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# Amazon Kinesis Data Streams vs Spark Streaming Comparison - What are their main differences?

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Amazon Kinesis Data StreamsSpark Streaming[+ Add Product](#)

Reviews

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams** [

4.3/5(90)

](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews#reviews)

**Spark Streaming** [

4.2/5(40)

](https://www.g2.com/products/spark-streaming/reviews#reviews)

Pricing

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**
No pricing available

**Spark Streaming**
No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**
Not enough reviews yet

**Spark Streaming**
Not enough reviews yet

Return on Investment

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**
Not enough reviews yet

**Spark Streaming**
Not enough reviews yet

Perceived Cost

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**
$$$$$

**Spark Streaming**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**
Not enough reviews yet

**Spark Streaming**
Not enough reviews yet

Pros & Cons

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**
[
Real-time Data (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2306703&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Real-Time Processing (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2306712&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Difficult Setup (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2306736&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Expensive (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2306700&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**Spark Streaming**
Not enough data

Integrations

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**
[

 ![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_cacdec8b8edeace9b3c89e0c2cded695/amazon-s3-glacier.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon S3 Glacier

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-s3-glacier/reviews)[

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

AWS Lambda

](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-lambda/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/integrations)

**Spark Streaming**
Not enough data

Screenshots

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**
 ![Amazon Kinesis Data Streams 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/1249563/HIW-KDS.png)

**Spark Streaming**
No screenshot available

Ratings

Meets Requirements

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**

9.1

9.153

**Spark Streaming**

9.0

9.029

Ease of Use

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**

8.4

8.453

**Spark Streaming**

8.2

8.229

Ease of Setup

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**

8.6

8.620

**Spark Streaming**

7.6

7.69

Ease of Admin

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**

8.4

8.418

**Spark Streaming**

8.0

8.09

Quality of Support

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**

8.6

8.648

**Spark Streaming**

8.7

8.726

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**

8.6

8.618

**Spark Streaming**

8.5

8.59

Product Direction (% positive)

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams**

8.1

8.144

**Spark Streaming**

9.3

9.332

Features

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

9.1

21

9.0

30

Data

Data Processing

9.1

20

9.2(won by 0.1)

28

Data Sources

9.2(won by 0.2)

18

9.0

27

Integration

8.8(tied score)

20

8.8(tied score)

27

Real-Time Processing

9.4(won by 0.4)

20

9.0

28

Analytics

Reporting & Analytics

8.9(won by 0.1)

12

8.8

28

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 Kinesis Data Streams](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/5383be31b099738701f86724a8b5cf9a/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams.svg "Amazon Kinesis Data Streams")](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews)

Amazon Kinesis Data Streams

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

27.2%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

37.0%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

35.8%

[![Spark Streaming](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_2986a90abde9fb618861f2052b30d907/spark-streaming.jpg "Spark Streaming")](https://www.g2.com/products/spark-streaming/reviews)

Spark Streaming

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

32.4%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

40.5%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

27.0%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

27.2%

32.4%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

37.0%

40.5%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

35.8%

27.0%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Amazon Kinesis Data Streams](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/5383be31b099738701f86724a8b5cf9a/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams.svg "Amazon Kinesis Data Streams")](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews)
Amazon Kinesis Data Streams

Computer Software

14.8%

Information Technology and Services

13.6%

Financial Services

12.3%

Consumer Services

4.9%

Banking

4.9%

Other

49.4%

[![Spark Streaming](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_2986a90abde9fb618861f2052b30d907/spark-streaming.jpg "Spark Streaming")](https://www.g2.com/products/spark-streaming/reviews)
Spark Streaming

Information Technology and Services

21.6%

Computer Software

18.9%

Telecommunications

8.1%

Education Management

8.1%

Financial Services

8.1%

Other

35.1%

FAQs

## Amazon Kinesis Data Streams vs Spark Streaming FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: August 14, 2026

