Knock-KnockvsKong Gateway
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Knock-Knock | Kong Gateway | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 48/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #49 of 78 in Security | #1 of 39 in API Gateway |
| GitHub stars | 214 | 44 318 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +0 | +128 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 5 | 3 |
| Latest release | v3.0.0 · 26 Jul 2026 | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Lua |
Which one should you pick?
Kong Gateway scores 82/100 against 48/100 for Knock-Knock, so it is the safer default.
Knock-Knock ships more often: 5 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Kong Gateway.
If you want the quickest setup, Kong Gateway is easier to run; Knock-Knock needs more configuration.
Kong Gateway is growing faster right now (+128 stars in 30 days).
Knock-Knock details →Kong Gateway details →
Swap a project
Keep Knock-Knock, compare it with
Keep Kong Gateway, compare it with