# Kong Gateway vs Zero-K

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

| | Kong Gateway | Zero-K |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 39 in API Gateway | #2 of 23 in Gaming |
| GitHub stars | 44 320 ✓ | 877 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +130 ✓ | +26 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Lua | Lua |

## Which one should you pick?

Kong Gateway scores 82/100 against 62/100 for Zero-K, so it is the safer default.

Kong Gateway ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Zero-K.

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

Kong Gateway is growing faster right now (+130 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Kong Gateway](https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kong-gateway.md)
- [Zero-K](https://selfhost.directory/project/zero-k) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zero-k.md)

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