NEWJoin 2M+ software buyers|Get Weekly Insights, Trends & Expert PicksSubscribe free →

Spotsaas logo
Last updated:

Best Kong Alternatives — 8 Compared, With Free Tools (2026)

Explore 8 alternatives to Kong — vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

The best free Kong alternatives at a glance

Quick answer

In short, the best free alternatives to Kong are MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, Apigee Edge and DreamFactory. MuleSoft Anypoint Platform is first with a SpotScore of 9.2 and 4.47★ from users. All 8 are compared on score, rating, and pricing below.

Not every team clicks with Kong, and that's fine. These 8 api management software free alternatives give you real choices on price, features, and usability. We rank them by SpotScore, which combines real-user satisfaction with market presence, then layer in ratings and pricing. Scan the comparison table first, then read the detail for each pick.

ProductSpotScoreRatingPricingBest for
MuleSoft Anypoint PlatformUnleash the power of API management.9.2★★★★☆ 4.47(649)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
Apigee EdgeUnlock the full potential of your APIs.9.1★★★★☆ 4.19(18)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
DreamFactoryUnlock the power of APIs with DreamFactory.9★★★★★ 4.5(17)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
Dell Boomi API ManagementUnleashing the power of APIs, simplified.8.8★★★★☆ 4.33(134)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
Akana PlatformSecurely unlock the power of your digital assets.8.8★★★★☆ 4FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
3scaleEmpowering businesses to thrive through seamless API management.8.7★★★★☆ 4(2)Freefrom $750/moteams of all sizes
Software AG webMethodsRevolutionize your digital workflows with webMethods.8.2★★★★☆ 4.2FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
CA API ManagementStreamline API processes with ease.—★★★★★ 4.5(1)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes

9.2

SpotScore

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform - API Management Software

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform

Unleash the power of API management.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.5

649 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is MuleSoft Anypoint Platform?

A new generation platform for API Management, Anypoint is designed to help large enterprises develop and manage APIs through an open, standards-based framework. It enables users to create a multi-tenant, multi-vendor network of service repos that can be reached without network or per-user code ...

Read more about MuleSoft Anypoint Platform
Free Trial·

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform offers custom pricing plan

9.1

SpotScore

Apigee Edge - API Management Software

Apigee Edge

Unlock the full potential of your APIs.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.2

18 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Apigee Edge?

Apigee Edge is Google's enterprise API management platform used by large engineering teams to design, secure, and monitor APIs across cloud and hybrid environments. It handles TLS and OAuth security, rate limiting, load balancing, and request/response transformation at the gateway layer. Strong ...

Read more about Apigee Edge
Free TrialTry Free →·

Apigee Edge offers custom pricing plan

Spotsaas Ads

Want your product up here? Put it in front of buyers the moment they're comparing your category.

Reach in-market buyersRank above rivals2M+ buyers a year
Advertise your product

9.0

SpotScore

DreamFactory - API Management Software

DreamFactory

Unlock the power of APIs with DreamFactory.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.5

17 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is DreamFactory?

DreamFactory is an open-source API management platform that auto-generates REST APIs from relational databases, NoSQL stores, and third-party services, used by backend developers and IT teams who need to expose existing data sources as APIs without writing boilerplate code. It handles ...

Read more about DreamFactory
Free TrialTry Free →·

DreamFactory offers custom pricing plan

8.8

SpotScore

Dell Boomi API Management - API Management Software

Dell Boomi API Management

Unleashing the power of APIs, simplified.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.3

134 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Dell Boomi API Management?

Boomi is a cloud-first enterprise API management platform purpose-built for building and consuming APIs. Boomi supports all of the capabilities of modern API technologies, including REST interfaces, GraphQL, SDKs, and OAuth. User can spend less time on configuration and more time innovating, ...

Read more about Dell Boomi API Management
Free Trial·

Dell Boomi API Management offers custom pricing plan

8.8

SpotScore

Akana Platform - API Management Software

Akana Platform

Securely unlock the power of your digital assets.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.0

Add to compare

What is Akana Platform?

Akana's API management software enables to securely publish, manage, and govern APIs, applying the right combination of policies and tools to accelerate internal development and achieve digital transformation. Akana Platform 's proven solutions help enterprises get the most out of their ...

