KrakenD API Gateway
Barcelona, Spain
What it is
KrakenD API Gateway is a stateless, distributed gateway for connecting, securing, combining, and transforming APIs and AI workloads. Its API composition feature can gather information from several APIs or services and return one response shaped for a client. Traffic controls include rate limits, circuit breaking, IP filtering, bot detection, and load balancing. It connects to REST, RabbitMQ, SNS, SQS, Kafka, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, and Lambda services; supported protocols also include HTTP, WebSockets, AMQP, and NATS. Authentication options include JWT, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, client credentials, API keys, Basic Authentication, and mTLS. The self-hosted software can be deployed with Docker, Kubernetes, cloud marketplace virtual machines, or Linux packages and binaries. Community Edition costs nothing and includes unlimited requests, APIs, and AI workloads. Enterprise Edition has no listed price and offers commercial support and SLAs; AI Gateway and AI security are Enterprise features. Community support includes Google Groups, GitHub issues, and Gophers Slack.
For and against
For
- Community Edition costs nothing.
- Includes unlimited requests, APIs, and AI workloads.
- Combines data from multiple APIs into one response.
- Supports rate limiting and several authentication methods.
- Offers Docker and Kubernetes deployment.
Against
- AI Gateway and AI security are Enterprise features.
- Community lacks direct SLA support.
The verdict
KrakenD combines API composition, traffic management, connectivity, and security controls in a self-hosted gateway, with a free Community Edition. Check the Community and Enterprise feature differences if you need AI Gateway capabilities, audit logging, SSO/SAML, or direct SLAs.
Who it suits
It suits teams that need to compose API responses, manage traffic, and apply authentication controls in a self-hosted gateway. Organizations seeking direct vendor support, SLAs, or the listed AI Gateway and AI security features would need to consider Enterprise.
Plans and prices
Community Edition
Unlimited requests · unlimited APIs and AI workloads · self-hosted
Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Enterprise Edition
Unlimited requests · unlimited APIs and AI workloads · commercial support and SLAs
Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
On the record
- API composition
- It can combine data from multiple APIs or services into a single response tailored to client needs.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Authentication
- Listed authentication options include JWT, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, client credentials, and mTLS.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Compliance
- KrakenD states that the company is SOC 2 Type II certified; Enterprise also advertises FIPS compliance.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Connectivity
- The gateway connects to REST, RabbitMQ, SNS, SQS, Kafka, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, and Lambda services.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Deployment
- KrakenD is self-hosted and available through Docker and Kubernetes, cloud marketplace virtual machines, Linux packages, and Linux generic binaries.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Enterprise AI features
- The feature comparison lists AI Gateway and AI security capabilities as Enterprise features not included in Community.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Limits
- The maker says plans have unlimited requests, APIs, and AI workloads, while Community feature availability differs from Enterprise in areas including SSO/SAML, audit logging, and direct SLA support.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Platform support
- The maker says the development Docker image can be used on Windows, Mac, or Linux, and that KrakenD runs natively on Linux and Mac OS.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- KrakenD is a stateless, distributed API gateway for connecting, securing, aggregating, and transforming APIs and AI workloads.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Security
- KrakenD describes a zero-trust design with token validation, API key authentication, IP filtering, rate limiting, and protections against common web attack vectors.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Support
- Community support resources include Google Groups, GitHub issue reporting, and Gophers Slack; Enterprise offers direct vendor support and SLAs.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
- Traffic management
- Traffic controls include rate limiting, circuit breaking, IP filtering, bot detection, and load balancing.krakend.io · read 30 Sep 2026
