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March 14, 2025

Apache Kafka vs. Confluent Kafka: What's Best For Your Organization?

Matthew Weier O’Phinney
Matthew Weier O’Phinney

Apache Kafka

The choice between Apache Kafka vs. Confluent Kafka comes down to factors like cost, customization, and expertise. Apache Kafka is the top data platform for storing and streaming distributed events at scale, but it can be incredibly complex to manage internally — which is why Confluent offers a commercial version. With Confluent Kafka, enterprises can outsource the maintenance of their Kafka implementation if they lack the in-house resources to support it. The tradeoff, of course, is paying a premium to use free open source software, and having less control over your data infrastructure.   

Related Whitepaper: The Decision Maker’s Guide to Apache Kafka



In this blog, we will consider the benefits and drawbacks of deploying open source Kafka to help teams decide whether the convenience of Confluent's Kafka-based platform is worth the expense.

Table of Contents

  1. Apache Kafka vs. Confluent Kafka Overview
  2. Benefits and Challenges of Open Source Kafka 
  3. Get the Decision Maker's Guide to Kafka
  4. Benefits and Challenges of Confluent Kafka 
  5. Final Thoughts 
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Apache Kafka vs. Confluent Kafka Overview

The main difference between Apache Kafka and Confluent Kafka is that Apache Kafka is free open source software and Confluent Kafka is an open core platform, meaning it is a commercial product derived from open source Kafka. 

Read more about community vs. commercial OSS >>

What Is Apache Kafka?

Apache Kafka is an open-source distributed streaming platform built to handle real-time data feeds. It allows you to publish, subscribe to, store, and process streams of records in a durable, fault-tolerant way—making it a powerful tool for applications that require high-performance data streaming. 

Key features:

  • Ability to handle millions of messages per second with low latency
  • Strong durability for long-term record storage
  • Flexibility for a variety of use cases, from data pipelines to event sourcing

While Apache Kafka can be used in applications as a message broker, its primary strength lies in its functionality as a distributed stream processing platform. 

Read about use cases for Kafka stream processing >>

What Is Confluent Kafka? 

Confluent Kafka is virtually identical to open source Kafka with the addition of a few proprietary, enterprise-grade features. It simplifies operations with tools for data streaming management, making it an appealing option for businesses that want a turnkey solution without maintaining complex infrastructure.

Key features:

  • Managed cloud services
  • Advanced monitoring tools through the Confluent Control Center
  • Automated scaling and integration tools

Unlike Apache Kafka, which is free, Confluent Kafka has a subscription-based pricing model. 

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Benefits and Challenges of Open Source Kafka 

Let's start with some of the advantages of Apache Kafka:

Benefits 

  1. Cost-Effective: Open source and free to use, eliminating upfront license fees. While it's important to remember the soft costs that come with any open source software adoption (such as having personnel with the necessary skills and experience to support it), the technology itself costs nothing. 
     
  2. Customizability: Data infrastructure can be tailored to unique needs, which is ideal for businesses desiring flexibility or that must adhere to specific compliance standards.
     
  3. Data Sovereignty: Full control over your deployments, and the freedom to make critical decisions about where it is hosted (on-prem, cloud, or hybrid environment). 
     
  4. No Vendor Lock-In: No obligation to use other Confluent products and no limitations on technologies you can integrate.
     
  5. Faster Updates: Upgrades and new features come out in open source Kafka first, whereas Confluent Kafka customers sometimes have to wait days, weeks, or even months for Confluent to catch up.  

Challenges 

Deploying Kafka in-house comes with some obstacles, namely:

  1. Operational Complexity: Requires in-house expertise to set up, monitor, and manage clusters effectively. Kafka's release schedule (three per year, with security fixes for only one year per version) also demands regular upgrades to avoid disruptions to workflows.
     
  2. Support: The open source community can sometimes provide answers, but they might not be applicable to your use case. Plus, with no official support team or SLAs for critical Kafka issues, there is greater risk of downtime and wasting dev resources on troubleshooting.  

In short, Apache Kafka is an excellent choice for those seeking flexibility and independence, but demands a skilled team to manage its intricacies.

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Get the Decision Maker's Guide to Kafka

Leverage the power of Kafka at enterprise scale with this white paper that delivers in-depth guidance on how to successfully implement Kafka and optimize deployments. 

Download Now

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Benefits and Challenges of Confluent Kafka 

Why do some teams choose Confluent Kafka? 

Benefits

  1. Simplified Operations: Managed services offload the complexity associated with setting up and maintaining Apache Kafka clusters.
     
  2. Enhanced Monitoring and Scaling: The Confluent Control Center provides powerful tools for monitoring, cluster management, and scaling based on traffic.
     
  3. Less Technical Expertise Needed: Enterprise-level tools minimize the need for a deeply technical, in-house team. 

Challenges 

The drawbacks of Confluent Kafka include:

  1. Higher, Less Predictable Costs: Confluent Kafka has usage-based pricing models on top of licensing fees, so monthly billing may vary, particularly if you do not control the in-flow of data and need to autoscale. Technical support and proprietary enterprise tools (which may or may not be utilized) are also included in the cost of a Confluent Kafka subscription. 
     
  2. Less Control Over Data: Limited ownership over your infrastructure may pose challenges in meeting specific security and compliance needs.
     
  3. Vendor Constraints: Dependency on Confluent may result in reduced flexibility and adaptability for custom requirements over time. Organizations often find themselves paying for features they do not, and may never, use. 

To sum it up, Confluent Kafka is a good fit for organizations that prioritize operational efficiency and don't mind the associated expenses.

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Final Thoughts 

Apache Kafka offers unmatched customization, cost-efficiency, and independence, which is ideal for organizations with the technical expertise to manage their own data infrastructure. Meanwhile, Confluent Kafka simplifies processes and reduces maintenance burdens, providing a hassle-free approach, but at significantly greater cost.

As you weigh your Kafka options, don't forget to factor in your team's abilities. Kafka is very complex, and problems can escalate quickly when it is deployed at scale. If relying on the Kafka community for support makes you nervous, remember that there are open source support vendors like OpenLogic who can assist you and deepen the Kafka expertise on your bench.

Expert Kafka Support and Services 

Inefficiencies in your Kafka implementation can add up quickly. OpenLogic offers a Kafka Service Bundle that includes custom installation, 24/7 monitoring, and technical support for about 70% less than Confluent. 

Explore the Kafka Service Bundle

Additional Resources

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