KongvsOpenBao
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Kong | OpenBao | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 19 in API Management | #3 of 12 in Secrets Management |
| GitHub stars | 44 316 | 8 755 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +130 | +1 284 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 15 |
| Latest release | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 | v2.7.2 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Lua | Go |
Which one should you pick?
Kong scores 81/100 against 76/100 for OpenBao, so it is the safer default.
OpenBao ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Kong.
If you want the quickest setup, OpenBao is easier to run; Kong needs more configuration.
OpenBao is growing faster right now (+1 284 stars in 30 days).
Kong details →OpenBao details →
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