--- title: "kong vs autogen" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/kong-kong-vs-microsoft-autogen" tools: ["kong-kong", "microsoft-autogen"] --- # kong vs autogen *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick kong when kong is primarily Lua; autogen is Python; pick autogen when autogen is primarily Python; kong is Lua. [kong](https://konghq.com/install/) reports 44k GitHub stars, 5.2k forks, and 155 open issues, last pushed Jul 1, 2026. [autogen](https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/) has 60k stars, 9.0k forks, and 945 open issues, last pushed Apr 15, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [kong's repository](https://github.com/Kong/kong) and [autogen's repository](https://github.com/microsoft/autogen). | | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | [autogen](/tools/microsoft-autogen.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | 🦍 The API and AI Gateway | A programming framework for agentic AI | | Stars | 43,768 | 59,658 | | Forks | 5,173 | 8,983 | | Open issues | 155 | 945 | | Language | Lua | Python | | Adopt for | - | AutoGen is a Python-based framework for developing and managing agentic AI systems. It includes the AutoGen Studio for no-code GUI setup, integrating with various models. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | CC-BY-4.0 | | Categories | LLM Frameworks, Developer Tools | LLM Frameworks, AI Agents | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [kong](/tools/kong-kong.md) | [autogen](/tools/microsoft-autogen.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Steady (60%) | | Days since push | 10d | 87d | | Open issues (now) | 155 | 945 | | Security scan | No MCP manifest | No lockfile | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/kong-kong/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/microsoft-autogen/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: autogen - **Requirements:** Min 4 GB RAM; AutoGen requires Python 3.10 or later.; Ensure security when connecting to MCP servers due to the potential for local command execution and sensitive information exposure. - **Adopt for:** AutoGen is a Python-based framework for developing and managing agentic AI systems. It includes the AutoGen Studio for no-code GUI setup, integrating with various models. ## Choose when ### Choose kong if… - kong is primarily Lua; autogen is Python. - License: kong is Apache-2.0, autogen is CC-BY-4.0. - Tags unique to kong: api-management, cloud-native, artificial-intelligence, apis. - Also covers Developer Tools. ### Choose autogen if… - autogen is primarily Python; kong is Lua. - License: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, kong is Apache-2.0. - Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; AutoGen requires Python 3.10 or later.; Ensure security when connecting to MCP servers due to the potential for local command execution and sensitive information exposure.. - Tags unique to autogen: llm-framework, autogen, agents, agentic-agi. - Also covers AI Agents. - You need a framework that supports integration with multiple AI models via OpenAI's chat completion client. ## 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. ## When NOT to use autogen - If you require tools supporting multiple programming languages beyond Python, as AutoGen is strictly a Python-based framework. - When deploying in environments where connecting to external servers (like those used by MCP) could pose security risks or is prohibited. - You need solutions which do not involve additional installations for server components such as `playwright/mcp`, as AutoGen requires this setup for certain functionalities. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between kong and autogen? kong: 🦍 The API and AI Gateway. autogen: A programming framework for agentic AI. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose kong over autogen? Choose kong over autogen when kong is primarily Lua; autogen is Python; License: kong is Apache-2.0, autogen is CC-BY-4.0; Tags unique to kong: api-management, cloud-native, artificial-intelligence, apis; Also covers Developer Tools. ### When should I choose autogen over kong? Choose autogen over kong when autogen is primarily Python; kong is Lua; License: autogen is CC-BY-4.0, kong is Apache-2.0; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; AutoGen requires Python 3.10 or later.; Ensure security when connecting to MCP servers due to the potential for local command execution and sensitive information exposure.; Tags unique to autogen: llm-framework, autogen, agents, agentic-agi; Also covers AI Agents; You need a framework that supports integration with multiple AI models via OpenAI's chat completion client. ### 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. ### When should I avoid autogen? If you require tools supporting multiple programming languages beyond Python, as AutoGen is strictly a Python-based framework. When deploying in environments where connecting to external servers (like those used by MCP) could pose security risks or is prohibited. You need solutions which do not involve additional installations for server components such as `playwright/mcp`, as AutoGen requires this setup for certain functionalities. ### Is kong or autogen more popular on GitHub? autogen has more GitHub stars (59,658 vs 43,768). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are kong and autogen open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (kong: Apache-2.0, autogen: CC-BY-4.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to kong or autogen? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [kong alternatives](/tools/kong-kong/alternatives) and [autogen alternatives](/tools/microsoft-autogen/alternatives) ([kong markdown twin](/tools/kong-kong/alternatives.md), [autogen markdown twin](/tools/microsoft-autogen/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-microsoft-autogen.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, kong or autogen? kong: Active. autogen: Steady. 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 autogen? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [kong trust report](/tools/kong-kong/trust); [autogen trust report](/tools/microsoft-autogen/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/_