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ALTERNATIVE APPLICATIONS

Aiven for Apache Kafka Alternatives

Should you replace Aiven for Apache Kafka?

Redpanda Cloud is the strongest catalog alternative to evaluate for Aiven for Apache Kafka.

Aiven for Apache Kafka

Current
Seat-based Payg
4.3/5
Annual cost
--
Seats assigned
--

This catalog view compares public market data and does not include organization spend or usage.

Aiven for Apache Kafka alternatives

See how Aiven for Apache Kafka compares to 7 alternative apps you can switch to.

Redpanda ...Best FitPublic pricingAvg. switch cost--Redpanda Cloud is a good fit if: you need Kafka-compatible streaming with lower operational overhead and better per-core performance.
Confluent...Strong ContenderSeat-basedAvg. switch cost$36,000/yrConfluent Cloud is a good fit if: you operate event-driven architectures and need to eliminate Kafka infrastructure management.
Instaclus...Worth ConsideringPublic pricingAvg. switch cost--Instaclustr is a good fit if: you require production-grade, open source data infrastructure without vendor lock-in or operational overhead.
Amazon MskWorth ConsideringSeat-basedAvg. switch cost$4,800/yrAmazon Msk is a good fit if: you require Apache Kafka specifically and want AWS to manage broker infrastructure and patching.
Azure Eve...Strong ContenderSeat-basedAvg. switch cost$266/yr$22/monthTrade Aiven's cloud flexibility for Azure's enterprise discounts and seamless Active Directory integration if you're already paying for Microsoft.
Cloudkara...Worth ConsideringSeat-basedAvg. switch cost--Cloudkarafka is a good fit if: your engineering team needs Apache Kafka without managing infrastructure and has existing Kafka expertise.
UpstashWorth ConsideringPublic pricingAvg. switch cost--Upstash cuts Kafka costs by 70% with serverless architecture, trading Aiven's enterprise tooling for operational simplicity.

Redpanda Cloud and Confluent Cloud selected for comparison.

Annual costTotal subscription cost for each app, shown for the selected billing period.
Aiven for...

--

Startup

Public catalog pricing. Organization spend is not included.

Redpanda ...

--

Standard

Public catalog pricing estimate.

Confluent...

$36,000

Basic

Public catalog pricing estimate.

3-Year Net SavingEstimated savings over three years after migration and setup costs.
Aiven for...

$0

No migration in the current app baseline.

Redpanda ...

--

After $15,000 estimated migration cost.

Confluent...

--

After $25,000 estimated migration cost.

Team Fit ScoreHow closely the app matches the teams, workflows, and usage patterns currently in place.
Aiven for...

--

Redpanda ...

85/100

Built for Platform Engineers, overkill for simple messaging

Confluent...

85/100

Essential for Data Engineering, overkill for simple integrations

Adoption RiskExpected friction, training effort, and behavior change needed to move teams onto the alternative.
Aiven for...

--

Public adoption signal for the current app.

Redpanda ...

medium

Redpanda Cloud is a medium-complexity migration. Estimated 6 weeks and $15,000 one-time cost.

Confluent...

medium

Confluent Cloud is a medium-complexity migration. Estimated 6 weeks and $25,000 one-time cost.

User satisfactionAvailable rating and review signal for team sentiment around the app.
Aiven for...

4.3/5.0

385 reviews

Redpanda ...

--

185 reviews

Confluent...

--

1450 reviews

Timeline & DisruptionExpected migration duration and disruption to normal workflows.
Aiven for...

No migration needed

Redpanda ...

6 weeks

Medium

Redpanda Cloud is a medium-complexity migration. Estimated 6 weeks and $15,000 one-time cost.

Confluent...

6 weeks

Medium

Confluent Cloud is a medium-complexity migration. Estimated 6 weeks and $25,000 one-time cost.

Setup & trainingOne-time implementation, enablement, and training investment required.
Aiven for...

--

Redpanda ...

$15,000

Estimated one-time migration and setup effort.

Confluent...

$25,000

Estimated one-time migration and setup effort.

Integration CoverageHow much of the current integration and workflow surface is covered by the app.
Aiven for...

--

Redpanda ...

--

Supports 120 native integrations.

Confluent...

--

Supports 120 native integrations.

Feature Match (%)How closely the app matches current feature needs, including notable gaps or risks.
Aiven for...

100%

Redpanda ...

95%

Confluent...

85%

CertificationsSecurity, privacy, and compliance certifications available for each app.
Aiven for...
SOC 2 Type 2ISO 27001GDPR
Redpanda ...
SOC 2 Type IIGDPRISO 27001
Confluent...
SOC 2ISO 27001HIPAAGDPRPCI DSS
Choose This IfThe conditions where keeping or switching to this app is likely to make sense.
Aiven for...

You already standardize on this app.

Redpanda ...

You need Kafka-compatible streaming with lower operational overhead and better per-core performance

Confluent...

You operate event-driven architectures and need to eliminate Kafka infrastructure management

Avoid This IfThe conditions where this app is likely to create cost, workflow, or adoption risk.
Aiven for...

Public pricing or fit signals no longer match your needs.

Redpanda ...

Your team lacks distributed systems expertise or you only need simple task queues with low throughput

Confluent...

You only need simple batch ETL or lack engineering resources to implement streaming patterns

Aiven for Apache Kafka Alternatives | Doow