API security platforms · November 2026 Edition
OWASP ZAP vs Kong Gateway
Zero of fourteen models named OWASP ZAP first on the direct prompt; zero named Kong Gateway. OWASP ZAP was named by thirteen of the fourteen models and Kong Gateway by nine and both carry 16 labels, so the shares below are directly comparable.
Named in six categories this edition.
Named in three categories this edition.
First-choice share8%4%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate0%12%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#5#8A position in a field of 15; printed, not drawn.
Labels1616Equal, which is what makes the shares comparable.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, OWASP ZAP 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 OWASP ZAP · Salt Security vs Kong Gateway · Zuplo vs OWASP ZAP
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.
OWASP ZAPFirst choices, of fourteen modelsKong Gateway
Direct00
Paraphrase00
Comparative00
Budget-constrained42
Scale-constrained00
Negative002 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 OWASP ZAP 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 |
OWASP ZAP Kong Gateway first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, OWASP ZAP on the left and Kong Gateway on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where OWASP ZAP and Kong Gateway stood in it.
Neither was the first choice, one was named
2 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Mistral SmallGravitee, Zuplo alternatives: Graylog, Kong Gateway
Llama 4 MaverickWallarm API Security alternatives: Aikido Security, Gravitee, OWASP ZAP, Zuplo
Neither was named
12 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.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
GPT-5.4 miniAkamai API Security alternatives: 42Crunch, Akto, Imperva API Security, Salt Security, Traceable API Security Platform, Wallarm API Security
Gemini 3.5 FlashWallarm API Security alternatives: 42Crunch, Cloudflare API Shield, Salt Security, Traceable API Security Platform
Perplexity SonarCloudflare API Shield alternatives: 42Crunch, Traceable API Security Platform
Grok 4.20Salt Security alternatives: Cequence Unified API Protection, Cloudflare API Shield, Fastly, Traceable API Security Platform, Wallarm API Security
DeepSeek V4 FlashWallarm API Security alternatives: 42Crunch, Akamai API Security, Cequence Unified API Protection, Cloudflare API Shield, Traceable API Security Platform
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
GPT-6 LunaWallarm API Security alternatives: Akamai API Security, Cloudflare API Shield, Salt Security
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
OWASP ZAP leads by two points.
OWASP ZAP4%#6 of 13Kong Gateway2%#– of 13Mid-marketThe figures above
OWASP ZAP leads by four points.
OWASP ZAP8%#5 of 15Kong Gateway4%#8 of 15Enterprise
The order flips: Kong Gateway leads at enterprise.
Kong Gateway2%#10 of 13OWASP ZAP0%#– of 13What the models said about OWASP ZAP
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Two of two in this category shown.
“OWASP ZAP is the most widely used open-source DAST tool and the strongest free option for API security testing.” Claude Haiku 4.5 · budget prompt · first choice
“Best Overall Free/Open-Source Choice ... Completely free and open-source, with no usage limits or hidden fees.” Grok 4.20 · budget prompt · first choice
What the models said about Kong Gateway
No label in this category carried a quote.
Also compared
Salt Security vs OWASP ZAPSalt Security vs Kong GatewayZuplo vs OWASP ZAPZuplo vs Kong GatewayWallarm API Security vs OWASP ZAPWallarm API Security vs Kong GatewayCloudflare API Shield vs OWASP ZAPCloudflare API Shield vs Kong GatewayOWASP ZAP vs Akamai API SecurityOWASP ZAP vs Traceable API Security PlatformAkamai 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.