Read more about Akana Platform
Free Trial·

Akana Platform offers custom pricing plan

8.7

SpotScore

3scale - API Management Software

3scale

Empowering businesses to thrive through seamless API management.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.0

2 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is 3scale?

3scale (now part of Red Hat) is an API management platform for developer and platform engineering teams that need to publish, secure, and monetize APIs at scale across internal and external consumers. It provides a developer portal, traffic analytics, and access control policies to manage the ...

Read more about 3scale
Free Trial·

3scale offers custom pricing plan

8.2

SpotScore

Software AG webMethods - API Management Software

Software AG webMethods

Revolutionize your digital workflows with webMethods.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.2

Add to compare

What is Software AG webMethods?

Software AG webMethods is the leading platform for digital revolution - a unified solution to quickly connect, assemble, and deploy workflows on-premises or in the cloud. It has advanced microservices architectures, authentication and access control, and real-time transaction monitoring. The ...

Read more about Software AG webMethods
Free Trial·

Software AG webMethods offers custom pricing plan

CA API Management

CA API Management

Streamline API processes with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.5

1 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is CA API Management?

CA API Management is a web application service that enables companies to build and manage APIs. This software uses Web services technologies, Cloud computing, and DevOps methodology to make development, deployment and management of secure enterprise-class APIs easy. The software provides API ...

Read more about CA API Management
Free TrialTry Free →

How Kong competitors stack up

Across API Management Software, 8 products compete directly with Kong. The strongest overlap is with MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, Apigee Edge and DreamFactory. Each is compared against Kong on rating, pricing and feature coverage below.

Sites and apps like Kong

Searches for "sites like Kong" and "apps like Kong" land on the same set of options as "Kong alternatives" — the 8 options below cover both, whether you want a like-for-like replacement or something lighter.

What each Kong alternative brings

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform9.2Best for teams of all sizes

Extensive connector library covers a wide range of vendor systems.

Watch for: Steep learning curve for those new to integration work.

Apigee Edge9.1Best for teams of all sizes

Effective in securing APIs via TLS and OAuth, allowing for secure authentication.

Watch for: Documentation could be more detailed with additional FAQs for better user support.

DreamFactory9Best for teams of all sizes

Streamlined and secure open source platform with flexible API specifications.

Watch for: Initial setup challenges and invasive updates may hinder the user onboarding process.

Dell Boomi API Management8.8Best for teams of all sizes

Interface and connectors are accessible to non-developers.

Watch for: Limited visibility into backend code for advanced users accustomed to detailed coding.

Akana Platform8.8Best for teams of all sizes

Secure API publishing

Watch for: Complex setup process

3scale8.7Best for teams of all sizes

Complete API management toolset

Watch for: Limited advanced analytics

Software AG webMethods8.2Best for teams of all sizes

Unified platform

Watch for: Complex setup process

CA API ManagementBest for teams of all sizes

Easy API development and management

Watch for: Can be complex to set up

Why teams look for a Kong alternative

Most teams that replace Kong do it to get past issues like these:

  • Interface can be slow and intimidating for novice users.
  • Limited support for certain popular languages like Python, Ruby, or JavaScript for plugin development.
  • Lacks a built-in UI or administration panel, making it less user-friendly for non-programmers.
  • Complexity may increase when connecting to larger APIs, causing potential blocks.

What matters most in a Kong alternative

Here's how these 8 api management software free alternatives stack up on the numbers: 8 offer a free tier; paid plans run $750, with 3scale the cheapest entry point; and DreamFactory is the highest rated at 4.5★ across 17 reviews.

The ranking explained.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

The top-rated alternatives to Kong are DreamFactory (4.5★), CA API Management (4.5★), MuleSoft Anypoint Platform (4.5★). Compare all 8 alternatives side-by-side above.

When evaluating alternatives to Kong, prioritize: Analytics, Traffic Control, Threat Protection, Developer Portal, API Lifecycle Management, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with your existing tools. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.

Kong starts from $250 /Month. Many alternatives offer similar functionality at different price points — some with free tiers, others with more flexible per-seat pricing. Use the filters above to narrow by budget.

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Kong is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend narrowing to 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.

Choosing the Kong alternative that fits

Transitioning away from Kong

Before replacing Kong, do a quick dry run. Export your data, make sure it imports into the new tool, and confirm the features you rely on are there. Pilot the switch with a free tier or trial, and keep Kong alive until the migration finishes cleanly.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].