Question about Kong Enterprise without license vs OSS

[miketwenty1]

I see here in the release notes:
https://docs.konghq.com/gateway/changelog/#free-mode

Free mode is no longer available. Running Kong Gateway without a license will now behave the same as running it with an expired license.

Will running Kong Enterprise with an expired license cause issues? I'm currently using Kong Enterprise without a license. Should I plan to migrate over to OSS? Is there any migration specific things people need to be cognizant of that are specific to a Enterprise to OSS migration?

[MarkusFlorian79]

Since it looks like Kong stopped supporting the OSS version as well as the free mode, I would consider to choose another solution.

[cuotos]

Do you have links to statements confirming they have stopped supporting OSS version?

[MarkusFlorian79]

No, but nobody from Kong is answering questions to it.
See
#14405
https://discuss.konghq.com/t/is-opensource-support-for-kong-ceased/13529

[spirrello]

Looks like they pushed a new version for OSS (3.9.1) about a week ago.

https://github.com/Kong/kong/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md#391

[chronolaw]

This may be helpful: https://developer.konghq.com/gateway/entities/license/#expiration

[MgLionel]

Thanks,

I would like to add the answer I got from Kong in the chat:

You can continue using Kong Gateway OSS for free, but there is one important change starting with version 3.10:
✅ If you want to stay on the completely free OSS version
Use the OSS-only images, which are available up to version 3.9.1. For example:
docker pull kong:3.9.1

Do not use the kong/kong-gateway image. That one is the Enterprise edition, which always requires a license.
🚫 About version 3.10 and later
From 3.10 onward, there is no “free mode” for the Enterprise edition anymore.
If you run kong/kong-gateway:3.10+ without a valid license, it will behave as an expired Enterprise license, not as a full OSS version.
So your options are:
If you want to stay free:
Continue using OSS images such as kong:3.9.1
These are the last fully free OSS builds.
Sign up for Konnect, and you get everything for free for 30 days.
If you upgrade to 3.10+:
You must use a Kong Enterprise license
The Enterprise image (kong/kong-gateway) no longer has a free mode

[spirrello]

We're running with Kong Enterprise 3.11.0.3 without a license and haven't experienced any issues. But of course, we're not using any Enterprise Plugins or other related features. We're essentially using it as an OSS image.

@MgLionel When you say If you run kong/kong-gateway:3.10+ without a valid license, it will behave as an expired Enterprise license, not as a full OSS version.

What does full OSS version mean?

[mloskot]

@MgLionel It perhaps means this from https://developer.konghq.com/gateway/entities/license/#expiration that "You can continue to use OSS features via the Admin API".

@spirrello

We're running with Kong Enterprise 3.11.0.3 without a license and haven't experienced any issues.

Since Kong stated in the chat copied above that "If you upgrade to 3.10+: You must use a Kong Enterprise license", then don't you think you may be running Kong illegally without one?

However, I have to say that all the explanation out there from Kong on all those recent changes w.r.t. OSS, free, enterprise, etc. are clear as mud.

[MgLionel]

@spirrello I don't know what they mean by "full OSS version".
But if you look at your 3.11 log files, you will see warnings about missing license.
I don't know how long Kong Enterprise images will work without license file, but I suspect that it won't work forever, and above all that's not legal any more.

@mloskot

However, I have to say that all the explanation out there from Kong on all those recent changes w.r.t. OSS, free, enterprise, etc. are clear as mud.

can't agree more

[alokrbl]

We are currently using the Kong 3.9.1 OSS binary from https://cloudsmith.io/~kong/repos/ to build our own custom Kong image. Will these OSS binaries no longer be available after this version?