Kong vs. MuleSoft Comparison

Which is the best API Management provider for you?

November 29, 2022

Written by

Louis-Victor Jadavji, Cofounder of Taloflow

Who should you choose and why?

✋ Most important consideration

Kong is not an API management solution, but a best-in-class API gateway. If the API use cases are limited and a lightweight solution is preferred, then Kong is usually a better fit compared to MuleSoft Anypoint API Management.

🤔 Strongly consider Kong over MuleSoft if

You need a better tool for API testing and generating test reports from the console.
You’d prefer having ease of integration using standard APIs and plugins.

🤔 Strongly consider MuleSoft over Kong if

You want to monetize and monitor your APIs.
You’d like automatic API generation from code.
You want prebuilt API specifications and mappings for different industry verticals available to you.

📝 Other Notes

Kong has a better gateway than MuleSoft for traffic and access control.
MuleSoft Anypoint API Management has better support for data transformation and orchestration in comparison to Kong Gateway.
MuleSoft Anypoint API Management has much better support for webhooks, WebSockets, MQTT, and SSE compared to Kong Gateway.

Kong Gateway

Kong’s API Gateway delivers high performance while providing a level of deployment flexibility that is much appreciated by software engineers. The service is built on NGINX Open Source and maintains a relatively small footprint. However, it is essential to note that this solution requires the use of Lua scripts and external databases to handle gateway configurations and API policies. Despite these requirements, Kong’s API Gateway's high performance and flexibility make it an attractive solution in the realm of API management.

Mulesoft Anypoint API Manager

Mulesoft's Anypoint API Manager is a unique offering in the expansive Anypoint Exchange platform. Providing users with the versatility to deploy their APIs across various settings, it allows businesses to adapt to changing needs. The Flex Gateway and DataGraph are additional features that enhance the platform's capabilities. Combining these features with a strong focus on API governance and community management, Anypoint API Manager offers a well-rounded and flexible solution for managing APIs in today's digital landscape.

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Feature Comparison

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About the Author

Louis-Victor Jadavji

Louis-Victor Jadavji (or "LV") is a recognized leader in the cloud services industry. He's helped 50+ digital native companies like ModusBox, Later, and NS1 choose the right cloud stack for their applications. His work has been featured in Forbes (30 Under 30 All-Star), HuffPost, The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, and Inc. Magazine.

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