# Kong Gateway vs Node RED

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

| | Kong Gateway | Node RED |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 81/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 39 in API Gateway | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 44 317 ✓ | 23 791 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +131 ✓ | +109 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 21 ✓ |
| Latest release | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Lua | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Kong Gateway scores 82/100 against 81/100 for Node RED, so it is the safer default.

Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Kong Gateway.

If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; Kong Gateway needs more configuration.

## Details

- [Kong Gateway](https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway.md)
- [Node RED](https://selfhost.directory/project/node-red) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/node-red.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/kong-gateway-vs-node-red