Joplin
Kong
| Feature | Joplin | Kong |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $2.99/mo | Free / from $0.05/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | privacy-advocates, developers, linux-users, evernote-migrants | platform-engineers, microservices-teams, api-gateway-users, devops-teams |
| Founded | 2017 | 2010 |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✗ |
| Encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sync | ✓ | ✗ |
| Web Clipper | ✓ | ✗ |
| Plugins | ✓ | ✓ |
| Notebooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api Gateway | ✗ | ✓ |
| Service Mesh | ✗ | ✓ |
| Load Balancing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Authentication | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rate Limiting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Observability | ✗ | ✓ |
| Kubernetes Ingress | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Joplin Pros
- Free and open-source
- End-to-end encryption
- Self-host option
- Import from Evernote
✗ Joplin Cons
- Less polished UI
- Sync requires setup
- Limited collaboration
✓ Kong Pros
- Open-source core with large plugin ecosystem
- Sub-millisecond latency for API requests
- Platform-agnostic deployment (cloud, on-prem, hybrid)
- Strong Kubernetes-native support
✗ Kong Cons
- Enterprise features require paid license
- Configuration complexity for advanced setups
- Documentation could be more beginner-friendly
The Verdict
Joplin is built for privacy advocates and developers, with a focus on markdown and encryption. Kong targets platform engineers and microservices teams and leads with api-gateway and service-mesh.
Pricing is close: Kong starts at $0.05/mo versus $2.99/mo for Joplin — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Kong offers broader built-in capabilities (8 features vs 6), while Joplin takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.