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Compare Apache Kafka and Spark Streaming 
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At a Glance
Market Segments
Enterprise (47.5% of reviews)
Mid-Market (40.5% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
No pricing available
Apache Kafka
Star Rating
(125)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Enterprise (47.5% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Apache KafkaSpark Streaming
Star Rating
(40)4.2 out of 5
Market Segments
Mid-Market (40.5% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Spark StreamingSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- Users report that Apache Kafka excels in real-time processing with a score of 9.1, making it a preferred choice for applications requiring high throughput and low latency. In contrast, Spark Streaming, while still strong at 9.0, is noted for its micro-batch processing approach, which may introduce slight delays in data handling.
- Reviewers mention that Kafka's asynchronous messaging capabilities score 9.0, allowing for robust message queuing and delivery guarantees. Spark Streaming, however, does not focus on messaging but rather on stream processing, which can limit its use in scenarios where message queuing is essential.
- G2 users highlight that Spark Streaming shines in data transformation with a score of 8.9, providing powerful tools for manipulating and analyzing data streams. Conversely, Kafka's data transformation capabilities score lower at 8.0, indicating that users may need additional tools for complex data manipulations.
- Reviewers say that Spark Streaming offers better user role and access management with a score of 9.0, which is crucial for organizations needing strict control over data access. Kafka, with a score of 7.9, may require additional configuration to achieve similar levels of security and access control.
- Users on G2 report that Kafka's integration capabilities are strong, scoring 8.9, particularly in application integration, which is vital for connecting various systems. Spark Streaming, while also capable, scores slightly lower at 8.8, indicating that users may find Kafka more versatile in integrating with existing infrastructures.
- Reviewers mention that Spark Streaming has a slight edge in quality of support, scoring 8.7 compared to Kafka's 7.7. This difference suggests that users may find more responsive and helpful support when using Spark Streaming, which can be a significant factor for teams needing assistance during implementation and troubleshooting.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Apache Kafka
No pricing availableSpark Streaming
No pricing availableFree Trial
Apache Kafka
No trial information availableSpark Streaming
No trial information availableRatings
Meets Requirements
8.9
90
9.0
29
Ease of Use
8.6
90
8.2
29
Ease of Setup
8.0
28
7.6
9
Ease of Admin
7.8
24
8.0
9
Quality of Support
7.8
81
8.7
26
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.3
20
8.5
9
Product Direction (% positive)
8.8
87
9.3
32
Features by Category
Data
8.8
33
9.2
28
8.7
35
9.0
27
8.9
35
8.8
27
9.0
35
9.0
28
Analytics
8.3
31
8.8
28
Functionality
8.9
52
Not enough data
8.5
49
Not enough data
8.3
45
Not enough data
8.1
49
Not enough data
Integration
8.8
51
Not enough data
8.4
47
Not enough data
8.1
46
Not enough data
Management
8.2
42
Not enough data
8.0
42
Not enough data
8.3
43
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Message Queue (MQ)
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Building Reports
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Platform
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Apache Kafka and Spark Streaming are categorized as Event Stream Processing
Unique Categories
Apache Kafka is categorized as Message Queue (MQ) and Stream Analytics
Spark Streaming has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Apache Kafka
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Spark Streaming
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Computer Software
25.0%
Information Technology and Services
18.3%
Financial Services
8.3%
Banking
5.8%
Retail
4.2%
Other
38.3%
Information Technology and Services
21.6%
Computer Software
18.9%
Telecommunications
8.1%
Financial Services
8.1%
Education Management
8.1%
Other
35.1%
Alternatives
Discussions
What is Apache Kafka used for?
2 Comments
RS
I am using Apache Kafka for event Processing. We use it to capture the new events generated by our application in our database. Currently, Kafka streams is...Read more
What is the maximum limit of the number of partitions in a Kafka topic?
1 Comment
CT
The answer is closely related to the version of the Kafka broker that you are running. A reasonably up to date cluster can hold up to 4,000 partitions per...Read more
What is Apache Kafka used for?
1 Comment
DV
It used this Mnemonic to remember what kafka is and what it is used for -
S - Stream Data in Real-Time:
Handles and processes live data (e.g., Uber car...Read more
Spark Streaming has no discussions with answers
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