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KrakenD API Gateway

krakend.io

Free plan WindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted
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Spec score 7.7 #11 of 28 in Rest Apis

What it is

KrakenD API Gateway is a stateless, distributed gateway for connecting, securing, aggregating, and transforming APIs and AI workloads. It can combine data from multiple services into one response shaped for client needs. Traffic controls include rate limiting, circuit breaking, IP filtering, bot detection, and load balancing. Connectivity includes REST, RabbitMQ, SNS, SQS, Kafka, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, and Lambda; listed protocols also include HTTP, WebSockets, AMQP, and NATS. Authentication options include JWT, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, client credentials, API keys, Basic Authentication, and mTLS. KrakenD is self-hosted, with deployment choices including Docker, Kubernetes, cloud marketplace virtual machines, and Linux packages or binaries. The maker says the development Docker image can be used on Windows, Mac, or Linux, and KrakenD runs natively on Linux and Mac OS. Community Edition costs nothing and includes unlimited requests, APIs, and AI workloads. AI Gateway and AI security are Enterprise features.

Spec sheet

Purpose
KrakenD is a stateless, distributed API gateway for connecting, securing, aggregating, and transforming APIs and AI workloads.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Deployment
KrakenD is self-hosted and available through Docker and Kubernetes, cloud marketplace virtual machines, Linux packages, and Linux generic binaries.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Security
KrakenD describes a zero-trust design with token validation, API key authentication, IP filtering, rate limiting, and protections against common web attack vectors.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Compliance
KrakenD states that the company is SOC 2 Type II certified; Enterprise also advertises FIPS compliance.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Support
Community support resources include Google Groups, GitHub issue reporting, and Gophers Slack; Enterprise offers direct vendor support and SLAs.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Headquarters
Barcelona, SpainRead 28 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Founded
2016Read 28 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
API composition
It can combine data from multiple APIs or services into a single response tailored to client needs.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Authentication
Listed authentication options include JWT, OAuth2, OpenID Connect, client credentials, and mTLS.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Connectivity
The gateway connects to REST, RabbitMQ, SNS, SQS, Kafka, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, and Lambda services.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Enterprise AI features
The feature comparison lists AI Gateway and AI security capabilities as Enterprise features not included in Community.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
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.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
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.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Traffic management
Traffic controls include rate limiting, circuit breaking, IP filtering, bot detection, and load balancing.Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io

Plans and prices

Community Edition Free Free to use; no license cost Unlimited requests · unlimited APIs and AI workloads · self-hosted Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io
Enterprise Edition Priced on request Contact sales Unlimited requests · unlimited APIs and AI workloads · commercial support and SLAs Read 30 Sep 2026 · krakend.io

Every KrakenD API Gateway plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Community Edition has no license cost
  • Unlimited requests, APIs, and AI workloads
  • Includes rate limiting and request transformation
  • Supports many protocols and authentication methods

Limits

  • AI Gateway is an Enterprise feature
  • Community lacks direct SLA support

Who it suits

It suits teams that need a self-hosted gateway to connect APIs, control traffic, and compose service responses. Community Edition offers unlimited requests, APIs, and AI workloads at no license cost.

Verdict

KrakenD offers a free Community Edition with broad connectivity and traffic controls.

Where Specifiction places it

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