Aiven for Apache Kafka
Managed Kafka with tiered storage and built-in schema registry.
Redpanda
Kafka‑compatible streaming platform that’s faster, lighter, and ZooKeeper‑free.
Redpanda delivers a high‑performance, Kafka‑API compatible streaming data platform built in C++ that eliminates ZooKeeper and JVM overhead, offering simple deployment, tiered storage, and a rich connector ecosystem.
Overview
Overview
Redpanda is a high‑performance streaming data platform that implements the Apache Kafka® APIs while being built in C++. By removing the need for ZooKeeper and the JVM, it reduces operational overhead and delivers up to ten times the throughput of traditional Kafka deployments. Developers can use existing Kafka client libraries, and the platform provides tiered storage and a broad set of connectors for seamless integration.
Deployment & Operations
Redpanda can be installed via native packages for Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora/RedHat, or macOS, run in Docker containers, or built from source with Bazel. The rpk CLI simplifies cluster management, and the system is designed for cloud‑native and on‑premises environments alike. With a focus on simplicity, monitoring, and automated upgrades, teams can achieve lower latency and higher reliability without managing additional services.
Who Benefits
The platform targets developers and operators who need real‑time event streaming but want to avoid the complexity of traditional Kafka clusters. Its compatibility ensures a smooth migration path, while the lightweight architecture makes it suitable for edge, microservice, and large‑scale analytics workloads.
Highlights
Kafka API compatible, drop‑in replacement for existing clients
No ZooKeeper or JVM, reducing latency and operational overhead
Built in C++ with tiered storage for high throughput
Simple deployment via native packages, Docker, or source build
Pros
- Up to 10× higher throughput than traditional Kafka
- Eliminates external dependencies like ZooKeeper and JVM
- Seamless compatibility with existing Kafka client libraries
- Flexible installation options for on‑prem, cloud, and edge
Considerations
- Smaller ecosystem of native extensions compared to Apache Kafka
- Advanced Kafka features (e.g., Confluent Schema Registry) may need external tools
- C++ codebase can be harder for contributors unfamiliar with the language
- Some enterprise‑grade monitoring integrations are not bundled out‑of‑the‑box
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Fit guide
Great for
- Teams needing low‑latency, high‑throughput event streaming
- Organizations looking to replace Kafka without rewriting client code
- Deployments where operational simplicity and minimal dependencies are critical
- Edge or microservice architectures that benefit from a lightweight runtime
Not ideal when
- Workloads that rely heavily on the full Confluent ecosystem
- Teams without C++ expertise for custom plugin development
- Scenarios requiring built‑in exactly‑once semantics across all partitions
- Environments where JVM‑based tooling is a strict requirement
How teams use it
Real‑time analytics pipeline
Ingests clickstream data at millions of events per second, delivering low‑latency insights to dashboards.
Event‑driven microservices
Enables services to publish and consume events with sub‑millisecond latency, simplifying coordination.
Log aggregation at scale
Collects system logs from thousands of nodes, storing them in tiered storage for cost‑effective long‑term retention.
IoT sensor data ingestion
Handles high‑frequency telemetry from edge devices, providing reliable streaming to downstream processing.
Tech snapshot
C++69%
Python19%
Go8%
Starlark2%
Rust1%
Java1%
Frequently asked questions
Is Redpanda compatible with existing Kafka clients?
Yes, Redpanda implements the Kafka protocol, so any standard Kafka client library (Java, Go, Python, etc.) works without changes.
Do I need ZooKeeper to run Redpanda?
No, Redpanda removes the ZooKeeper dependency entirely.
How can I install Redpanda on Linux?
Use the provided apt or yum scripts for Debian/Ubuntu and Fedora/RedHat, or download the tar.gz archive for other distributions.
Can I run Redpanda in Docker?
Yes, Docker images are available; on macOS you can start a container with `rpk container start`.
Are the stable releases production‑ready?
Stable releases are intended for production use; release‑candidate builds are for testing new features only.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 11,604
- Watchers
- 11,604
- Forks
- 709
Repo age5 years old
Last commit3 hours ago
Primary languageC++
Last synced 3 hours ago