# Kong Gateway vs Zuplo: which do AI models recommend for API management, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, API management. Eight of fourteen models named Kong Gateway first on the direct prompt; one named Zuplo. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/developer/api-management/kong-gateway-vs-zuplo/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kong Gateway | 37% | #1 of 12 | 12% | 67 | 14 of 14 |
| Zuplo | 10% | #4 of 12 | 0% | 14 | 9 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Claude Haiku 4.5: kong gateway first (first choices: Azure API Management, Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Boomi, Jitterbit)
- GPT-5.4 mini: kong gateway first (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Boomi, MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, Workato)
- Mistral Small: kong gateway first (first choices: Azure API Management, Kong Gateway, Tyk)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: kong gateway first (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Axway Amplify API Management, Azure API Management, Postman)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: kong gateway first (first choices: Azure API Management, Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Jitterbit, Merge)
- Kimi K2: kong gateway first (first choices: Boomi, Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Azure API Management, Gravitee)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: kong gateway first (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Apigee, Azure API Management, Gravitee)
- GPT-6 Luna: kong gateway first (first choices: Kong Gateway) (alternatives: Apigee, Azure API Management, Tyk)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: zuplo first (first choices: Zuplo) (alternatives: Gravitee, Kong Gateway, Tyk)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Apigee) (alternatives: Azure API Management, Postman, Zuplo)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither first, one named (first choices: Azure API Management) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Kong Gateway)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Apigee, Azure API Management) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Kong Gateway, MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, Postman, Tyk)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither first, one named (first choices: Jitterbit Harmony) (alternatives: Amazon API Gateway, Azure API Management, Boomi, Kong Gateway, Tyk)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named

## What the models said about Kong Gateway

- "Warning: While Kong's open-source gateway is excellent, essential features for a 500-person company (RBAC, developer portal, and advanced analytics) require upgrading to their commercial enterprise tier." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, scale prompt, soft negative)
- "For most mid‑market B2B companies, Kong Konnect (or Azure API Management if you’re already in the Microsoft stack) is the best fit." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, direct prompt, first choice)
- "the best API management platforms for mid-market B2B companies are Kong Enterprise, Tyk Enterprise, and Azure API Management" (Mistral Small, direct prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Zuplo

- "Candidates like Kong Konnect, Tyk, Azure API Management, or Zuplo are often the right fit at this scale" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, scale prompt, first choice)
- "Speed & Hands-off Maintenance | Zuplo | Best SaaS free tier ($0 up to 100k requests/mo); no servers to manage." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, budget prompt, first choice)
- "pick Kong for the lowest-cost serious platform, or Zuplo if you prefer managed convenience with a tiny budget" (Perplexity Sonar, budget prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.