Apache Kafka
What is Apache Kafka?
Apache Kafka is an open source distributed event streaming platform originally built at LinkedIn and now maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It stores streams of records in partitioned, replicated topics so producer and consumer applications can read and write data with low latency at very large scale. Kafka includes the Kafka Streams API for building stream processing applications and the Kafka Connect framework for moving data between Kafka and external systems.
Since Kafka 4.0, clusters run on Kafka's own built-in KRaft consensus protocol instead of requiring a separate Apache ZooKeeper deployment, and Kafka supports exactly-once processing through idempotent producers and transactions. It is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 and is free to download, run, and modify, with no official paid tier offered by the Apache Software Foundation itself.
Key Features of Apache Kafka
Here are the powerful features that make Apache Kafka stand out from the competition. Packed with innovative tools and advanced functionalities, this software offers a range of benefits.
- Distributed, partitioned, and replicated commit log for event storage
- High-throughput, low-latency message delivery at large scale
- Production clusters that can scale to thousands of brokers and trillions of messages per day
- KRaft consensus protocol for cluster metadata, removing the need for a separate ZooKeeper deployment since Kafka 4.0
- Built-in Kafka Streams API for stream processing, joins, and aggregations
- Kafka Connect framework with connectors for databases, search indexes, and cloud storage
- Exactly-once processing semantics with idempotent producers and transactions
- Multi-zone and multi-region replication for fault tolerance and high availability
- Tiered storage for offloading older log segments to lower-cost object storage
Apache Kafka Pricing
Here are the pricing plans for Apache Kafka. Choose the plan that best fits your requirements and budget.
Apache Kafka (Open Source)
Free
Unlimited, self-hosted
Apache License 2.0; full distributed event streaming platform, community support only, no official paid tier from the Apache Software Foundation
Apache Kafka Specifications
Get a closer look at the technical specifications and system requirements for Apache Kafka. Find out if it's compatible with your operating system and other software.
- cloud based
- on premises
- web app
- startups
- smes
- enterprises
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Alternatives of Apache Kafka
AlternativesExplore alternative software options that can fulfill similar requirements as Apache Kafka. Evaluate their features, pricing, and user feedback to find the perfect fit for your needs.
Open-source, cloud-native distributed messaging and streaming platform with built-in multi-tenancy.
Fully managed enterprise message broker with queues and publish/subscribe topics
Fully managed RabbitMQ and LavinMQ hosting on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and DigitalOcean.
Fully managed, cloud-native Apache Kafka service with consumption-based pricing and 120+ connectors.
Apache Kafka Comparisons
Compare Apache Kafka with other similar options available. Explore the key differences to see why it's the top choice for businesses and individuals.
Overall Apache Kafka Reviews
Here's our unbiased review of Apache Kafka. Discover how our team of experts rates its features, ease of use, customer support, and other aspects that contribute to its overall appeal.