API security platforms · November 2026 Edition
Cloudflare API Shield vs Kong Gateway
One of fourteen models named Cloudflare API Shield first on the direct prompt; zero named Kong Gateway. Cloudflare API Shield was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and Kong Gateway by nine and Cloudflare API Shield carries 30 labels and Kong Gateway 16, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in two categories this edition.
Named in three categories this edition.
First-choice share10%4%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate3%12%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#4#8A position in a field of 15; printed, not drawn.
Labels3016A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Cloudflare API Shield reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Salt Security was named alongside these two in eight of the fourteen direct answers. Salt Security vs Cloudflare API Shield · Salt Security vs Kong Gateway · Zuplo vs Cloudflare API Shield
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; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the API security platforms page.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
Cloudflare API ShieldFirst choices, of fourteen modelsKong Gateway
Direct10
Paraphrase00
Comparative00
Budget-constrained42
Scale-constrained00
Negative001 against Cloudflare API Shield · 2 against Kong Gateway
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Cloudflare API Shield and Kong Gateway stood in it.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | |||||
| GPT-5.4 mini | | |||||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | | | |||
| Perplexity Sonar | | | | | ||
| Grok 4.20 | | | | |||
| Mistral Small | | |||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | | | ||||
| Llama 4 Maverick | ||||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | | | | | |
| Kimi K2 | | |||||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | | ||||
| MiniMax M2.5 | | | ||||
| GPT-6 Luna | | |||||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | |
Cloudflare API Shield Kong Gateway first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Cloudflare API Shield on the left and Kong Gateway on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Cloudflare API Shield and Kong Gateway stood in it.
Cloudflare API Shield first, Kong Gateway not the choice
1 of 14 modelsKong Gateway was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Perplexity SonarCloudflare API Shield alternatives: 42Crunch, Traceable API Security Platform
Neither was the first choice, one was named
6 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Claude Haiku 4.5Orca Security alternatives: Check Point CloudGuard WAF, Cloudflare API Shield, Imperva API Security, Invicti API Security, Salt Security, Traceable API Security Platform
Gemini 3.5 FlashWallarm API Security alternatives: 42Crunch, Cloudflare API Shield, Salt Security, Traceable API Security Platform
Grok 4.20Salt Security alternatives: Cequence Unified API Protection, Cloudflare API Shield, Fastly, Traceable API Security Platform, Wallarm API Security
Mistral SmallGravitee, Zuplo alternatives: Graylog, Kong Gateway
DeepSeek V4 FlashWallarm API Security alternatives: 42Crunch, Akamai API Security, Cequence Unified API Protection, Cloudflare API Shield, Traceable API Security Platform
GPT-6 LunaWallarm API Security alternatives: Akamai API Security, Cloudflare API Shield, Salt Security
Neither was named
7 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.GPT-5.4 miniAkamai API Security alternatives: 42Crunch, Akto, Imperva API Security, Salt Security, Traceable API Security Platform, Wallarm API Security
Llama 4 MaverickWallarm API Security alternatives: Aikido Security, Gravitee, OWASP ZAP, Zuplo
Qwen 3.7 Flash42Crunch, Zuplo alternatives: Aikido Security, Salt Security
Kimi K2Levo.ai alternatives: 42Crunch, StackHawk, Wallarm API Security
GLM 4.7 FlashXZuplo alternatives: Akamai API Security, Cequence Unified API Protection
MiniMax M2.5Salt Security alternatives: Cequence Unified API Protection, Imperva API Security, Noname Security, Traceable API Security Platform
Muse Glimmer 30BZuplo alternatives: 42Crunch, Akamai API Security, Cloudflare Application Security and Performance, Imperva Application Security Platform, Salt Security
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Cloudflare API Shield leads by thirty-one points.
Cloudflare API Shield33%#1 of 13Kong Gateway2%#– of 13Mid-marketThe figures above
Cloudflare API Shield leads by six points.
Cloudflare API Shield10%#4 of 15Kong Gateway4%#8 of 15Enterprise
The order flips: Kong Gateway leads at enterprise.
Kong Gateway2%#10 of 13Cloudflare API Shield0%#11 of 13What the models said about Cloudflare API Shield
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Four of five in this category shown.
“both Cloudflare and Salt operate on volumetric licensing. This can lead to unexpected cost increases” Muse Glimmer 30B · negative prompt · soft negative
“For most small businesses and startups, Cloudflare offers the best balance of price and power.” Qwen 3.7 Flash · budget prompt · first choice
“I'd recommend starting with Cloudflare's free tier + Kong Gateway (open source)” Kimi K2 · budget prompt · first choice
“I'd suggest starting with Cloudflare API Shield or Kong (open source)” MiniMax M2.5 · budget prompt · first choice
What the models said about Kong Gateway
No label in this category carried a quote.
Also compared
Salt Security vs Cloudflare API ShieldSalt Security vs Kong GatewayZuplo vs Cloudflare API ShieldZuplo vs Kong GatewayWallarm API Security vs Cloudflare API ShieldWallarm API Security vs Kong GatewayCloudflare API Shield vs OWASP ZAPCloudflare API Shield vs Akamai API SecurityCloudflare API Shield vs Traceable API Security PlatformOWASP ZAP vs Kong GatewayAkamai API Security vs Kong GatewayTraceable API Security Platform vs Kong GatewayAll twenty-eight head-to-head pages and the full API security standing
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.