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Kong Gateway Enterprise vs Microsoft Azure API Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.6
Kong Gateway Enterprise offers scalability, advanced features, and reduces detection time, supporting efficient API delivery with economic benefits.
Sentiment score
5.9
Microsoft Azure API Management enhances efficiency and operations, reducing integration time by 90%, favored for usability over platforms like AWS.
Proper configuration of the solution, implementation strategy and correct scaling tier selection are other factors that influence the ROI.
Integration Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
If I am working in AWS and with Azure, I see that Azure is much easier and helps save time while also being able to manage and deploy the API services.
Network Security Engineer at Movate
We have seen significant financial benefits after using the product.
Consultant at Fujitsu
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.9
Kong Gateway Enterprise support is helpful and responsive, but users note delays and desire quicker, more capable assistance.
Sentiment score
6.5
Microsoft Azure API Management support is mixed, with premium support praised and other areas needing improvement in efficiency and expertise.
The technical support from Kong Gateway Enterprise would be rated about eight, as we missed local technical support.
Enterprise Architect at El Al
The documentation from Microsoft helps our company to solve issues on our own.
Integration Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
The initial support engineers are often not qualified.
Consult Manager at Conscia
I logged an incident, and it was resolved promptly within three hours.
Solution Architect at Cognizant
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Kong Gateway Enterprise is praised for scalability across applications, but smaller entities face challenges due to resource constraints.
Sentiment score
7.7
Microsoft Azure API Management offers seamless scalability for medium to large enterprises, though costs increase with higher usage levels.
The scalability of this solution would be rated about eight or nine.
Enterprise Architect at El Al
I've worked with multiple tools from an observability perspective, such as Dynatrace, AppDynamics, Splunk, and Elasticsearch, and I find KQL and APIM amazing and filled with useful features.
Associate Consultant at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
There are no limitations to adding any number of devices.
Network Security Engineer at Movate
Microsoft Azure API Management is extremely scalable.
Consult Manager at Conscia
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Kong Gateway Enterprise is stable with few issues, excellent architecture, and recommended strong configuration for optimal performance and versatility.
Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Azure API Management is stable and reliable, though performance may vary with hybrid versions and specific customizations.
Microsoft Azure API Management is very stable.
Consult Manager at Conscia
With high scalability and availability, it supports many users and endpoints without significant issues.
Solution Architect at Cognizant
Microsoft Azure API Management is generally stable.
Technical Solution Architect at liwa
 

Room For Improvement

Kong Gateway Enterprise needs better pricing, integrations, API management, documentation, customization, support, and AI features for improved user experience.
Microsoft Azure API Management needs improvements in security, integration, cost transparency, documentation, performance, deployment options, scalability, and analytics.
More plugins for additional integrations would be helpful and openness for traditional development languages, such as .NET, because many enterprises are looking for .NET solutions or incorporating with .NET solutions.
Enterprise Architect at El Al
The service is extensive and expensive, and this added flexibility would make it more manageable and less prone to errors.
Consult Manager at Conscia
Documentations for the product should include examples of implementation.
Integration Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
They should enhance AI capabilities and more advanced integration features with other platforms.
Consultant at Fujitsu
 

Setup Cost

Kong Gateway Enterprise pricing is competitive, especially compared to Apigee, with value dependent on organizational needs and region.
Enterprise users find Azure API Management cost-effective and flexible, despite premium tier expense and licensing complexity challenges.
It's an expensive solution.
Integration Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
However, once you scale up to your full volume, it'll be more expensive.
Solutions Architect at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
It costs around 30,000 Kronas a month, which translates to about $3,000 dollars monthly.
Consult Manager at Conscia
 

Valuable Features

Kong Gateway Enterprise provides scalable, secure API management with integration support, high performance, and adaptability via open-source community backing.
Microsoft Azure API Management provides seamless integration, strong security, and user-friendly tools for effective API management and monitoring.
The most valuable features of Kong Gateway Enterprise are its seamless integration with Kubernetes and cloud, many plugins that can be incorporated in a solution, and its incorporation with low-code function systems.
Enterprise Architect at El Al
The platform's most valuable features are its rule-based permissions and comprehensive API lifecycle management capabilities.
Consultant at Fujitsu
The ability to create a subscription model for APIs allows companies to monetize valuable data and share it securely.
Consult Manager at Conscia
The analytics phase of API Management is very beneficial for tracking API usage and identifying suspicious users.
Solution Architect at Cognizant
 

Categories and Ranking

Kong Gateway Enterprise
Ranking in API Management
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Azure API Management
Ranking in API Management
1st
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
83
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the API Management category, the mindshare of Kong Gateway Enterprise is 5.9%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure API Management is 15.0%, down from 19.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
API Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Azure API Management15.0%
Kong Gateway Enterprise5.9%
Other79.1%
API Management
 

Featured Reviews

ES
Enterprise Architect at El Al
Seamless integration and efficient security boost API management capabilities
More plugins for additional integrations would be helpful and openness for traditional development languages, such as .NET, because many enterprises are looking for .NET solutions or incorporating with .NET solutions. I mostly missed local resellers or partners that we could use within our enterprise, because it was difficult for some tech personnel to work with remote tech support.
RJ
Database Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Facilitating seamless integration and robust security support
The integration process is very easy, which is crucial for our organization. Another valuable aspect is the support from Microsoft. Whenever support is required, it is readily available. Additionally, I appreciate the technical expertise Microsoft brings to the table. The security features are highly satisfactory, with various options providing flexibility to implement security measures based on specific compliance requirements.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Insurance Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Insurance Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Large Enterprise19
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise53
 

Questions from the Community

How does Kong Enterprise compare with Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager?
The Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager was designed with its users in mind. Though it is a reasonably complex piece of software, it is easy to install and upgrade. While there are different things that ...
What do you like most about Kong Enterprise?
The tool's feature that I find most beneficial is rate limiting. In our usage, especially in the financial sector, we prioritize limiting API usage. This is crucial because we provide APIs to other...
What needs improvement with Kong Enterprise?
More plugins for additional integrations would be helpful and openness for traditional development languages, such as .NET, because many enterprises are looking for .NET solutions or incorporating ...
How does Apigee differ from Azure API Management?
Apigee offers both cloud-based and on-prem options while Microsoft Azure API Management currently only offers a cloud-based solution. Both solutions are easy to use. Apigee allows for the ability...
Which is better - Azure API Management or Amazon API Gateway?
If you use Azure products, API Management is a great solution. It solves many of the problems of externalizing web services. For example, when you need versioning, establish a developer portal and ...
What do you like most about Microsoft Azure API Management?
Microsoft Azure API Management is a good, comprehensive solution for enterprise implementation.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Azure API Management, MS Azure API Management
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cargill, Zillow, Ferrari, WeWork, Healthcare.gov, Yahoo! Japan, Giphy, SkyScanner
adnymics GmbH, LG CNS, Centrebet, netfabb GmbH, MedPlast, Accelera Solutions, Sochi Organizing Committee, realzeit GmbH, Opensistemas
Find out what your peers are saying about Kong Gateway Enterprise vs. Microsoft Azure API Management and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.