Apache HTTP Server vs Kong Gateway
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Apache HTTP Server
The world's most widely used web server
VS
Kong Gateway
Cloud-native, fast, scalable API gateway
| Feature | Apache HTTP Server | Kong Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C | Lua |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,050 | ★ 43,947 |
| First released | 1995 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Nginx, IIS | AWS API Gateway, Apigee |
Why pick each one
Choose Apache HTTP Server if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
Choose Kong Gateway if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 43.9k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache HTTP Server or Kong Gateway better?
Neither is universally better. Kong Gateway has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Apache HTTP Server and Kong Gateway free and open-source?
Yes. Apache HTTP Server is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Kong Gateway under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache HTTP Server and Kong Gateway with Docker?
Apache HTTP Server: yes. Kong Gateway: yes.