Gateway 3.12 plugins in late 2025, with the enterprise MCP gateway as a separate product. Token economics, semantic caching, and agent identity are bolted on. ### Opaque consumption pricing Konnect bills per service, per request, plus enterprise plugin fees; Enterprise contracts are negotiated and unlisted. Procurement forecasting is hard. ## About Kong API Gateway Kong is a widely deployed API management platform with multiple products for cloud-native and microservices-based applications. Kong Gateway is an open-source API gateway known for its high performance and extensibility via a Lua-based plugin ecosystem. Kong Konnect is the managed SaaS offering that adds a control plane, developer portal, analytics, and centralized management. Kong also offers Kong Mesh and Kong Ingress Controller for Kubernetes-based architectures. Kong remains a strong choice for teams that want to operate the data plane themselves; for teams that want managed, modern API management with a focused operating model, Zuplo removes the Kubernetes and plugin-lifecycle burden. ## Why Choose Zuplo Zuplo is the enterprise API gateway focused on managed, modern API management — no Kubernetes operator burden, no plugin-language fragmentation. Edge-native architecture, TypeScript programmability, GitOps workflows, and a unified AI Gateway with MCP support — backed by SOC 2 Type II, managed dedicated deployment, and named regulated customers across blockchain infrastructure, insurance, and financial services. ## Feature Comparison ### Compliance and Audit Readiness _First-class compliance controls in a managed gateway vs. compliance split between Konnect and customer-operated data planes._ - **Zuplo** — SOC 2 Type II audited annually, third-party penetration test reports under NDA, audit logs across the control plane, GDPR-aligned data processing. - **Kong API Gateway** — Konnect maintains SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Self-hosted Kong inherits compliance from the customer's deployment environment. ### Enterprise Identity (SSO + RBAC) _Direct SAML/SCIM with project-level RBAC vs. plugin-based identity in the open-source path._ - **Zuplo** — SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning, and RBAC across organizations, projects, and environments — included on Enterprise. - **Kong API Gateway** — Konnect supports SSO and RBAC. Self-hosted Kong identity depends on configured plugins (LDAP, OIDC, etc.) and customer infrastructure. ### Managed Dedicated Deployment _Managed dedicated across major clouds vs. Konnect Dedicated Cloud Gateways or self-managed Kubernetes._ - **Zuplo** — Single-tenant managed deployment on AWS, Azure, GCP, Akamai, or any major cloud with 30-minute SLA response on Enterprise. Self-hosted on Kubernetes also supported. - **Kong API Gateway** — Konnect Dedicated Cloud Gateways available in select regions. Self-hosted requires customer-operated Kubernetes plus Postgres or Cassandra. ### AI Gateway and MCP Support _Integrated AI Gateway and MCP Gateway vs. plugin-based AI features._ - **Zuplo** — Purpose-built AI Gateway integrated into the platform with model routing, semantic caching, prompt injection protection, budget and token controls. Dedicated MCP Gateway product. - **Kong API Gateway** — AI Gateway and MCP proxy plugin available since Gateway 3.12 (October 2025). Plugin-based approach with enterprise MCP gateway as a separate offering. ### Operational Simplicity _Zero-ops managed gateway vs. database and Kubernetes operations._ - **Zuplo** — Fully managed and auto-scaled across 300+ edge locations. Zero database, cluster, or upgrade operations. - **Kong API Gateway** — Self-hosted Kong requires Postgres or Cassandra, data plane cluster management, and upgrade pathing. Konnect reduces but does not eliminate data-plane operations. ### Developer Experience _TypeScript and Git as source of truth vs. multi-language plugins and decK config sync._ - **Zuplo** — TypeScript-based programmability with the full npm ecosystem. PR-level preview environments, Git as source of truth. - **Kong API Gateway** — Lua, Go, Python, or JavaScript plugins with the Kong PDK. cURL-based Admin API and YAML declarative configuration via decK CLI. ### Global Edge Performance _300+ edge PoPs by default vs. customer-managed regional clusters._ - **Zuplo** — V8 isolate runtime across 300+ edge locations with near-zero cold starts. Requests processed at the nearest PoP automatically. - **Kong API Gateway** — Self-hosted in customer infrastructure or Konnect Cloud regional deployment. Global distribution requires multi-region cluster management. ### Developer Portal _Built-in OpenAPI-driven portal vs. paid Konnect add-on._ - **Zuplo** — Auto-generated from OpenAPI spec with self-serve API key management, interactive docs, and monetization support — included on all plans. - **Kong API Gateway** — Available in Konnect (paid tier) with manual documentation upload. Not included in open-source Gateway. ### Rate Limiting _Distributed edge rate limiting