Overview
What is Confluent?
Confluent Cloud is a cloud-native service for Apache Kafka used to connect and process data in real time with a fully managed data streaming platform. Confluent Platform is the self-managed version.
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Pricing
Basic
$0
Standard
Starting at ~$385
Enterprise
Starting at ~$1,150
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Starting price (does not include set up fee)
- $385 per month
Product Demos
Demo: Storing 1 PB of Data in Apache Kafka with Confluent Cloud
Demo 2: Tour | Monitoring Kafka in Confluent Control Center
Demo 4: Consumer Rebalances | Monitoring Kafka in Confluent Control Center
Demo: Serverless Apache Kafka with Confluent Cloud CLI
Demo: Simple, Complete Kafka Security with Confluent Cloud
Demo 3: KSQL | Monitoring Kafka in Confluent Control Center
Product Details
- About
- Competitors
- Tech Details
- FAQs
What is Confluent?
Confluent Competitors
Confluent Technical Details
Deployment Types | On-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based |
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Operating Systems | Linux, RHEL, Debian, Rocky Linux, Ubuntu |
Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviews From Top Reviewers
Community Insights
- Business Problems Solved
- Pros
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- Recommendations
Confluent has gained popularity among companies looking to scale their stream services and manage everything through its intuitive dashboard. Users have found it useful for handling event processing in multiple places and managing extensive data analysis without losing any data in between processes. It has provided businesses with fewer errors and better traceability of events, making it an ideal solution for managing Kafka and related services. Additionally, Confluent has served as the event-stream backbone of data applications, enabling real-time insight into traditionally static, batch-based architectures. Users appreciate the ease of creating ETL for enriching data in real-time streaming and have found Confluent useful for solving interaction with microservices in different programming languages. The software provides a wrapper and managed solution for using Kafka, making it easy to focus on building new products and delivering value. With the ability to handle millions of messages per minute without performance issues, Confluent Kafka has been preferred over competitors like AWS or Apache for connecting backend services through event-driven consumers and producers. Moreover, Confluent has solved the problem of managed serverless infrastructure, allowing users to concentrate on development rather than operations and maintenance. Users have experienced simplified event-driven architecture operations, reduced headaches, and enhanced efficiency with Confluent. The software's capabilities extend beyond stream processing and message queues; it has been extensively used for big data analytics, microservices communication, and creating near real-time ingestion data pipelines for various use cases. Developers have found it easy to build customized Kafka connectors using Confluent, making it a versatile tool for creating data pipelines and storing/sending data for clients.
Reliable and Scalable Platform: Users have consistently praised Confluent for its reliability and scalability when it comes to streaming data. Many reviewers have found it easy to manage, offering the necessary tools for real-time data processing.
Intuitive User Interface: Confluent's user interface has received high praise from users who find it intuitive and seamless. They appreciate its rich features and built-in debugging tools, which make navigation and usage a breeze.
Excellent Support from Technical Team: Users highly value the support they receive from Confluent's technical team. They feel closely connected to the team with good channels for addressing architecture concerns. Reviewers often mention the team's extensive knowledge and their willingness to provide suggestions and assistance both within and outside of Confluent's offerings.
Difficulties with Documentation and Tutorial: Some users have mentioned that the documentation and tutorial for beginners could be improved, which would help onboard more developers to use the product and its dashboard. They feel that the existing resources are not comprehensive enough and may require additional clarification.
Lack of Open Source Plugins: Users have suggested that Confluent should open source more plugins under a community license, as they find the current offerings limited. They believe that having access to a wider range of community-developed plugins would enhance the functionality and flexibility of the platform.
Challenges with Monitoring Feature: Several users expressed dissatisfaction with the monitoring feature, stating that they had to spend additional money on custom metrics to ensure all their services were working properly. They find it inconvenient and costly to rely on external solutions for comprehensive monitoring capabilities within Confluent's platform.
Users have provided several recommendations for Confluent Cloud based on their experience. The three most common recommendations are:
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Consider architecture requirements carefully and avoid over-engineering. Users suggest carefully analyzing the specific needs of the cloud environment before implementing Confluent Cloud. This recommendation emphasizes the importance of avoiding unnecessary complexity and ensuring that the chosen architecture aligns with the organization's requirements.
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Evaluate the client's willingness to pay for Confluent or preference for open source. It is recommended to assess whether the client is willing to invest in Confluent Cloud or if they prefer using open source alternatives. This recommendation highlights the importance of understanding the client's preferences and budget constraints.
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Try Confluent for streaming applications due to low latency and data loss prevention. Users recommend using Confluent Cloud for streaming applications due to its ability to provide low latency and prevent data loss. This recommendation emphasizes the strengths of Confluent Cloud in handling real-time data processing tasks efficiently.
It is important for users to keep in mind that while Confluent Cloud offers certain advantages, it may not be suitable for all purposes. Defining a fully defined use case is also recommended. Overall, users suggest trying Confluent Cloud at least once to experience its features, especially if looking for a dedicated vendor with extensive knowledge of Kafka. Additionally, evaluating Confluent's flexible solutions, ease of operation, and suitability for users starting out are recommended considerations. Users also suggest improving training tutorials and trying Confluent for free before making a purchase decision. Considering competition from other reliable cloud platforms is also advised when deciding to give Confluent a shot.