--- title: "kong vs layer5" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/kong-kong-vs-layer5io-layer5" tools: ["kong-kong", "layer5io-layer5"] --- # kong vs layer5 *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## 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. [kong](https://konghq.com/install/) reports 44k GitHub stars, 5.2k forks, and 200 open issues, last pushed Sep 7, 2026. [layer5](https://layer5.io) has 1.1k stars, 1.6k forks, and 177 open issues, last pushed Sep 20, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [kong's repository](https://github.com/Kong/kong) and [layer5's repository](https://github.com/layer5io/layer5). | | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | [layer5](/tools/layer5io-layer5.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | The API and AI Gateway | Layer5 supports cloud-native infrastructure management and design | | Stars | 44,157 | 1,127 | | Forks | 5,210 | 1,635 | | Open issues | 200 | 177 | | Language | Lua | JavaScript | | Adopt for | Kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes. | Layer5 supports cloud-native infrastructure management and design via tools for configuration management, orchestration, and visual design of Kubernetes-focused applications. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | [layer5](/tools/layer5io-layer5.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 12d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 200 | 177 | | Stars delta | +299 (30d) | +51 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +33 (30d) | +56 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/kong-kong/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/layer5io-layer5/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: kong - **Adopt for:** Kong is Lua-based and Apache-2.0 licensed for API and AI gateway purposes. ## Decision facts: layer5 - **Adopt for:** Layer5 supports cloud-native infrastructure management and design via tools for configuration management, orchestration, and visual design of Kubernetes-focused applications. ## Choose when ### Choose kong if… - kong is primarily Lua; layer5 is JavaScript. - Tags unique to kong: ai-gateway, api-gateway, llm-gateway, microservices. - requires Lua scripting ### 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 kong - prefers non-Lua languages - seeks competitor-native AI capabilities ## 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 ## 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 (44,157 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](/tools/kong-kong/alternatives) and [layer5 alternatives](/tools/layer5io-layer5/alternatives) ([kong markdown twin](/tools/kong-kong/alternatives.md), [layer5 markdown twin](/tools/layer5io-layer5/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/kong-kong-vs-layer5io-layer5.md) 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](/tools/kong-kong/trust); [layer5 trust report](/tools/layer5io-layer5/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kong-kong`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kong-kong) - 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/_