--- title: "grafbase vs kong" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/grafbase-grafbase-vs-kong-kong" tools: ["grafbase-grafbase", "kong-kong"] --- # grafbase vs kong *GraphCanon updated Aug 25, 2026* ## Verdict Pick grafbase if grafbase, an enterprise-grade GraphQL Federation Gateway in Rust and WebAssembly for integrating AI models via API; pick kong if kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes. [grafbase](https://the-guild.dev/graphql/hive/blog/acquired-grafbase) reports 1.2k GitHub stars, 71 forks, and 13 open issues, last pushed Jul 1, 2026. [kong](https://konghq.com/install/) has 44k stars, 5.2k forks, and 190 open issues, last pushed Aug 16, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [grafbase's repository](https://github.com/grafbase/grafbase) and [kong's repository](https://github.com/Kong/kong). | | [grafbase](/tools/grafbase-grafbase.md) | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | GraphQL Federation Gateway for AI APIs in Rust and WebAssembly | The API and AI Gateway | | Stars | 1,230 | 44,035 | | Forks | 71 | 5,206 | | Open issues | 13 | 190 | | Language | Rust | Lua | | Adopt for | Grafbase, an enterprise-grade GraphQL Federation Gateway in Rust and WebAssembly for integrating AI models via API. | Kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [grafbase](/tools/grafbase-grafbase.md) | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 25d | 9d | | Open issues (now) | 13 | 190 | | Stars delta | Unknown | +177 (30d) | | Open issues delta | Unknown | +23 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/grafbase-grafbase/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/kong-kong/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: grafbase - **Hosting:** self hosted - Grafbase operates as a self-hosted solution, giving users full control over their GraphQL gateway and associated services. - **Adopt for:** Grafbase, an enterprise-grade GraphQL Federation Gateway in Rust and WebAssembly for integrating AI models via API. ## Decision facts: kong - **Adopt for:** Kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes. ## Choose when ### Choose grafbase if… - grafbase is primarily Rust; kong is Lua. - License: grafbase is MPL-2.0, kong is Apache-2.0. - Grafbase operates as a self-hosted solution, giving users full control over their GraphQL gateway and associated services. - Tags unique to grafbase: ai, api, graphql, rust. - You require an enterprise-level GraphQL gateway with support for Rust and WebAssembly to integrate advanced AI APIs. ### Choose kong if… - kong is primarily Lua; grafbase is Rust. - License: kong is Apache-2.0, grafbase is MPL-2.0. - Tags unique to kong: ai-gateway, api-gateway, cloud-native, kubernetes. - requires Lua scripting ## When NOT to use grafbase - You do not require advanced federation capabilities or specific use of Rust and WebAssembly in your GraphQL implementation. - If your project has limited scalability needs and can suffice with simpler, monolithic GraphQL service solutions. - When seeking a platform with broader language support rather than focusing primarily on Rust and WebAssembly. ## When NOT to use kong - prefers non-Lua languages - seeks competitor-native AI capabilities ## Common questions ### What is the difference between grafbase and kong? grafbase: GraphQL Federation Gateway for AI APIs in Rust and WebAssembly. kong: The API and AI Gateway. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose grafbase over kong? Choose grafbase over kong when grafbase is primarily Rust; kong is Lua; License: grafbase is MPL-2.0, kong is Apache-2.0; Grafbase operates as a self-hosted solution, giving users full control over their GraphQL gateway and associated services; Tags unique to grafbase: ai, api, graphql, rust; You require an enterprise-level GraphQL gateway with support for Rust and WebAssembly to integrate advanced AI APIs. ### When should I choose kong over grafbase? Choose kong over grafbase when kong is primarily Lua; grafbase is Rust; License: kong is Apache-2.0, grafbase is MPL-2.0; Tags unique to kong: ai-gateway, api-gateway, cloud-native, kubernetes; requires Lua scripting. ### When should I avoid grafbase? You do not require advanced federation capabilities or specific use of Rust and WebAssembly in your GraphQL implementation. If your project has limited scalability needs and can suffice with simpler, monolithic GraphQL service solutions. When seeking a platform with broader language support rather than focusing primarily on Rust and WebAssembly. ### When should I avoid kong? prefers non-Lua languages seeks competitor-native AI capabilities ### Is grafbase or kong more popular on GitHub? kong has more GitHub stars (44,035 vs 1,230). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are grafbase and kong open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (grafbase: MPL-2.0, kong: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to grafbase or kong? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [grafbase alternatives](/tools/grafbase-grafbase/alternatives) and [kong alternatives](/tools/kong-kong/alternatives) ([grafbase markdown twin](/tools/grafbase-grafbase/alternatives.md), [kong markdown twin](/tools/kong-kong/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/grafbase-grafbase-vs-kong-kong.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, grafbase or kong? grafbase: Active. kong: Active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for grafbase and kong? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [grafbase trust report](/tools/grafbase-grafbase/trust); [kong trust report](/tools/kong-kong/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=grafbase-grafbase`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=grafbase-grafbase) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_