inference-gateway vs kong
LLM-focused gateway vs general API gateway
inference-gateway and kong both provide a gateway layer for routing traffic, including requests involving LLMs and MCP. inference-gateway focuses on a common interface for model providers, while kong covers broader API and service traffic with an extensible plugin-based approach.
inference-gateway: Unify LLM Providers Behind One API
A Go-based, cloud-native gateway that puts multiple LLM providers behind one OpenAI-compatible API. It supports cloud and self-hosted models, with integrations for MCP, A2A, guardrails and OpenTelemetry.
kong: Route and Govern API, LLM, and MCP Traffic
Kong Gateway is a cloud-native, platform-agnostic API, LLM, and MCP gateway built in Lua. It centralizes traffic routing, security, and extensibility for teams running services on their own infrastructure or Kubernetes.
| inference-gateway | kong | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Lua |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 215 | 44.3k |
| Forks | 48 | 5.2k |
| Last analyzed | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 |
Key differences
- inference-gateway is a Go proxy focused on LLM provider routing; kong is a Lua gateway for APIs and services, with AI and MCP capabilities.
- inference-gateway supports compatible chat, Anthropic Messages, and OpenAI Responses endpoints; kong emphasizes general traffic routing and load balancing alongside LLM routing.
- inference-gateway integrates MCP tool servers for model use; kong provides MCP governance and security, and can generate MCP interfaces from REST APIs.
- inference-gateway offers container and Kubernetes deployment options, including a companion operator; kong documents database-less and hybrid deployment models and an official Kubernetes Ingress Controller.
- inference-gateway lists 214 stars and 50 forks; kong lists 44.2k stars and 5.2k forks.
- Both projects use the Apache-2.0 license. inference-gateway is written in Go, while kong is written in Lua.
Choose inference-gateway if you…
- need a common client-facing API for switching or combining hosted and local LLM providers.
- want to connect MCP tool servers centrally to models.
- need a self-hostable LLM proxy with OIDC, guardrails, or OpenTelemetry metrics.
Choose kong if you…
- need a gateway for broader API and microservice traffic, including load balancing and health checks.
- want to extend gateway behavior through Kong and community plugins.
- need MCP traffic governance or an official Kubernetes Ingress Controller integration.
Compare the numbers side by side, or add more projects
This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.