litellm vs kong
litellm is the more adopted project, with 61,940 GitHub stars against 44,296 for kong. litellm was updated more recently (today, against 5 days ago). litellm is written in Python and kong in Lua.
| litellm | kong | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | The fastest, litest AI Gateway. Rust core with Python SDK. Call 100+ LLM APIs in OpenAI (or native) format with cost tracking, guardrails, load balancing, and logging [Bedrock, Azure, OpenAI, Anthropi | 🦍 The API and AI Gateway |
| Author | BerriAI | Kong |
| Stars | 61940 | 44296 |
| Language | Python | Lua |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Last update | 2026-10-24T07:42:39Z | 2026-10-19T02:45:09Z |
| Source | https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm | https://github.com/Kong/kong |
| Stars this week | n/a | +19 |
Which should you choose?
- litellm describes itself as: "The fastest, litest AI Gateway. Rust core with Python SDK. Call 100+ LLM APIs in OpenAI (or native) format with cost tracking..."
- kong describes itself as: "🦍 The API and AI Gateway"
Stars measure adoption, not fit. Read both READMEs for the tools each server exposes, then try them side by side in your client: the install guide shows how to add both.
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, litellm or kong?
litellm has more GitHub stars: 61,940 against 44,296. This week litellm gained 0 stars and kong gained 19, which says more about current momentum than the all-time total. Both figures are refreshed daily from GitHub.
Are litellm and kong open source?
litellm: Other. kong: Apache-2.0 (open source). An open-source license lets you run and self-host the server at no cost. If either one wraps a commercial API, that provider's pricing still applies, so read each README for the accounts and keys it needs.
Can I use litellm and kong together?
Yes, if both run as MCP servers. MCP clients such as Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code can connect to several servers at once, and the agent picks tools from each. Give them distinct names in your config, and keep the number of active servers small so tool definitions do not crowd the context window.
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litellm details · kong details · All MCP Clients & Apps MCP servers
Data last updated . Stars and downloads are refreshed every day from GitHub and npm.