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Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud pros and cons

Vendor: Confluent

4.3 out of 5

15 reviews
100% willing to recommend

Pros & Cons summary

Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud captures real-time data efficiently, offering cost-effective and scalable data processing solutions, particularly advantageous compared to products like Genesys and Azure Event Hubs. While it accelerates speed to value and simplifies infrastructure management, challenges exist with CDC integrations, premium connector availability, and Microsoft tool compatibility. Additionally, users face issues with observability and licensing clarity, yet the platform remains resilient and reliable for data processing needs.

Buyer's Guide

Get pricing advice, tips, use cases and valuable features from real users of this product.

Prominent pros & cons

PROS

Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud is cost-effective and simplifies infrastructure by integrating multiple data processing tools.

It offers reliable and resilient real-time data capabilities with excellent throughput and order guarantee.

The state-saving feature allows users to rewind and reprocess data, enhancing error management.

Confluent Cloud's streaming and event capabilities ensure scalability and maintain high performance.

It significantly reduces infrastructure costs while accelerating speed to value for businesses.

CONS

There could be an in-built feature for data analysis.

There were challenges with CDC integrations, and alternatives were recommended due to configuration issues.

Some premium connectors are not accessible in the marketplace, posing limitations.

There are issues in terms of improvements with Apache Kafka integration with other Microsoft tools.

Observability and monitoring are areas that require enhancement.

Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud Pros review quotes

SP

Sr Executive Accounts at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Oct 25, 2023

In case of huge transactions on the web or mobile apps, it helps you capture real-time data and analyze it.

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DB

Senior Architect at a outsourcing company with 501-1,000 employees

Nov 29, 2023

Kafka and Confluent Cloud have proven to be cost-effective, especially when compared to other tools. In a recent BI integration program over the past year, we assessed multiple use cases spanning ship-to-shore and various Azure integrations. Our findings revealed that Confluent Kafka performed exceptionally well, standing out alongside Genesys and Azure Event Hubs. While these three are top contenders, the choice among other tools depends on the specific use case and project requirements. The customer initially used tools like SMQs, FITRA, and Stream for real-time data processing. However, after our recommendation, Confluent Cloud proved to be a superior choice, capable of replacing these three tools and simplifying their data infrastructure. This shift to a single tool, Confluent Cloud, streamlined their operations, making maintenance and management more efficient for their internal projects.

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reviewer2237604

Integration Solution Architect at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

May 24, 2024

Confluent Cloud handles data volume pretty well.

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Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud

Free Report: Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.

879,927 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Senior Consultant at Inacta AG

Jun 4, 2024

The state-saving feature is very much appreciated. It allows me to rewind a certain process if I see an error and then reprocess it.

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Backend Developer at Mindstix Softwares

Jul 24, 2024

Kafka provides handy properties that allow us to directly configure the data, whether to keep it or discard it after use.

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Anantharaman Ganesan

Managing Director at Aara Tech Private Limited

Aug 1, 2024

The product's installation phase is pretty straightforward for us since we know how to use it.

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reviewer2534229

Tech manager at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Aug 16, 2024

Overall, I think it's a good experience. Apache Kafka can be quite complex and difficult to maintain on your own, so using Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud makes it much easier to use it without worrying about setup and maintenance.

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Scholar Trainee/Project Engineer at Wipro Limited

Nov 21, 2024

Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud is more reliable and frequent to use compared to Apache Kafka.

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reviewer2751003

Chief Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Aug 19, 2025

Some of the best features with Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud are streaming and event capabilities, which are important due to scalability and resiliency.

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FABIO LUIS VELLOSO DA SILVA

Partner at SouJava

Sep 9, 2025

It's very fast and helps us to create the project, guarantee the message delivery, and the performance.

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Show 1 more reviews (out of 11)

Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud Cons review quotes

SP

Sr Executive Accounts at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Oct 25, 2023

There could be an in-built feature for data analysis.

Read full review

DB

Senior Architect at a outsourcing company with 501-1,000 employees

Nov 29, 2023

Regarding real-time data usage, there were challenges with CDC (Change Data Capture) integrations. Specifically, with PyTRAN, we encountered difficulties. We recommended using our on-premises Kaspersky as an alternative to PyTRAN for that specific use case due to issues with CDC store configuration and log reading challenges with the iton components.

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reviewer2237604

Integration Solution Architect at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

May 24, 2024

There are some premium connectors, for example, available in Confluent, which you cannot access in the marketplace, so there are some limitations.

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Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud

Free Report: Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.

879,927 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Senior Consultant at Inacta AG

Jun 4, 2024

The administration port could be more extensive.

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Backend Developer at Mindstix Softwares

Jul 24, 2024

There's one thing that's a common use case, but I don't know why it's not covered in Kafka. When a message comes in, and another message with the same key arrives, the first version should be deleted automatically.

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Anantharaman Ganesan

Managing Director at Aara Tech Private Limited

Aug 1, 2024

Maybe in terms of Apache Kafka's integration with other Microsoft tools, our company faced some challenges.

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reviewer2534229

Tech manager at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Aug 16, 2024

The solution is expensive.

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Scholar Trainee/Project Engineer at Wipro Limited

Nov 21, 2024

Some areas for improvement in Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud include issues faced during migration with Kubernetes pods.

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reviewer2751003

Chief Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Aug 19, 2025

In terms of improvements, observability and monitoring are areas that could be enhanced. They are lacking in terms of observability and monitoring compared to other products.

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FABIO LUIS VELLOSO DA SILVA

Partner at SouJava

Sep 9, 2025

The clustering is a little hard for juniors and clients. It's suitable for senior engineers, but the configuration and clustering are very hard for juniors.

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Show 1 more reviews (out of 11)

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