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# Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) vs Confluent Comparison - What are their main differences?

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Amazon Managed Streaming...Confluent[+ Add Product](#)

Reviews

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**[

4/5(24)

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/reviews#reviews)

**Confluent** [

4.4/5(113)

](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews#reviews)

Pricing

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**
No pricing available

**Confluent**
Free Trial

No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**
Not enough reviews yet

**Confluent**
3 months

Based on 6 responses

Return on Investment

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**
Not enough reviews yet

**Confluent**
13 months

Based on 7 responses

Perceived Cost

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**
$$$$$

**Confluent**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**
Not enough reviews yet

**Confluent**
9%

Pros & Cons

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**
[
Cloud Services (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2484265&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Maintenance Ease (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2484324&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Expensive (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2484303&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Limitations (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2484287&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**Confluent**
[
Cloud Computing (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2311123&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Cloud Services (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2311173&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Cost Estimation (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2311235&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Expensive (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2311185&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Integrations

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_cacdec8b8edeace9b3c89e0c2cded695/amazon-elastic-container-service-amazon-ecs.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon Elastic Container...

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-elastic-container-service-amazon-ecs/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_6f7467a9095411d659210c508d7bb82a/amazon-elastic-kubernetes-service-amazon-eks.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon Elastic Kubernetes...

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-elastic-kubernetes-service-amazon-eks/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_b3390b4cc3d92e87d570895f7358c003/amazon-redshift.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon Redshift

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-redshift/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_809aa88d3571ee805a47d8fb156ba412/apache-kafka.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Apache Kafka

](https://www.g2.com/products/apache-kafka/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/integrations)

**Confluent**
Not enough data

Screenshots

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**
 ![Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/1249564/HIW-MSK.png)

**Confluent**
 ![Confluent screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/201434/Screen-Shot-2022-02-15-at-2.54.15-PM.png)

Ratings

Meets Requirements

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**

8.9

8.916

**Confluent**

8.8

8.887

Ease of Use

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**

8.5

8.520

**Confluent**

8.4

8.488

Ease of Setup

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**

8.6

8.611

**Confluent**

8.2

8.239

Ease of Admin

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**

8.7

8.79

**Confluent**

8.1

8.139

Quality of Support

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**

9.1

9.120

**Confluent**

8.3

8.381

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**

8.1

8.19

**Confluent**

8.5

8.536

Product Direction (% positive)

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)**

8.2

8.219

**Confluent**

8.9

8.988

Features

Event Stream Processing[Hide 5 FeaturesShow 5 Features](javascript:void(0);)

8.7

19

8.7

67

Data

Data Processing

8.9(won by 0.2)

18

8.7

62

Data Sources

8.9(won by 0.1)

16

8.8

58

Integration

8.1

17

8.8(won by 0.7)

62

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Real-Time Processing

8.9

18

9.0(won by 0.1)

63

Analytics

Reporting & Analytics

8.8(won by 0.6)

13

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

8.2

56

Big Data Processing and Distribution[Hide 10 FeaturesShow 10 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

8.2

22

Database

Real-Time Data Collection

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

17

Data Distribution

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

16

Data Lake

Not enough data

8.2(won by default)

14

Integrations

Hadoop Integration

Not enough data

8.2(won by default)

11

Spark Integration

Not enough data

8.1(won by default)

13

Platform

Machine Scaling

Not enough data

8.1(won by default)

16

Data Preparation

Not enough data

7.7(won by default)

15

Spark Integration

Not enough data

8.1(won by default)

13

Processing

Cloud Processing

Not enough data

8.1(won by default)

15

Workload Processing

Not enough data

8.2(won by default)

16

Big Data Analytics[Hide 49 FeaturesShow 49 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

8.3

26

Data Transformation

Real-Time Analytics

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

22

|

Verified

Data Querying

Not enough data

8.4(won by default)

20

|

Verified

Reporting/Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Predictive Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Visual Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Connectivity

Hadoop Integration

Not enough data

8.2(won by default)

17

|

Verified

Spark Integration

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

19

|

Verified

Multi-Source Analysis

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

22

|

Verified

Data Lake

Not enough data

8.1(won by default)

19

|

Verified

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Capture and Transfer

Not enough data

Not enough data

Trend Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

What-if Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Statistical Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Blending

Not enough data

Not enough data

Ad hoc Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Operations

Data Visualization

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

22

|

Verified

Data Workflow

Not enough data

7.9(won by default)

21

|

Verified

Governed Discovery

Not enough data

8.2(won by default)

18

|

Verified

Embedded Analytics

Not enough data

Feature Not Available

Notebooks

Not enough data

Feature Not Available

Data Discovery

Not enough data

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

Data Warehousing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Connectors

Not enough data

Not enough data

Ad hoc Reporting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Reports

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Escalation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

Forecasting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Migration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Transformation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Cleansing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Synchronization

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Dashboard Creation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Extraction

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

SSL Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Collaboration Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

