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# Confluent vs Spark Streaming Comparison - What are their main differences?

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ConfluentSpark Streaming[+ Add Product](#)

Reviews

**Confluent** [

4.4/5(113)

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

**Spark Streaming** [

4.2/5(40)

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

Pricing

**Confluent**
Free Trial

No pricing available

**Spark Streaming**
No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Confluent**
3 months

Based on 6 responses

**Spark Streaming**
Not enough reviews yet

Return on Investment

**Confluent**
13 months

Based on 7 responses

**Spark Streaming**
Not enough reviews yet

Perceived Cost

**Confluent**
$$$$$

**Spark Streaming**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Confluent**
9%

**Spark Streaming**
Not enough reviews yet

Pros & Cons

**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)

**Spark Streaming**
Not enough data

Screenshots

**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)

**Spark Streaming**
No screenshot available

Ratings

Meets Requirements

**Confluent**

8.8

8.887

**Spark Streaming**

9.0

9.029

Ease of Use

**Confluent**

8.4

8.488

**Spark Streaming**

8.2

8.229

Ease of Setup

**Confluent**

8.2

8.239

**Spark Streaming**

7.6

7.69

Ease of Admin

**Confluent**

8.1

8.139

**Spark Streaming**

8.0

8.09

Quality of Support

**Confluent**

8.3

8.381

**Spark Streaming**

8.7

8.726

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Confluent**

8.5

8.536

**Spark Streaming**

8.5

8.59

Product Direction (% positive)

**Confluent**

8.9

8.988

**Spark Streaming**

9.3

9.332

Features

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

8.7

67

9.0

30

Data

Data Processing

8.7

62

9.2(won by 0.5)

28

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

Data Sources

8.8

58

9.0(won by 0.2)

27

Integration

8.8(tied score)

62

8.8(tied score)

27

Real-Time Processing

9.0(tied score)

63

9.0(tied score)

28

Analytics

Reporting & Analytics

8.2

56

8.8(won by 0.6)

28

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

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

8.2

22

Not enough data

Database

Real-Time Data Collection

8.9(won by default)

17

Not enough data

Data Distribution

8.6(won by default)

16

Not enough data

Data Lake

8.2(won by default)

14

Not enough data

Integrations

Hadoop Integration

8.2(won by default)

11

Not enough data

Spark Integration

8.1(won by default)

13

Not enough data

Platform

Machine Scaling

8.1(won by default)

16

Not enough data

Data Preparation

7.7(won by default)

15

Not enough data

Spark Integration

8.1(won by default)

13

Not enough data

Processing

Cloud Processing

8.1(won by default)

15

Not enough data

Workload Processing

8.2(won by default)

16

Not enough data

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

8.3

26

Not enough data

Data Transformation

Real-Time Analytics

8.9(won by default)

22

|

Verified

Not enough data

Data Querying

8.4(won by default)

20

|

Verified

Not enough data

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

8.2(won by default)

17

|

Verified

Not enough data

Spark Integration

8.6(won by default)

19

|

Verified

Not enough data

Multi-Source Analysis

8.3(won by default)

22

|

Verified

Not enough data

Data Lake

8.1(won by default)

19

|

Verified

Not enough data

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

8.3(won by default)

22

|

Verified

Not enough data

Data Workflow

7.9(won by default)

21

|

Verified

Not enough data

Governed Discovery

8.2(won by default)

18

|

Verified

Not enough data

Embedded Analytics

Feature Not Available

Not enough data

Notebooks

Feature Not Available

Not enough data

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

[![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%

[![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.)

32.7%

32.4%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

31.8%

40.5%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

35.5%

27.0%

Reviewers' Industry

[![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%

[![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

## Confluent vs Spark Streaming FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: August 15, 2026

### What is the difference between Confluent vs Spark Streaming?

Confluent stands out for its managed Kafka infrastructure and ease of setup, while Spark Streaming is favored for its high scalability and real-time analytics capabilities.

| [Confluent](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews) | [Spark Streaming](https://www.g2.com/products/spark-streaming/reviews) |
| --- | --- |
| 4.4/5 (114 reviews) | 4.2/5 (40 reviews) |
| Enterprise | Mid-Market |
| 8.2 | 7.6 |
| 8.3 | 8.7 |
| Managed Kafka infrastructure, easy integration, and reduced operational burden | Horizontally scalable, fault tolerant, and strong real-time analytics |

### How do the pricing models of Confluent and Spark Streaming compare?

Confluent is rated higher for value and pricing satisfaction than Spark Streaming, according to reviewer scores.

- **Confluent:** Reviewers note that Confluent simplifies Kafka management and offers strong value for managed services, but mention that costs can increase with data volume and some features are only available in higher editions.
- **Spark Streaming:** Reviewers highlight that Spark Streaming can be resource-intensive and costly if clusters are not optimized, with some noting the need for cost consideration in larger deployments.
- **Switching reasons:** Recent reviews mention switching to Confluent to avoid the operational burden of self-managed Kafka and to benefit from managed infrastructure.

