Kong Gateway vs Apache Traffic Server
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?
Kong Gateway
Cloud-native, fast, scalable API gateway
VS
Apache Traffic Server
Fast, scalable caching proxy server
| Feature | Kong Gateway | Apache Traffic Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Lua | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, helm | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 43,947 | ★ 1,972 |
| First released | 2015 | 2009 |
| Replaces | AWS API Gateway, Apigee | Varnish, Squid |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Apache Traffic Server if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Kong Gateway or Apache Traffic Server better?
Kong Gateway is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Apache Traffic Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Kong Gateway and Apache Traffic Server free and open-source?
Yes. Kong Gateway is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Apache Traffic Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kong Gateway and Apache Traffic Server with Docker?
Kong Gateway: yes. Apache Traffic Server: yes.