Kong AI Gateway (MCP)Kong | Datasheet DS-006 | Rev 2026-11-03 |
| Total 5.60 / 10 | Ranks sixth of 14 | |
| Status: MCP proxy and AI MCP OAuth2 plugin documented; MCP Registry in tech preview. | ||
In short: Kong scores 5.60 out of 10 and ranks sixth of 14 in this guide. Its strongest areas are credential brokering and audit, and its weakest is human approval. Deployment is listed as Self-managed or Konnect. Pricing was not found on the pages read. Each score below has a reason and a dated source.
Features
- AI MCP Proxy plugin
- AI MCP OAuth2 plugin with token exchange
- Protected resource metadata for MCP-spec OAuth
- MCP Registry (tech preview) and Konnect Catalog
- MCP traffic audit log
- OpenTelemetry MCP metrics
Specifications
| Parameter | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | API and AI gateway with MCP plugins | [kong-mcp] |
| Authorization | AI MCP OAuth2 plugin, OAuth 2.1 based | [kong-oauth] |
| Credential model | Token exchange or passthrough | [kong-oauth] |
| Registry | MCP Registry, tech preview | [kong-mcp] |
| Audit | MCP traffic audit log, OpenTelemetry | [kong-mcp] |
| Price as published | Not found on pages read | [kong-mcp] |
How does Kong score on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Reason | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 Identity-bound per-call authorization | 25 | 6 | The AI MCP OAuth2 plugin authenticates every MCP request, but per-call checks against the person an agent acts for are not described. | [kong-oauth] |
| G2 Credential brokering | 20 | 7 | Token exchange swaps the client's token for a different upstream token, though token passthrough is also available. | [kong-oauth] |
| G3 Human approval and escalation | 15 | 2 | No human approval step was found on the pages read. | [kong-mcp] |
| G4 Server registry and discovery | 10 | 6 | An MCP Registry is in tech preview and MCP servers can be catalogued in Konnect. | [kong-mcp] |
| G5 Audit evidence | 10 | 7 | An MCP traffic audit log and OpenTelemetry metrics are documented. | [kong-mcp] |
| G6 Standards | 10 | 7 | Follows MCP authorization based on OAuth 2.1 with protected resource metadata and token exchange. | [kong-oauth][kong-mcp] |
| G7 Deployment and buying clarity | 10 | 4 | Konnect and self-managed gateways are documented, but a price for the MCP features was not found on the pages read. | [kong-mcp] |
| Total | 100 | 5.60 | Sum of score times weight, divided by 100. | |
Typical deployment
Kong Konnect or self-managed Kong gateways.
Pricing as published
Not found on the pages read.
Works alongside your identity provider?
Yes. The OAuth2 plugin works against an external authorization server and introspection endpoint. [kong-oauth]
Frequently asked questions
- Does Kong work alongside my identity provider?
- Yes. The OAuth2 plugin works against an external authorization server and introspection endpoint.
- How is Kong deployed?
- Kong Konnect or self-managed Kong gateways.
- What does Kong cost?
- Not found on the pages read.
How does it compare?
Revision history
| Rev | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-11-03 | First issue of this datasheet. |
Sources
- Kong AI MCP OAuth2 plugin [kong-oauth] read 2026-11-03
- Kong AI Gateway: MCP [kong-mcp] read 2026-11-03
By The Datasheet desk · Published and reviewed 2026-11-03