### What are the best alternatives to Confluent and Spark Streaming?

The top three alternatives to Confluent and Spark Streaming are Amazon Kinesis Data Streams, Cloudera, and Lenses.

| Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Confluent](https://www.g2.com/products/confluent/reviews) | 4.4/5 (114 reviews) | Enterprise | Costs can increase with data volume; managed service reduces operational burden | Managed Kafka infrastructure, easy integration |
| [Spark Streaming](https://www.g2.com/products/spark-streaming/reviews) | 4.2/5 (40 reviews) | Mid-Market | Resource-intensive; cost can be high if not optimized | Horizontally scalable, real-time analytics |
| [Amazon Kinesis Data Streams](https://www.g2.com/products/aws-amazon-kinesis-data-streams/reviews) | 4.3/5 (90 reviews) | Mid-Market | — | Real-time data streaming and integration with AWS ecosystem |
| [Cloudera](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudera/reviews) | 4.1/5 (136 reviews) | Enterprise | — | Comprehensive big data platform with strong analytics |
| [Lenses](https://www.g2.com/products/lenses/reviews) | 4.2/5 (17 reviews) | — | — | Data streaming observability and governance |

### Which Event Stream Processing features should I prioritize when comparing Confluent and Spark Streaming?

Buyers should prioritize ease of setup, integration capabilities, scalability, real-time analytics, and support quality when comparing Confluent and Spark Streaming.

- **Ease of Setup:** Confluent scores 8.2, Spark Streaming 7.6.
- **Integration Capabilities:** Confluent has 1 all-time mention for integrations and connectors; Spark Streaming is noted for integration with the Spark ecosystem.
- **Scalability:** Both products are cited for scalability, with Spark Streaming highlighted for horizontal scalability in recent reviews.
- **Real-Time Analytics:** Spark Streaming is frequently praised for real-time analytics and processing large datasets.
- **Support Quality:** Confluent scores 8.3, Spark Streaming 8.7 on Quality of Support.

### What are the pros and cons of Confluent vs Spark Streaming?

Confluent's headline strength is managed Kafka infrastructure and ease of integration, while Spark Streaming excels in scalability and real-time analytics.

- **Confluent strengths:** Managed Kafka infrastructure, easy integration, reduced operational burden, strong documentation, and scalability (1 all-time mention each for connectors, integrations, real-time streaming, reliability).
- **Confluent trade-offs:** Reviewers note cost increases with data volume, some features limited to higher editions, a learning curve, and limited out-of-the-box observability tools (1 all-time mention each for expensive, learning curve, limited features).
- **Spark Streaming strengths:** Horizontally scalable, fault tolerant, strong real-time analytics, and integration with the Spark ecosystem.
- **Spark Streaming trade-offs:** Resource-intensive, complex setup for beginners, and not ideal for small datasets or rapid prototyping.

### Is Confluent or Spark Streaming better for small businesses?

Spark Streaming is a better fit for small businesses based on its largest reviewer segment and recent sentiment.

- **Confluent:** Largest segment is Enterprise; reviewers highlight ease of setup and managed infrastructure but mention cost as a concern for smaller businesses.
- **Spark Streaming:** Largest segment is Mid-Market; reviewers note its suitability for handling both small and large datasets, with positive feedback on ease of setup for smaller-scale projects.

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

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

- **Confluent:** Integrations and connectors are mentioned in recent reviews, with 1 all-time mention for integrations and connectors.
- **Spark Streaming:** Reviewers highlight integration with the Spark ecosystem and compatibility with various data sources.

### How do Confluent and Spark Streaming compare on customer support?

Spark Streaming scores higher on Quality of Support (8.7 vs. 8.3), but the difference is below the materiality threshold, indicating near parity.

- **Confluent:** Reviewers describe support as knowledgeable, helpful, and responsive, with several citing positive experiences and quick troubleshooting.
- **Spark Streaming:** Reviewers consistently rate support highly, noting effective assistance and strong documentation.

### Which is easier to implement, Confluent or Spark Streaming?

Confluent is rated higher for Ease of Setup (8.2 vs. 7.6), making it easier to implement than Spark Streaming.

- **Confluent:** Reviewers frequently mention quick setup, minimal technical skills required, and rapid provisioning of Kafka infrastructure.
- **Spark Streaming:** Reviewers note that while setup is straightforward for those familiar with Spark, initial configuration can be complex and may require more expertise.

### Which product has better Integration?

Confluent is rated higher for Integration, with more reviewer-cited strengths in connectors and integration capabilities.

- **Confluent:** Integration is a top-cited feature in recent reviews, with 1 all-time mention for integrations and connectors; reviewers highlight easy integration with other platforms and a wide range of connectors.
- **Spark Streaming:** Reviewers note integration with the Spark ecosystem and compatibility with various data sources, but no all-time mention count is supplied.

Alternatives

**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)

**Spark Streaming Alternatives**

 ![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)

 ![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)

 ![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)

## Confluent vs Spark Streaming

When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Confluent easier to use, set up, and administer. However, reviewers felt that both vendors make it equally easy to do business overall.

- Reviewers felt that Spark Streaming meets the needs of their business better than Confluent.
- 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 Confluent.