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Disclosure: I work at Kong. The simplest way to think of Kong is as a piece of software that controls traffic going in and out of an API. At its simplest form,

Disclosure: I work at Kong. The simplest way to think of Kong is as a piece of software that controls traffic going in and out of an API. At its simplest form, it helps make sure that traffic gets to the right API, is secure, etc. Where Kong really differentiates itself is its ability to support decentralized software architecture patterns like microservices, service mesh, etc as well as traditional monoliths, regardless of the underlying platform or hardware. Microservices make deploying software a lot faster, and we're the connective tissue that lets those microservices work together smoothly and with older legacy systems. Kong is indesed open source. We also have an enterprise version that adds a lot of features that make managing kong in an enterprise much easier.

netok 8y ago
Even basic features like proxy caching is locked behind enterprise version. No thanks.
- mikejulietbravo 8y ago
  Many features are also available from community in the form of plugins.
- bungle 8y ago
  I think you are raising a valid point. What is considered a basic feature is a constantly moving target. The proxy-caching in Kong Enterpise is implemented as a plugin, and it is not that complex. All our new plugins are developed outside Kong open source repository. Some of them are public and some are private. Some of them we include in our default packaging. Ultimately this is a product decision. I think we have some features in open source that could have been enterprise only, and vice versa. I work mostly on developing the Kong core (open source), but at the same time, I think that having a healthy business, will help the open source too. Who knows, your wish of proxy caching plugin , we will endup moving from enterprise to open source.
rsp1984 8y ago
Thanks much! Never too late to learn something new... So from what I know about cloud technologies (not much) your description makes it sound like Kong is a Service Mesh. But then you also say you support Service Meshes as an architecture, so I'm not sure I got that right. Would you mind to clarify?

netok 8y ago

Even basic features like proxy caching is locked behind enterprise version. No thanks.

mikejulietbravo 8y ago
Many features are also available from community in the form of plugins.
bungle 8y ago
I think you are raising a valid point. What is considered a basic feature is a constantly moving target. The proxy-caching in Kong Enterpise is implemented as a plugin, and it is not that complex. All our new plugins are developed outside Kong open source repository. Some of them are public and some are private. Some of them we include in our default packaging. Ultimately this is a product decision. I think we have some features in open source that could have been enterprise only, and vice versa. I work mostly on developing the Kong core (open source), but at the same time, I think that having a healthy business, will help the open source too. Who knows, your wish of proxy caching plugin , we will endup moving from enterprise to open source.

rsp1984 8y ago

Thanks much! Never too late to learn something new... So from what I know about cloud technologies (not much) your description makes it sound like Kong is a Service Mesh. But then you also say you support Service Meshes as an architecture, so I'm not sure I got that right. Would you mind to clarify?