Top pick · highest health
Tyk
Fast and scalable open source API Gateway. Out of the box, Tyk offers an API Management Platform with an API Gateway, API Analytics, Developer Portal and API Management Dashboard.
DockerGoK8S
Software Development - API Management
Open source alternatives to Kong Enterprise
We track 3 open-source Kong Enterprise alternatives, of which 2 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 2 ship a Docker image. Tyk leads on health at 96/100 with 65 commits in the last 90 days; across all 3 projects you are choosing between Apache-2.0, MPL-2.0.
updated Oct 2026 3 alternatives best health 96 ★ 62k combined 87 commits / 90d 2 with Docker
Top picks to replace Kong Enterprise
Showing 3 of 3 tools
All 3 Kong Enterprise alternatives, ranked by health
Kong Enterprise alternatives compared
Tyk edges Kong 96 to 80, and most of the difference is commit activity: 65 commits in 90 days against 14 commits in 90 days. Kong has the largest following at 44k stars, yet ranks #2 of 3, held back mostly by commit activity (14 commits in 90 days).
The most recent release is Lura v3.0.1, published yesterday. None of the measured options scores under 40. By stack, Go (2) and Lua (1) are the most common. Tyk, Kong and Lura are permissively licensed.
| Tool | Health | Stars | Licence | Last commit | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyk Steady at 96 since 11 Sep | 96 | 11k | MPL-2.0 | today | Yes |
| Kong Up 8 points since 11 Sep | 80 | 44k | Apache-2.0 | 11 days ago | Yes |
| Lura Up 4 points since 11 Sep | 60 | 6.8k | Apache-2.0 | yesterday | No |
Kong Enterprise alternatives: common questions
What is the most maintained open source alternative to Kong Enterprise?
Tyk scores highest at 96/100, with 65 commits in the last 90 days, 11k stars on GitHub and its latest release (v5.16.0) published 3 days ago. It is also the most active by raw commit count.
Which Kong Enterprise alternatives use a permissive licence?
3 of 3 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): Tyk (MPL-2.0), Kong (Apache-2.0), Lura (Apache-2.0). 0 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
Which Kong Enterprise alternatives run in Docker?
2 of 3 publish a Docker image or Compose file: Tyk, Kong. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.
Is Tyk or Kong the better Kong Enterprise alternative?
On measured health Tyk leads, 96 to 80. Tyk has 65 commits in 90 days, 11k stars and v5.16.0 from 3 days ago; Kong has 14 commits in 90 days, 44k stars and 3.9.4 from 18 days ago. Kong is ahead on stars, so it is the stronger pick if that is what you weigh most.
Are the Kong Enterprise alternatives still maintained?
2 of the 3 measured options score 70 or above. Every measured option had commits in the last 90 days. None scores under 40.
What languages are the Kong Enterprise alternatives written in?
Go: Tyk and Lura. Lua: Kong. The stack matters if you plan to extend or patch the tool yourself.