vs. Redis-backed plugin requiring customer infrastructure._ - **Zuplo** — Programmable per-user, per-key, and per-API rate limits with TypeScript logic — distributed as a single zone across all edge locations. - **Kong API Gateway** — Plugin-based rate limiting backed by Redis. Distributed rate limiting requires customer-managed Redis infrastructure. ### GitOps and CI/CD _Git as source of truth with preview environments vs. database-driven config sync._ - **Zuplo** — Git-native — repo is the single source of truth. Every push deploys, every PR gets a live preview environment. - **Kong API Gateway** — decK CLI for declarative config sync, but the database (not Git) is the source of truth. No native preview environments. ### Authentication _Built-in identity with self-service consumer flows vs. plugin-based authentication._ - **Zuplo** — Built-in API key and JWT management with unlimited keys and self-service key management for API consumers. - **Kong API Gateway** — Plugins for API keys, JWTs, HMAC, LDAP, OpenID Connect — broad protocol coverage with plugin-based composition. ### Pricing Model _Predictable bundled enterprise pricing vs. consumption-based pricing with separate plugin fees._ - **Zuplo** — Predictable Enterprise pricing that includes the developer portal, managed dedicated tier, SOC 2 controls, SSO, audit logs, and AI Gateway at one tier. - **Kong API Gateway** — Konnect uses consumption-based pricing (per service, per request) plus enterprise plugin fees. Kong Enterprise contracts are negotiated and not publicly listed. ## FAQ **How does Zuplo handle SOC 2, SSO, and audit logs for regulated customers?** Zuplo is SOC 2 Type II audited annually with reports available under NDA. Enterprise includes SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning, RBAC across organizations and projects, and audit logs across the control plane. Zuplo also supports GDPR-aligned data processing, and annual third-party penetration testing — all included at the Enterprise tier rather than as add-ons. **Which enterprises run production workloads on Zuplo?** Zuplo runs production API traffic for regulated and high-volume enterprises including Blockdaemon (blockchain infrastructure serving Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, J.P. Morgan), Duck Creek Payments (insurance and payments), Finsolutia (mortgage servicing across Europe), AccuWeather, and Hearsay (Yext). Zuplo serves billions of API requests per month with a 99.5% uptime SLA on Enterprise (up to 99.999%). **Can Zuplo deploy on dedicated infrastructure inside our cloud?** Yes. Zuplo Enterprise offers managed dedicated single-tenant deployment on AWS, Azure, GCP, Akamai, or any major cloud. Self-hosted on Kubernetes is also supported when full data residency and operational ownership are required. **How does Zuplo's AI Gateway compare to Kong's?** Zuplo's AI Gateway is built into the platform from day one with multi-provider model routing, semantic caching, prompt injection protection, budget and token controls, auto-failover, and a dedicated MCP Gateway product. Kong's AI Gateway and MCP support shipped as plugins on Gateway 3.12 in October 2025 with the enterprise MCP gateway as a separate offering. Zuplo's architectural integration is the difference for teams running AI surfaces at scale. **How does the migration from Kong to Zuplo work?** OpenAPI specs and route definitions import directly. Most Kong built-in plugins (rate limiting, auth, transforms) map to Zuplo policies; custom Lua becomes short TypeScript custom code. Consumers and API keys migrate programmatically via the Zuplo Developer API. Teams running primarily on built-in plugins often complete migration in days; full enterprise replatforms take 4–10 weeks. Zuplo's professional services team supports architecture review, plugin mapping, and cut-over planning. **Can I use Zuplo without managing Kubernetes?** Yes. Zuplo is fully managed — no Kubernetes, Postgres, Cassandra, or Redis to operate. The managed edge runs across 300+ locations, and Enterprise customers can choose managed dedicated deployment on AWS, Azure, GCP, or Akamai. Self-hosting on Kubernetes is available when it's required, but it's not a default. **How does data residency compare?** Zuplo Enterprise supports data residency through managed dedicated single-tenant deployment in your chosen cloud region (AWS, Azure, GCP, or Akamai), or via self-hosted on your own Kubernetes infrastructure. Kong self-hosted gives full control over data location at the cost of operational overhead; Konnect offers EU control plane and Dedicated Cloud Gateways in select EU regions. **How does Zuplo's TCO compare to Kong?** Zuplo Enterprise replaces the full-time-equivalent burden of operating Kong (database, clusters, upgrades, Redis, plugin lifecycle) with a single managed contract. The result for most enterprise replatforms is meaningful TCO reduction once operational cost is factored in — not just unit pricing. Zuplo competes on time-to-value and operational simplicity.