KongvsValkey
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Kong | Valkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 81/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 19 in API Management | #3 of 38 in Databases |
| GitHub stars | 44 321 | 27 559 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +130 | +272 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 22 |
| Latest release | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 | 9.0.7 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | Lua | C |
Which one should you pick?
Kong and Valkey score the same (81/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.
Valkey ships more often: 22 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Kong.
If you want the quickest setup, Valkey is easier to run; Kong needs more configuration.
Valkey is growing faster right now (+272 stars in 30 days).
Kong details →Valkey details →
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