### What is the difference between Amazon Kinesis Data Streams vs Spark Streaming?

Amazon Kinesis Data Streams stands out for its managed real-time data streaming and deep AWS integration, while Spark Streaming is favored for its open-source flexibility and batch streaming capabilities.

| [Amazon Kinesis Data Streams](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews) | [Spark Streaming](https://www.g2.com/products/spark-streaming/reviews) |
| --- | --- |
| 4.3/5 (90 reviews) | 4.2/5 (40 reviews) |
| Mid-Market | Mid-Market |
| 8.6 | 7.6 |
| 8.6 | 8.7 |
| Real-time data ingestion and AWS ecosystem integration | Horizontally scalable, fault-tolerant batch streaming |

### How do the pricing models of Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Spark Streaming compare?

Amazon Kinesis Data Streams is rated higher for price satisfaction than Spark Streaming, indicating reviewers consider it the stronger value.

- **Amazon Kinesis Data Streams:** In recent reviews, many cite its pay-as-you-go model as cost-effective for high-throughput workloads, but note that costs can escalate with increased usage and require careful monitoring.
- **Spark Streaming:** Reviewers mention that Spark Streaming can be resource-intensive and potentially costly if clusters are not optimized, with some noting the need for expertise to manage costs effectively.
- **Switching reasons:** Recent reviewers highlight that organizations with existing AWS infrastructure often choose Kinesis Data Streams for its managed service and integration benefits, while those seeking open-source flexibility may prefer Spark Streaming despite potential cost trade-offs.

### What are the best alternatives to Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Spark Streaming?

The best alternatives to Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Spark Streaming are Confluent, Apache Kafka, and Google Cloud Dataflow.

| Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Amazon Kinesis Data Streams](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews) | 4.3/5 (90 reviews) | Mid-Market | Pay-as-you-go, can escalate with usage | Real-time data ingestion and AWS integration |
| [Spark Streaming](https://www.g2.com/products/spark-streaming/reviews) | 4.2/5 (40 reviews) | Mid-Market | Resource-intensive, requires optimization | Horizontally scalable, fault-tolerant batch streaming |
| [Confluent](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews) | 4.4/5 (114 reviews) | Enterprise | — | Enterprise-grade Kafka platform |
| [Apache Kafka](https://www.g2.com/products/apache-kafka/reviews) | 4.5/5 (132 reviews) | Enterprise | — | High-throughput distributed streaming |
| [Google Cloud Dataflow](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-dataflow/reviews) | 4.2/5 (45 reviews) | Enterprise | — | Managed stream and batch data processing |

### Which Stream Analytics features should I prioritize when comparing Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Spark Streaming?

Buyers should prioritize real-time processing, scalability, integration capabilities, ease of setup, and cost management when comparing Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Spark Streaming.

- **Real-time processing:** Amazon Kinesis Data Streams is frequently cited for real-time data ingestion and analytics (2 all-time mentions); Spark Streaming is noted for near real-time analytics in recent reviews.
- **Scalability:** Both products are described as highly scalable, with Amazon Kinesis Data Streams praised for effortless scaling and Spark Streaming for horizontal scalability and fault tolerance.
- **Integration capabilities:** Amazon Kinesis Data Streams is highlighted for deep AWS ecosystem integration (multiple recent reviews); Spark Streaming is valued for integration with the broader Spark ecosystem.
- **Ease of setup:** Amazon Kinesis Data Streams scores 8.6, Spark Streaming 7.6 on Ease of Setup, indicating a smoother setup experience for Kinesis.
- **Cost management:** Reviewers note that both products require careful cost monitoring, with Kinesis Data Streams' pay-as-you-go model and Spark Streaming's resource optimization needs.

### What are the pros and cons of Amazon Kinesis Data Streams vs Spark Streaming?

Amazon Kinesis Data Streams is strongest for managed real-time streaming and AWS integration, while Spark Streaming excels in open-source flexibility and batch streaming.

