Unkey vs Zuplo vs Kong: Best API Gateway and Key Management (2026)

Managing API keys, rate limiting, and gateway routing are foundational to any API business. Unkey focuses on key management, Zuplo on developer-friendly gateways, and Kong on enterprise API infrastructure. Here's how they compare.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Unkey	Zuplo	Kong
Focus	API key management	API gateway + portal	Enterprise API platform
Type	Service	Gateway + Portal	Gateway + Platform
Key management	Core feature	Built-in	Plugin
Rate limiting	Built-in (per-key)	Built-in (policies)	Plugin
API gateway	No (key mgmt only)	Yes (edge gateway)	Yes (full gateway)
Developer portal	No	Built-in	Kong Portal
Analytics	Key-level analytics	Request analytics	Full analytics
Self-host	Open-source option	No	Yes (Kong Gateway OSS)
Pricing	Free tier, $25/mo+	Free tier, $250/mo+	Free (OSS), Enterprise custom
Best for	Key mgmt + rate limiting	API-first companies	Enterprise API infrastructure

Unkey: Purpose-Built Key Management

Unkey does one thing exceptionally well: API key management with per-key rate limiting and analytics.

Strengths

• Sub-millisecond key verification. Global edge verification — keys validated in <10ms worldwide.
• Per-key rate limiting. Set different rate limits per key, per customer, per plan. No separate rate limiting service needed.
• Temporary keys. Create keys that auto-expire — perfect for trials, temporary access, and one-time tokens.
• Key metadata. Attach arbitrary JSON metadata to keys (customer info, plan details, permissions).
• Ratelimit API. Use Unkey's rate limiting independently of key management — for any identifier (IP, user ID, etc.).
• Open-source. Full source code available. Self-host if needed.
• Simple integration. One API call to verify a key. Minimal code to add to your API.

import { verifyKey } from '@unkey/api';

const { result } = await verifyKey({ key: req.headers['x-api-key'] });
if (!result.valid) return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid key' });

// result includes: ownerId, meta, ratelimit, remaining

Weaknesses

• Not a gateway. Unkey handles keys and rate limiting, not request routing, transformation, or caching.
• No developer portal. You need to build your own key management UI for customers.
• No request logging. Unkey verifies keys but doesn't log or analyze API requests.
• Young platform. Growing quickly but smaller ecosystem than Kong.

Best For

Developers adding key management and rate limiting to existing APIs. Pairs well with any framework (Next.js, Hono, Express, Fastify).

Zuplo: The Developer-Friendly API Gateway

Zuplo is an edge-deployed API gateway with built-in developer portal, designed for API-first companies.

Strengths

• Edge-deployed. Runs on Cloudflare's network — 300+ locations, sub-millisecond routing.
• Developer portal (auto-generated). Upload an OpenAPI spec → get a beautiful, hosted developer portal with docs, API explorer, and key management.
• GitOps workflow. Configuration lives in your repo. Push to deploy. Familiar for developers.
• Policy-based middleware. Add auth, rate limiting, caching, and transformation through declarative policies.
• Built-in key management. Issue and manage API keys directly from Zuplo — no separate service needed.
• Custom code. Write TypeScript handlers for custom logic, transformation, or orchestration.

Weaknesses

• Pricing jump. Free tier → $250/month is a big jump for small teams.
• No self-hosting. Managed only.
• Newer platform. Less battle-tested than Kong for complex enterprise scenarios.
• Limited plugin ecosystem compared to Kong's extensive plugin library.

Best For

API-first companies that want a managed gateway with developer portal. Great for B2B SaaS exposing APIs to customers.

Kong: The Enterprise Standard

Kong is the most widely deployed API gateway, used by enterprises worldwide. Available as open-source (Kong Gateway) and managed (Kong Konnect).

Strengths

• Battle-tested. Billions of API calls processed daily across thousands of deployments.
• Plugin ecosystem. 100+ plugins for auth, rate limiting, logging, transformation, security, and more.
• Multi-protocol. HTTP, gRPC, WebSocket, GraphQL, TCP/UDP.
• Service mesh. Kong Mesh for service-to-service communication (built on Envoy).
• Self-hostable. Run Kong Gateway OSS for free on your own infrastructure.
• Enterprise features. RBAC, audit logging, developer portal, vitals, multi-workspace.
• Kubernetes-native. Kong Ingress Controller for Kubernetes API management.

Weaknesses

• Complexity. Kong is powerful but complex to configure and operate. Overkill for simple APIs.
• Enterprise pricing. Kong Konnect enterprise plans are expensive. The OSS version lacks many features.
• Lua plugins. Many plugins are written in Lua — not the most common language for web developers.
• Operational overhead. Self-hosted Kong requires PostgreSQL or Cassandra, plus the gateway nodes.
• Steep learning curve. Significant ramp-up time compared to Unkey or Zuplo.

Best For

Large organizations with complex API infrastructure, multiple teams, and enterprise requirements (compliance, audit, multi-protocol).

When to Use What

Just need API keys + rate limiting?

→ Unkey. Add it to your existing API in 10 minutes. No gateway needed.

Building an API product for developers?

→ Zuplo. Gateway + developer portal + key management in one platform.

Enterprise with multiple APIs and teams?

→ Kong. The most complete API platform for complex organizations.

Combining tools?

Unkey + your own API is the simplest stack. Unkey + Cloudflare Workers gives you edge key validation with edge compute. Zuplo replaces both if you want a managed gateway.

Pricing

Unkey

• Free: 1,000 verifications/day, 100 keys
• Pro: $25/month (unlimited keys, 150K verifications/day)
• Enterprise: Custom

Zuplo

• Free: Limited requests, 1 project
• Builder: $250/month
• Enterprise: Custom

Kong

• OSS: Free (self-host, limited features)
• Konnect Plus: From $1,050/year
• Enterprise: Custom (typically $50K+/year)

FAQ

Can I use Unkey with Zuplo or Kong?

Yes. Unkey handles key verification and rate limiting, while Zuplo/Kong handles gateway routing. This separation of concerns can work well, though both Zuplo and Kong have built-in key management.

Do I need an API gateway at all?

If you're building a single API with a web framework (Next.js, Express, Fastify): probably not. Add Unkey for keys and rate limiting. If you have multiple APIs, need request transformation, or are building an API platform: yes, consider a gateway.

What about AWS API Gateway?

AWS API Gateway is a viable option if you're all-in on AWS. It handles routing, auth, rate limiting, and monitoring. Main downsides: vendor lock-in, complex pricing, and less developer-friendly than Zuplo.

The Verdict

• Unkey for straightforward API key management and rate limiting. Fastest to implement, most focused.
• Zuplo for API-first companies needing a gateway + developer portal. Best DX for API products.
• Kong for enterprise API infrastructure at scale. Most features, most complexity.

For most startups building APIs in 2026: start with Unkey (add keys to your existing API) and evaluate Zuplo when you need a developer portal and gateway features.