Confluent Cloud
What is Confluent Cloud?
Confluent Cloud is a fully managed, cloud-native service for Apache Kafka, built and operated by the original creators of Apache Kafka. It runs on Confluent's proprietary Kora engine and handles cluster provisioning, scaling, patching, and upgrades so teams can stream and process event data in real time without operating Kafka brokers themselves.
The service uses consumption-based pricing across Basic, Standard, Enterprise, and Freight cluster tiers, with a free Basic tier that scales to zero when idle. Confluent Cloud includes more than 120 pre-built connectors, a schema registry, Apache Flink and ksqlDB stream processing, and Cluster Linking for bridging to existing Kafka deployments, plus support for Avro, Protobuf, and JSON Schema formats. Confluent is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
Key Features of Confluent Cloud
Here are the powerful features that make Confluent Cloud stand out from the competition. Packed with innovative tools and advanced functionalities, this software offers a range of benefits.
- Fully managed Apache Kafka service built on the proprietary Kora engine
- Consumption-based pricing with a serverless Basic tier that scales to zero
- 99.99% uptime SLA on Enterprise-tier production clusters
- 120+ pre-built connectors to databases, data warehouses, and cloud storage via Confluent Hub
- Built-in Schema Registry supporting Avro, Protobuf, and JSON Schema
- Native Apache Flink integration for real-time stream processing
- ksqlDB support for SQL-based stream processing
- Cluster Linking for migrating or bridging existing Kafka clusters without downtime
- Stream governance tools including data lineage, catalog, and audit logs
- Role-based access control (RBAC) and customer-managed encryption keys on higher tiers
Confluent Cloud Pricing
Here are the pricing plans for Confluent Cloud. Choose the plan that best fits your requirements and budget.
Basic
$0/month base
Up to 5 TB storage, 1,500 partitions
Serverless, scales to zero when idle. First eCKU free, then $0.14 per eCKU-hour plus data in/out and storage charges. 99.5% SLA.
Standard
From approximately $385/month
Infinite storage, 2,500 partitions
$0.75 per eCKU-hour. Production-ready with 99.9-99.99% uptime SLA, includes Apache Flink and ksqlDB access.
Enterprise
From approximately $895/month
Infinite storage, up to 96,000 partitions
$1.75-$2.25 per eCKU-hour. Adds private networking, customer-managed encryption keys, audit logs, and 99.99% SLA.
Freight
From approximately $2,300/month
Up to 50,000 partitions
$2.25 per eCKU-hour, minimum 2 eCKUs. Specialty cluster tier optimized for high-throughput, cost-efficient data movement.
Confluent Cloud Specifications
Get a closer look at the technical specifications and system requirements for Confluent Cloud. Find out if it's compatible with your operating system and other software.
- cloud based
- web app
- startups
- smes
- enterprises
- phone
- live support
- training
- tickets
Confluent Cloud Videos
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Confluent Cloud Comparisons
Compare Confluent Cloud with other similar options available. Explore the key differences to see why it's the top choice for businesses and individuals.
Overall Confluent Cloud Reviews
Here's our unbiased review of Confluent Cloud. Discover how our team of experts rates its features, ease of use, customer support, and other aspects that contribute to its overall appeal.