- **Amazon Kinesis Data Streams strengths:** Real-time data ingestion and processing (2 all-time mentions), deep AWS integration, high scalability, managed infrastructure, and robust data retention and replay capabilities.
- **Amazon Kinesis Data Streams trade-offs:** Difficult setup (2 all-time mentions), resource-intensive learning (2), complexity, cost management challenges, and a steep learning curve for new users.
- **Spark Streaming strengths:** Horizontally scalable, fault-tolerant batch streaming, strong integration with the Spark ecosystem, and efficient handling of large datasets.
- **Spark Streaming trade-offs:** Resource-intensive, complex setup, requires expertise for optimization, and may not be ideal for small datasets or applications with limited resources.

### Is Amazon Kinesis Data Streams or Spark Streaming better for small businesses?

Amazon Kinesis Data Streams is a better fit for small businesses due to its managed service model and pay-as-you-go pricing, despite both products being most popular with mid-market reviewers.

- **Amazon Kinesis Data Streams:** Mid-Market is the largest segment, but recent reviews highlight its ease of use, managed infrastructure, and scalability as beneficial for small businesses seeking minimal operational overhead.
- **Spark Streaming:** Mid-Market is also the largest segment, with reviewers noting that its resource requirements and complexity may be less suitable for small businesses without dedicated data engineering resources.

### Which Stream Analytics platform has better integrations?

Amazon Kinesis Data Streams is favored for integrations, particularly within the AWS ecosystem.

- **Amazon Kinesis Data Streams:** Reviewers frequently mention integration with AWS Lambda and other AWS services in recent reviews.
- **Spark Streaming:** Reviewers highlight integration with the broader Spark ecosystem and compatibility with platforms like Databricks, but specific third-party integration mentions are less frequent.

### How do Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Spark Streaming compare on customer support?

Amazon Kinesis Data Streams and Spark Streaming are rated at parity for Quality of Support, with scores of 8.6 and 8.7 respectively.

- **Amazon Kinesis Data Streams:** Reviewers consistently describe support as responsive and helpful, with several citing positive experiences with AWS customer support.
- **Spark Streaming:** Reviewers note reliable support, especially when using managed platforms like Databricks, and appreciate the availability of documentation and community resources.

### Which is easier to implement, Amazon Kinesis Data Streams or Spark Streaming?

Amazon Kinesis Data Streams is rated higher for Ease of Setup (8.6 vs 7.6), indicating a smoother implementation experience than Spark Streaming.

- **Amazon Kinesis Data Streams:** Reviewers describe setup as straightforward, especially for those familiar with AWS, but note a learning curve for new users and complexity in configuring shards and throughput.
- **Spark Streaming:** Reviewers mention that initial setup can be complex and resource-intensive, requiring expertise in Spark and cluster management, but appreciate the flexibility once configured.

Alternatives

**Amazon Kinesis Data Streams Alternatives**

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

[
Confluent
](/products/confluent/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)

 ![Google Cloud Dataflow](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_0c51d2c2e5f85fe45126eb818f748267/google-cloud-dataflow.png "Google Cloud Dataflow")

[
Google Cloud Dataflow
](/products/google-cloud-dataflow/reviews)

 ![Google Cloud Pub/Sub](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_aeae116c52945fdecd7ed16d621cb315/google-cloud-pub-sub.png "Google Cloud Pub/Sub")

[
Google Cloud Pub/Sub
](/products/google-cloud-pub-sub/reviews)

**Spark Streaming Alternatives**

 ![Google Cloud Dataflow](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_0c51d2c2e5f85fe45126eb818f748267/google-cloud-dataflow.png "Google Cloud Dataflow")

[
Google Cloud Dataflow
](/products/google-cloud-dataflow/reviews)

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

[
Confluent
](/products/confluent/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)

 ![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)

## Amazon Kinesis Data Streams vs Spark Streaming

When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Amazon Kinesis Data Streams easier to use, set up, and administer. Reviewers also preferred doing business with Amazon Kinesis Data Streams overall.

- Reviewers felt that Amazon Kinesis Data Streams meets the needs of their business better than Spark Streaming.
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, reviewers felt that Spark Streaming is the preferred option.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Spark Streaming over Amazon Kinesis Data Streams.