Confluent

Name: Confluent
Brand: Confluent
Rating: 4.4 (122 reviews)

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Enterprise event streaming platform built on Kafka

Free plan available

Freemium Data & Databases Developer Tools Cloud & Infrastructure

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4.4 (122 across the web)

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Reviews on G2 Capterra

122 reviews tracked

The Bottom Line

Updated Sep 30, 2026

Price: Free plan available. Compare plans

Key facts

Confluent is the enterprise platform for Apache Kafka, providing managed streaming infrastructure
It handles Kafka deployment, management, and adds enterprise features like schema registry and ksqlDB
Cloud pricing from $0.00 for basic usage, scaling with throughput

Pros

Managed Kafka
Stream processing
Schema registry
Good support
Cloud and self-managed

Cons

Expensive
Vendor lock-in
Complex pricing
Learning curve
Overkill for simple needs

What is Confluent?

Confluent provides enterprise Kafka with the features that make running it in production manageable. Managed cloud service, schema registry, stream processing-everything around Kafka that you'd otherwise build yourself. ksqlDB enables stream processing with SQL. The cloud service handles operations. Enterprise support backs production deployments. Organizations running Kafka in production choose Confluent for the ecosystem and support that makes event streaming reliable at scale.

Available on: Web

Data compiled by Toolradar Pricing checked Sep 30, 2026 · How we evaluate

Source confluent.io

Ratings Across the Web

4.4 (122 reviews)

Confluent holds an aggregate rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 122 reviews across G2 and Capterra, last checked September 17, 2026.

Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more

Key Features

Event streaming
Kafka managed
Schema registry
ksqlDB
Connectors
Enterprise

Pricing Plans

Free Trial

Pricing checked Sep 30, 2026. Source: confluent.io, read Sep 30, 2026

Confluent plans and prices, checked September 2026
Plan	Price	Details
Standard Popular	Custom	Production teams Up to 1GBps throughput 500 partitions included Multi-AZ +1 more Show less Pay-as-you-go
Dedicated	Custom	Enterprise Beyond 1GBps Private networking Custom SLA +1 more Show less CKU-based pricing
Enterprise	Custom	Large scale Annual commitment discounts Dedicated support Enterprise features

View full pricing

Is Confluent worth the price?

Good value

However, for larger enterprises, the Dedicated and Enterprise tiers, while offering advanced features, can quickly become expensive due to CKU-based pricing and potential annual commitments.

It's best for organizations with fluctuating event streaming needs who can closely monitor their consumption.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Storage and networking costs are extra

Full Confluent pricing: every plan, hidden costs and alternatives

Confluent by the numbers

Confluent compared with 513 Cloud & Infrastructure tools on Toolradar, as of Oct 2026
Metric	Confluent	Peer median	Position (1 is best)
Free plan	Yes	58% have one	n/a
Listed as an alternative to	9 tools	3	#100 of 513 (joint)
User rating	4.4/5 (across the web, 122 ratings)	4.5/5	#117 of 222 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews
Compare-page visits, last 30 days	20 visits	35	#135 of 147 (joint) tools with 20+ compare-page visits

Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All Cloud & Infrastructure data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.

Cite this: Toolradar, “Confluent by the numbers”, Oct 2026.

Reviews

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4.4/5

Across 122 verified user reviews on G2, Capterra

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Best Confluent Alternatives

Top alternatives based on features, pricing, and user needs.

Centrifugo Free

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Apache Flink Free

Stateful computations over data streams for real-time and batch processing.

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EMQX Freemium

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Still deciding?

Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.

Confluent vs Centrifugo Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins Confluent vs Apache Flink Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins Confluent vs EMQX Head-to-head: features, pricing, who wins

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Confluent FAQ

How does Confluent simplify event streaming for enterprises?

Confluent provides an enterprise event streaming platform built on Kafka, offering features like a managed cloud service, schema registry, and stream processing. This ecosystem and support make running Kafka in production more manageable and reliable at scale, eliminating the need to build these components yourself.

Which teams benefit most from using Confluent?

Teams that are running Kafka in production and require a robust ecosystem and reliable support for event streaming at scale will find Confluent most beneficial. It is particularly suited for organizations needing advanced data processing and infrastructure management capabilities.

Can Confluent process data streams using standard query languages?

Yes, Confluent includes ksqlDB, which enables stream processing using SQL. This allows users to query and manipulate data streams with a familiar language, simplifying real-time analytics and transformations.

How is Confluent priced?

Confluent is available on a free tier, allowing users to get started without initial cost. For more extensive usage and advanced features, paid plans are offered.

What kind of trade-offs should users consider when adopting Confluent?

Users should be aware that Confluent can be expensive and may lead to vendor lock-in due to its comprehensive ecosystem. It also features complex pricing and a learning curve, making it potentially overkill for simple event streaming needs.

How does Confluent compare to Apache Flink for stream processing?

Confluent provides a full enterprise event streaming platform built on Kafka, including stream processing capabilities via ksqlDB, a managed cloud service, and schema registry. Apache Flink is primarily a stream processing framework, focusing on real-time data computations.

Does Confluent offer both cloud and self-managed deployment options?

Yes, Confluent supports both cloud and self-managed deployment options. This flexibility allows organizations to choose the environment that best fits their operational requirements and infrastructure strategy.

Source: confluent.io

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