No-Code

Not enough data

Not enough data

High Volume Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Database Support

Not enough data

Not enough data

Search/Filter

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Show 1 feature category with incomplete data

Big Data[Hide 17 FeaturesShow 17 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

Not enough data

Building Reports

Data Transformation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Modeling

Not enough data

Not enough data

WYSIWYG Report Design

Not enough data

Not enough data

Integration APIs

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Platform

Mobile User Support

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customization 

Not enough data

Not enough data

User, Role, and Access Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Internationalization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Sandbox / Test Environments

Not enough data

Not enough data

Performance and Reliability

Not enough data

Not enough data

Breadth of Partner Applications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Metadata Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Insights

Reviewers' Company Size

[![Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/5383be31b099738701f86724a8b5cf9a/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk.svg "Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)")](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/reviews)

Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

45.5%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

36.4%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

18.2%

[![Confluent](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_b087379a1153e7d513f37c83481c8ced/confluent.png "Confluent")](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews)

Confluent

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

32.7%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

31.8%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

35.5%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

45.5%

32.7%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

36.4%

31.8%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

18.2%

35.5%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/5383be31b099738701f86724a8b5cf9a/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk.svg "Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)")](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/reviews)
Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK)

Computer Software

27.3%

Information Technology and Services

18.2%

Financial Services

9.1%

Education Management

9.1%

Consulting

4.5%

Other

31.8%

[![Confluent](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_b087379a1153e7d513f37c83481c8ced/confluent.png "Confluent")](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews)
Confluent

Computer Software

22.9%

Information Technology and Services

15.6%

Financial Services

13.8%

Banking

5.5%

Retail

5.5%

Other

36.7%

FAQs

## Amazon Managed Streaming... vs Confluent FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: August 14, 2026

### What is the difference between Confluent vs Amazon Managed Streaming...?

Confluent stands out for its higher G2 rating, stronger enterprise presence, and reviewer-cited integration strengths, while Amazon Managed Streaming... is favored for ease of setup and support within the AWS ecosystem.

| [Confluent](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews) | [Amazon Managed Streaming...](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/reviews) |
| --- | --- |
| 4.4/5 (114 reviews) | 4.0/5 (24 reviews) |
| Enterprise | Small-Business |
| 8.2 | 8.6 |
| 8.3 | 9.1 |
| Integration | Management Ease |

### How do the pricing models of Confluent and Amazon Managed Streaming... compare?

Amazon Managed Streaming... is rated higher for value, with a stronger Price/Cost satisfaction score than Confluent.

- **Confluent:** Reviewers frequently mention that costs can rise significantly with increased data volume, and some features are only available in higher editions.
- **Amazon Managed Streaming...:** Reviewers describe pricing as competitive for the operational effort saved, but note that costs can escalate for small workloads if not monitored.
- **Switching reasons:** Several reviewers cite cost and operational simplicity as reasons for considering Amazon Managed Streaming... over self-managed or alternative Kafka solutions.

### What are the best alternatives to Confluent and Amazon Managed Streaming...?

The top three alternatives to Confluent and Amazon Managed Streaming... are Cloudera, Lenses, and Aiven for Apache Kafka.

| Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Confluent](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews) | 4.4/5 (114) | Enterprise | Costs can rise with data volume; some features gated by edition | Integration |
| [Amazon Managed Streaming...](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-managed-streaming-for-apache-kafka-amazon-msk/reviews) | 4.0/5 (24) | Small-Business | Competitive for managed service; can escalate for small workloads | Management Ease |
| [Cloudera](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudera/reviews) | 4.1/5 (136) | Enterprise | — | Enterprise-grade data management |
| [Lenses](https://www.g2.com/products/lenses/reviews) | 4.2/5 (17) | — | — | Kafka monitoring and observability |
| [Aiven for Apache Kafka](https://www.g2.com/products/aiven-for-apache-kafka/reviews) | 4.3/5 (248) | Mid-Market | — | Managed Kafka with flexible deployment |

### Which Event Stream Processing features should I prioritize when comparing Confluent and Amazon Managed Streaming...?

Buyers should prioritize Integration, Ease of Setup, Quality of Support, Scalability, and Cost Management when comparing Confluent and Amazon Managed Streaming....

- **Integration:** Confluent (all-time mentions: 1), Amazon Managed Streaming... (Apache Kafka integration, all-time mentions: 7)
- **Ease of Setup:** Confluent 8.2, Amazon Managed Streaming... 8.6
- **Quality of Support:** Confluent 8.3, Amazon Managed Streaming... 9.1
- **Scalability:** Amazon Managed Streaming... (all-time mentions: 1); Confluent reviewers frequently cite scalability as a strength in recent reviews
- **Cost Management:** Both products have recurring reviewer concerns about rising costs as data volume increases

### What are the pros and cons of Confluent vs Amazon Managed Streaming...?

Confluent's headline strength is integration and enterprise scalability, while Amazon Managed Streaming... is praised for management ease and AWS ecosystem compatibility.

