shouldiuse.io

Comparison

Apache Kafka vs Confluent

Apache Kafka and Confluent both land on Depends.

Apache Kafka

kafka.apache.org

Depends
Confidence: Medium

Buy it if you move high-volume event data at scale and have platform engineers to run it . 80%+ of the Fortune 100 do exactly that.

Read the full report

Confluent

confluent.io

Depends
Confidence: Medium

Buy only if you run serious real-time data pipelines and have platform engineers to operate them.

Read the full report

Apache Kafka versus Confluent
CompareApache KafkaConfluent
VerdictDependsDepends
Best forHigh-volume real-time data pipelinesReal-time data streaming at enterprise scale
Who it's not forSmall teams needing a simple message queueSmall teams needing a simple message queue
PrivacyActively maintained Apache project with a public CVE list; several notable vulnerabilities in recent years require prompt patching and hardened configuration.10Mature enterprise security program: publishes CVE advisories, maintains a public trust center, holds compliance certifications.
Support qualityNo direct support evidence in sourcesNo direct support-quality evidence found
Public sentimentUsers value Kafka's throughput and ecosystem but consistently cite steep operational complexity and surprising cloud costs.²Reviewers praise Confluent's streaming power and G2 standing but repeatedly flag opaque pricing, hidden costs, and non-trivial setup.15
Biggest gotchaSoftware is free; clusters, staffing, and 24/7 operations are not . budget for platform engineers⁸Cloud bills hide costs: egress, connectors, and cluster sizing inflate invoices fast.

Pick Apache Kafka when

  • High-volume real-time data pipelines
  • Microservices event streaming at scale
  • Teams with dedicated platform engineers
  • Companies integrating many data systems

When Apache Kafka is not a fit

  • Small teams needing a simple message queue
  • Anyone without dedicated ops/platform engineers
  • Low-throughput apps where a database or basic queue suffices
  • Teams wanting zero infrastructure management but unwilling to pay for managed

Pick Confluent when

  • Real-time data streaming at enterprise scale
  • Event-driven microservices architectures
  • Teams standardizing on Kafka and Flink
  • Organizations needing data stream governance

When Confluent is not a fit

  • Small teams needing a simple message queue
  • Companies without dedicated data-platform engineers
  • Budget-sensitive startups fearing unpredictable usage bills
  • Simple batch ETL jobs . cheaper tools exist

Sources

  1. Apache Kafka . official sitekafka.apache.org
    official
  2. Apache Kafka Reviews . G2g2.com
    review
  3. Apache Kafka Reviews . Capterracapterra.com
    review
  4. Apache Kafka Reviews . TrustRadiustrustradius.com
    review
  5. Apache Kafka Pricing . TrustRadiustrustradius.com
    review
  6. Reddit: Egregious cloud storage costs for Kafkareddit.com
    review
  7. Reddit: Apache Kafka Fundamentalsreddit.com
    review
  8. Kafka cost comparison: self-hosted vs MSK vs Confluent Cloudaxonops.com
    news
  9. Confluent pricingconfluent.io
    official
  10. Apache Kafka security vulnerabilities . CVE listkafka.apache.org
    security
  11. Apache Kafka CVE detailscvedetails.com
    security
  12. CVE-2025-27817 arbitrary file read and SSRF . NSFOCUSnsfocusglobal.com
    security
  13. GHSA-76qp-h5mr-frr4 deserialization advisorygithub.com
    security
  14. Confluent IPO up to $759M . SiliconANGLEsiliconangle.com
    news
  15. Confluent Reviews, Ratings & Features . G2g2.com
    review
  16. Confluent Pricing . G2g2.com
    review