Comparison
kong vs layer5
Verdict
Pick kong if kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes; pick layer5 if layer5 supports cloud-native infrastructure management and design via tools for configuration management, orchestration, and visual design of Kubernetes-focused applications.
Markdown twin · kong alternatives · layer5 alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 19, 2026
16views this month
Trust & integrity
| Signal | kong | layer5 |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active (9d since push) As of Aug 25, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of Sep 19, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Aug 25, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 19, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 11, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- kong
- The API and AI Gateway
- layer5
- Layer5 supports cloud-native infrastructure management and design
Stars
- kong
- 44k
- layer5
- 1.1k
Forks
- kong
- 5.2k
- layer5
- 1.6k
Open issues
- kong
- 190
- layer5
- 170
Language
- kong
- Lua
- layer5
- JavaScript
Adopt for
- kong
- Kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes.
- layer5
- Layer5 supports cloud-native infrastructure management and design via tools for configuration management, orchestration, and visual design of Kubernetes-focused applications.
Persona
- kong
- -
- layer5
- -
Runtime
- kong
- -
- layer5
- -
License
- kong
- Apache-2.0
- layer5
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- kong
- Aug 16, 2026
- layer5
- Sep 19, 2026
Categories
- kong
- Developer Tools
- layer5
- Developer Tools
Trust and health
Maintenance
- kong
- Active (82%)
- layer5
- Very active (96%)
Days since push
- kong
- 9d
- layer5
- 0d
Open issues (now)
- kong
- 190
- layer5
- 170
Stars delta
- kong
- +177 (30d)
- layer5
- +51 (30d)
Open issues delta
- kong
- +23 (30d)
- layer5
- +49 (30d)
Full report
- kong
- Trust report
- layer5
- Trust report
Choose kong if…
- kong is primarily Lua; layer5 is JavaScript.
- Tags unique to kong: ai-gateway, api-gateway, llm-gateway, microservices.
- requires Lua scripting
When NOT to use kong
- prefers non-Lua languages
- seeks competitor-native AI capabilities
Choose layer5 if…
- layer5 is primarily JavaScript; kong is Lua.
- Tags unique to layer5: cloud, cncf, configuration-management, design-patterns.
- When prioritizing Kubernetes-specific application orchestration and design
When NOT to use layer5
- If the project does not involve cloud-native or Kubernetes applications
- In scenarios where an open-source visualization tool is not preferred
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (Kong/kong) · observed Aug 25, 2026
- GitHub forks (Kong/kong) · observed Aug 25, 2026
- Last push (Kong/kong) · observed Aug 16, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Aug 25, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 14, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (layer5io/layer5) · observed Sep 19, 2026
- GitHub forks (layer5io/layer5) · observed Sep 19, 2026
- Last push (layer5io/layer5) · observed Sep 19, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 19, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: kong 44k · layer5 1.1k (synced Aug 25, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between kong and layer5?
- kong: The API and AI Gateway. layer5: Layer5 supports cloud-native infrastructure management and design. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose kong over layer5?
- Choose kong over layer5 when kong is primarily Lua; layer5 is JavaScript; Tags unique to kong: ai-gateway, api-gateway, llm-gateway, microservices; requires Lua scripting.
- When should I choose layer5 over kong?
- Choose layer5 over kong when layer5 is primarily JavaScript; kong is Lua; Tags unique to layer5: cloud, cncf, configuration-management, design-patterns; When prioritizing Kubernetes-specific application orchestration and design.
- When should I avoid kong?
- prefers non-Lua languages seeks competitor-native AI capabilities
- When should I avoid layer5?
- If the project does not involve cloud-native or Kubernetes applications In scenarios where an open-source visualization tool is not preferred
- Is kong or layer5 more popular on GitHub?
- kong has more GitHub stars (44,035 vs 1,127). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are kong and layer5 open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (kong: Apache-2.0, layer5: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to kong or layer5?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at kong alternatives and layer5 alternatives (kong markdown twin, layer5 markdown twin), 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 mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, kong or layer5?
- kong: Active. layer5: Very 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 kong and layer5?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: kong trust report; layer5 trust report.