# Kong vs WriteFreely

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

| | Kong | WriteFreely |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 ✓ | 65/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 19 in API Management | #2 of 24 in Blogging |
| GitHub stars | 44 320 ✓ | 5 276 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +129 ✓ | +19 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 3 |
| Latest release | 3.9.4 · 12 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.17.2 · 10 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Lua | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Kong scores 81/100 against 65/100 for WriteFreely, so it is the safer default.

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

Kong is growing faster right now (+129 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

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

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