specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: Kuma
providerId: kuma
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
  - Service Mesh
  - Open Source
  - Envoy
  - CNCF
description: Kuma is an open-source CNCF Sandbox service mesh built on Envoy, originally created by
  Kong, Inc. and freely available under Apache-2.0. Kong's commercial offering on top of Kuma is Kong
  Mesh, distributed under enterprise terms negotiated with Kong; Kong Mesh pricing is not publicly listed.
sources:
  - https://kuma.io/
  - https://kuma.io/enterprise/
  - https://konghq.com/products/kong-mesh
notes: Kong Mesh enterprise pricing is contact-sales; only Kuma OSS terms are public.
plans:
  - id: kuma-open-source
    name: Kuma (Open Source)
    type: freemium
    description: Apache-2.0 licensed open-source service mesh; no vendor charge.
    entries:
      - label: Open-source license
        name: oss
        type: quota
        metric: usage
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Universal control plane (Kubernetes + VMs)
      - name: Multi-zone / multi-cluster
      - name: Built-in policies (mTLS, traffic permissions, traffic routing)
      - name: Envoy data plane
      - name: REST API control plane
      - name: GUI dashboard
  - id: kuma-kong-mesh-enterprise
    name: Kong Mesh (Enterprise distribution of Kuma)
    type: enterprise
    description: Kong's commercial distribution of Kuma, sold by Kong, Inc. under an enterprise agreement.
      Adds enterprise support, FIPS-compliant builds, OPA integration, and Kong support SLAs. Pricing
      not publicly published.
    entries:
      - label: Kong Mesh subscription
        name: kong_mesh_license
        type: subscription
        metric: contract
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: year
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: contact sales
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Enterprise support and SLAs
      - name: FIPS 140-2 compliant builds
      - name: OPA policy integration
      - name: Role-based access control
      - name: Hardened container images
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com
x-canonical:
  generated: '2026-10-08'
  vocabulary: all/0-working/economics/plans-canonical.yml
  models:
  - free
  - subscription
  units:
  - negotiated
  - none
  plans:
  - name: Kuma (Open Source)
    access: freemium
    model: free
    model_how: derived
    units:
    - none
    periods:
    - per-use
  - name: Kong Mesh (Enterprise distribution of Kuma)
    access: enterprise
    model: subscription
    model_how: derived
    units:
    - negotiated
    periods:
    - year