# Kong Gateway vs Request Tracker

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

| | Kong Gateway | Request Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 65/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 39 in API Gateway | #3 of 9 in Helpdesk |
| GitHub stars | 44 321 ✓ | 1 164 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +131 ✓ | +5 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Latest release | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 ✓ | rt-5.0.10 · 1 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Lua | Perl |

## Which one should you pick?

Kong Gateway scores 82/100 against 65/100 for Request Tracker, so it is the safer default.

Kong Gateway ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for Request Tracker.

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

Kong Gateway is growing faster right now (+131 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Kong Gateway](https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway.md)
- [Request Tracker](https://selfhost.directory/project/request-tracker) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/request-tracker.md)

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