# Kong vs vLLM

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

| | Kong | vLLM |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 91/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 19 in API Management | #3 of 25 in LLM Inference |
| GitHub stars | 44 317 | 95 783 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +131 | +3 231 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 14 ✓ |
| Latest release | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 | v0.32.0 · 17 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Lua | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

vLLM scores 91/100 against 81/100 for Kong, so it is the safer default.

vLLM ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Kong.

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

vLLM is growing faster right now (+3 231 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Kong](https://selfhost.directory/project/kong) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kong.md)
- [vLLM](https://selfhost.directory/project/vllm) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/vllm.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Kong vs Traefik](https://selfhost.directory/compare/kong-vs-traefik)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/kong-vs-vllm