Managing APIs at scale in a Kubernetes environment can be challenging, and deploying a Kubernetes Ingress Controller or an API gateway offers solutions for effective load balancing and traffic routing. While both technologies share capabilities like handling incoming requests and service connectivity, API gateways offer a more comprehensive approach to API management by integrating full lifecycle API management (APIM), which includes API development, documentation, testing, security, and analytics. Kong, recognized as a leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant, provides a Kubernetes-native solution known as the Kong Ingress Controller (KIC), which merges the benefits of an API gateway with the Kubernetes Ingress Controller. KIC facilitates native API management through Kubernetes tools, supports automation, and enables seamless integration with CNCF projects. It also offers enhanced API management through plugins that monitor, transform, and protect API traffic, making it an enterprise-grade solution for organizations adopting Kubernetes.