Confluent vs Amazon MSK: Pricing Considerations

Event streaming is becoming increasingly crucial for modern businesses, with Apache Kafka being a popular open-source solution for managing real-time data flows between producers and consumers. Two primary managed Apache Kafka service providers, Confluent and Amazon MSK, offer different pricing models and features. Amazon MSK, particularly its serverless option, is often the more economical choice for businesses with predictable workloads and in-house Kafka expertise, due to its lower server costs. Conversely, Confluent, despite being generally more expensive, provides a comprehensive data streaming platform with advanced features such as ksqlDB, managed connectors, and options for deployment beyond AWS, making it suitable for companies needing robust support and feature sets. Confluent also offers a free tier, unlike Amazon MSK, which can be beneficial for businesses evaluating their options. Ultimately, the decision between the two depends on the specific needs, expertise, and workload predictability of the business.