Kong vs Stoplight
API Management pricing comparison · 2026
Kong pricing ranges from $0–$500/month, while Stoplight ranges from $0–$362/month. Stoplight is typically 10% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Kong
Kong is an open-source API gateway and microservices management platform that enables deve
verified 19d ago
$2.5K
$65K
Stoplight
Stoplight is a collaborative API design and documentation platform that enables teams to d
verified 9d ago
$2.5K
$65K
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
Stoplight
saves
$63K
vs
Kong
· 25 seats
Cheapest
$2.5K
Spread
96%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Plus
$7.5K/yr
year 1 license · $25/seat
Startup
$34K/yr
year 1 license · $113/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$65K/yr
Vendr · n=32
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$2.5K/yr
Vendr · n=70
REF · 01
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources
12 sourced facts
10 hidden-cost · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified
2w ago
Confidence
Medium confidence
Sources
3 sourced facts
Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified
1w ago
Confidence
Medium confidence
REF · 02
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 05
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats).
Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges.
Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
VS
Kong and Stoplight both operate in the api management category. This page compares their list pricing.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Kong | Stoplight |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free /free | Free /user/month |
| Plus | $25 /per control plane/month | $44 /user/month |
| Enterprise | Custom | $113 /user/month |
| Pro Team | — | $362 /user/month |
| Enterprise | — | Custom |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Kong
1 scenario$65,328/year
Enterprise License (Vendr Median)
Stoplight
1 scenario$99/month ($1,188/year)
Small Development Team (2 developers)
Market Intelligence
Kong
- Median annual cost
- $65,328
- Based on
- 32 deals
Stoplight
- Median annual cost
- $2,494
- Based on
- 70 deals