# Kong Gateway vs PixelFed

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

| | Kong Gateway | PixelFed |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 39 in API Gateway | #11 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums |
| GitHub stars | 44 314 ✓ | 7 131 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +128 ✓ | +24 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 15 ✓ |
| Latest release | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Lua | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

Kong Gateway scores 82/100 against 64/100 for PixelFed, so it is the safer default.

PixelFed ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Kong Gateway.

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

Kong Gateway is growing faster right now (+128 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Kong Gateway](https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway.md)
- [PixelFed](https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed.md)

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