HAProxy Data Plane API 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?
HAProxy Data Plane API
REST API for dynamic HAProxy configuration
VS
Kong Gateway
Cloud-native, fast, scalable API gateway
| Feature | HAProxy Data Plane API | Kong Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Lua |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 389 | ★ 43,947 |
| First released | 2019 | 2015 |
| Replaces | NGINX Plus API | AWS API Gateway, Apigee |
Why pick each one
Choose HAProxy Data Plane API if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
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 HAProxy Data Plane API 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 HAProxy Data Plane API and Kong Gateway free and open-source?
Yes. HAProxy Data Plane API 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 HAProxy Data Plane API and Kong Gateway with Docker?
HAProxy Data Plane API: yes. Kong Gateway: yes.