--- title: "caveman vs kong" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/juliusbrussee-caveman-vs-kong-kong" tools: ["juliusbrussee-caveman", "kong-kong"] --- # caveman vs kong *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick caveman when caveman is primarily JavaScript; kong is Lua; pick kong when kong is primarily Lua; caveman is JavaScript. [caveman](https://caveman.so/) reports 88k GitHub stars, 5.1k forks, and 392 open issues, last pushed Jul 3, 2026. [kong](https://konghq.com/install/) has 44k stars, 5.2k forks, and 155 open issues, last pushed Jul 1, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [caveman's repository](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman) and [kong's repository](https://github.com/Kong/kong). | | [caveman](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman.md) | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Reduce token usage with concise 'caveman'-style prompts. | 🦍 The API and AI Gateway | | Stars | 87,950 | 43,768 | | Forks | 5,052 | 5,173 | | Open issues | 392 | 155 | | Language | JavaScript | Lua | | Adopt for | The **caveman** tool is designed for developers and AI users who aim to optimize their token usage through the generation of more concise prompts, thereby potentially reducing costs and improving efficiency. However, it犺 | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | LLM Frameworks, Developer Tools | LLM Frameworks, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [caveman](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman.md) | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 7d | 10d | | Open issues (now) | 392 | 155 | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Security scan | No lockfile | No MCP manifest | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/kong-kong/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: caveman - **Adopt for:** The **caveman** tool is designed for developers and AI users who aim to optimize their token usage through the generation of more concise prompts, thereby potentially reducing costs and improving efficiency. However, it犺 ## Choose when ### Choose caveman if… - caveman is primarily JavaScript; kong is Lua. - License: caveman is MIT, kong is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to caveman: caveman, tokens, claude-code, anthropic. - When you need to significantly cut down on token usage in AI interactions, up to 65%, without losing essential information content. ### Choose kong if… - kong is primarily Lua; caveman is JavaScript. - License: kong is Apache-2.0, caveman is MIT. - Tags unique to kong: api-management, cloud-native, artificial-intelligence, apis. ## When NOT to use caveman - When requiring complex and detailed prompts that necessitate more nuanced expression beyond simple, 'caveman'-style sentences. - For situations where adherence to formal or specific linguistic structures is mandatory for the task's success. ## When NOT to use kong - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. - Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between caveman and kong? caveman: Reduce token usage with concise 'caveman'-style prompts.. kong: 🦍 The API and AI Gateway. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose caveman over kong? Choose caveman over kong when caveman is primarily JavaScript; kong is Lua; License: caveman is MIT, kong is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to caveman: caveman, tokens, claude-code, anthropic; When you need to significantly cut down on token usage in AI interactions, up to 65%, without losing essential information content. ### When should I choose kong over caveman? Choose kong over caveman when kong is primarily Lua; caveman is JavaScript; License: kong is Apache-2.0, caveman is MIT; Tags unique to kong: api-management, cloud-native, artificial-intelligence, apis. ### When should I avoid caveman? When requiring complex and detailed prompts that necessitate more nuanced expression beyond simple, 'caveman'-style sentences. For situations where adherence to formal or specific linguistic structures is mandatory for the task's success. ### When should I avoid kong? LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. Developer Tools: A gateway is overkill when you're pinned to a single provider and model. ### Is caveman or kong more popular on GitHub? caveman has more GitHub stars (87,950 vs 43,768). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are caveman and kong open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (caveman: MIT, kong: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to caveman or kong? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [caveman alternatives](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman/alternatives) and [kong alternatives](/tools/kong-kong/alternatives) ([caveman markdown twin](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman/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/juliusbrussee-caveman-vs-kong-kong.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, caveman or kong? caveman: 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 caveman and kong? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [caveman trust report](/tools/juliusbrussee-caveman/trust); [kong trust report](/tools/kong-kong/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=juliusbrussee-caveman`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=juliusbrussee-caveman) - 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/_