- **Confluent strengths:** Integration (all-time mentions: 1), connectors, real-time streaming, reliability, scalability, and ease of use are frequently cited in reviews.
- **Confluent trade-offs:** Reviewers mention cost estimation challenges, higher expense at scale, a steep learning curve, and some limited features (all-time mentions: 1 each).
- **Amazon Managed Streaming... strengths:** Management ease, reliability, scalability, and tight AWS integration are highlighted (all-time mentions: 1 each).
- **Amazon Managed Streaming... trade-offs:** Reviewers note higher costs for small workloads, some service limitations, and less control compared to self-managed Kafka (all-time mentions: 1 each).

### Is Confluent or Amazon Managed Streaming... better for small businesses?

Amazon Managed Streaming... is the better fit for small businesses, with a larger small-business segment and positive reviewer sentiment on ease of use and management.

- **Confluent:** Largest segment is Enterprise; reviewers highlight strong integration and scalability but note a steeper learning curve and higher costs for smaller teams.
- **Amazon Managed Streaming...:** Largest segment is Small-Business; reviewers consistently praise its ease of setup, management, and integration with AWS services for smaller organizations.

### Which Event Stream Processing platform has better integrations?

Confluent is favored for integrations, with reviewers citing its broad integration capabilities and connectors.

- **Confluent:** Reviewers highlight connectors, data integration, and easy integrations in recent reviews, with integration mentioned as a top strength.
- **Amazon Managed Streaming...:** Reviewers mention integration with Apache Kafka (all-time mentions: 7) and strong compatibility with AWS services.

### How do Confluent and Amazon Managed Streaming... compare on customer support?

Amazon Managed Streaming... leads on Quality of Support by a material margin, scoring 9.1 versus Confluent's 8.3.

- **Confluent:** Reviewers describe support as knowledgeable and helpful, with several citing positive experiences and quick responses, though some mention documentation gaps.
- **Amazon Managed Streaming...:** Reviewers consistently praise support quality, citing excellent customer service, proactive outreach, and strong AWS support integration.

### Which is easier to implement, Confluent or Amazon Managed Streaming...?

Amazon Managed Streaming... scores higher on Ease of Setup (8.6 vs. Confluent's 8.2), with reviewers describing a smoother implementation experience.

- **Confluent:** Reviewers note that setup is straightforward for those familiar with Kafka, but mention a learning curve and some complexity for new users.
- **Amazon Managed Streaming...:** Reviewers highlight quick setup, minimal code changes, and easy deployment within the AWS ecosystem, with several citing setup times under 30 minutes.

### Which product has better Integration?

Confluent is rated higher for Integration, with reviewers citing connectors and broad integration capabilities as a top strength.

- **Confluent:** Integration is the most frequently mentioned feature in recent reviews, with reviewers highlighting connectors, data integration, and easy integrations; all-time mentions: 1.
- **Amazon Managed Streaming...:** Reviewers mention integration with Apache Kafka (all-time mentions: 7) and strong AWS service compatibility.

Alternatives

**Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) Alternatives**

 ![Aiven for Apache Kafka](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/17ecc18568d89176504b094004a98292/aiven-for-apache-kafka.svg "Aiven for Apache Kafka")

[
Aiven for Apache Kafka
](/products/aiven-for-apache-kafka/reviews)

 ![Tealium](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/ab5785ba5f2b55a17cd0b0784fd34381/tealium-2026-07-21.svg "Tealium")

[
Tealium
](/products/tealium-2026-08-12/reviews)

 ![Spotfire Analytics](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/d4e0e320d2c90324c1d66baebd1e456e/spotfire-analytics.svg "Spotfire Analytics")

[
Spotfire Analytics
](/products/spotfire-analytics/reviews)

 ![SAS Viya](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/bd7a361df879327ee92c1d048aada28e/sas-sas-viya.svg "SAS Viya")

[
SAS Viya
](/products/sas-sas-viya/reviews)

**Confluent Alternatives**

 ![Cloudera](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/dcfb9e6879febb34cef773ddde921835/cloudera.svg "Cloudera")

[
Cloudera
](/products/cloudera/reviews)

 ![Lenses](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/00711a899e586e752321ee33312a1509/lenses.svg "Lenses")

[
Lenses
](/products/lenses/reviews)

 ![Apache Kafka](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_809aa88d3571ee805a47d8fb156ba412/apache-kafka.jpg "Apache Kafka")

[
Apache Kafka
](/products/apache-kafka/reviews)

 ![Amazon Kinesis Data Streams](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/5383be31b099738701f86724a8b5cf9a/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams.svg "Amazon Kinesis Data Streams")

[
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams
](/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews)

## Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) vs Confluent

When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) easier to use, set up, and administer. However, reviewers preferred doing business with Confluent overall.

- Reviewers felt that Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) meets the needs of their business better than Confluent.
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, reviewers felt that Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) is the preferred option.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Confluent over Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK).