# 389-ds-base vs Kong Gateway

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | 389-ds-base | Kong Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 57/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #18 of 40 in Authentication | #1 of 39 in API Gateway |
| GitHub stars | 300 | 44 318 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +132 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 3 |
| Latest release | 389-ds-base-2.2.11 · 7 Sept 2026 | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | C | Lua |

## Which one should you pick?

Kong Gateway scores 82/100 against 57/100 for 389-ds-base, so it is the safer default.

389-ds-base ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Kong Gateway.

If you want the quickest setup, Kong Gateway is easier to run; 389-ds-base needs more configuration.

Kong Gateway is growing faster right now (+132 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [389-ds-base](https://selfhost.directory/project/389-ds-base) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/389-ds-base.md)
- [Kong Gateway](https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/389-ds-base-vs-kong-gateway