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Apache Kafka vs Redis comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.6
Apache Kafka offers substantial returns, especially in high-value applications, with enhanced data buffering, cost savings, and ease of use.
Sentiment score
6.5
Implementing Redis improved transaction efficiency, reduced costs, enhanced performance, increased developer effectiveness, and supported scalability for organizations.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.9
Apache Kafka's support is community-driven, with varying user experiences and enhanced options available through paid subscriptions and consultants.
Sentiment score
1.0
Users rarely contact Redis support, but those who do find it knowledgeable, with satisfaction levels ranging from moderate to excellent.
I want to receive good technical support, which I only need once a month or every six months, and the experience has been unsatisfactory.
There is plenty of community support available online.
The Apache community provides support for the open-source version.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Apache Kafka is praised for its robust scalability, efficiently handling high data throughput, with some challenges in cluster management.
Sentiment score
7.7
Redis excels in scalability, efficiently handling large datasets with ease, making it ideal for enterprise-level operations and demands.
Customers have not faced issues with user growth or data streaming needs.
Data migration and changes to application-side configurations are challenging due to the lack of automatic migration tools in a non-clustered legacy system.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Apache Kafka is stable and performs well with high data volumes, though some configurations may affect its reliability.
Sentiment score
7.7
Redis is stable, reliable under heavy loads, supports high availability, and user ratings reflect strong performance, needing load improvements.
Apache Kafka is stable.
This feature of Apache Kafka has helped enhance our system stability when handling high volume data.
Redis is fairly stable.
 

Room For Improvement

Enhancing Kafka involves user-friendly UI, improved monitoring, reduced ZooKeeper dependency, better documentation, flexibility, and integration with other platforms.
Enhancements in documentation, user-friendliness, scalability, security, cloud integration, and support are desired improvements for Redis.
The performance angle is critical, and while it works in milliseconds, the goal is to move towards microseconds.
We are always trying to find the best configs, which is a challenge.
Scaling up continues to be a challenge, though it is much easier now than it was in the beginning.
Data persistence and recovery face issues with compatibility across major versions, making upgrades possible but downgrades not active.
 

Setup Cost

Apache Kafka is free to use, but costs vary for managed services and enterprise solutions, potentially exceeding 100,000 euros annually.
Redis's open-source core is cost-effective, but enterprise features require a license; managed services start at $5/month.
The open-source version of Apache Kafka results in minimal costs, mainly linked to accessing documentation and limited support.
Its pricing is reasonable.
Since we use an open-source version of Redis, we do not experience any setup costs or licensing expenses.
 

Valuable Features

Apache Kafka excels in scalability, real-time streaming, and flexibility, ideal for large data volumes and event-driven architectures.
Redis provides fast data access with caching, geolocation, JSON, and supports scalability, high availability, and efficient event-driven applications.
Apache Kafka is particularly valuable for managing high levels of transactions.
Apache Kafka is effective when dealing with large volumes of data flowing at high speeds, requiring real-time processing.
The impact of Apache Kafka's scalability features on my organization and data processing capabilities depends on how many messages each company wants to receive.
It functions similarly to a foundational building block in a larger system, enabling native integration and high functionality in core data processes.
 

Categories and Ranking

Apache Kafka
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
89
Ranking in other categories
Streaming Analytics (7th)
Redis
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.7
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
NoSQL Databases (7th), Managed NoSQL Databases (9th), In-Memory Data Store Services (1st), Vector Databases (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

Apache Kafka and Redis aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Apache Kafka is designed for Streaming Analytics and holds a mindshare of 3.6%, up 2.0% compared to last year.
Redis, on the other hand, focuses on In-Memory Data Store Services, holds 20.6% mindshare, up 15.3% since last year.
Streaming Analytics Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Apache Kafka3.6%
Apache Flink14.6%
Databricks13.1%
Other68.7%
Streaming Analytics
In-Memory Data Store Services Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Redis20.6%
Amazon ElastiCache24.3%
Google Cloud Memorystore19.3%
Other35.8%
In-Memory Data Store Services
 

Featured Reviews

Snehasish Das - PeerSpot reviewer
Data streaming transforms real-time data movement with impressive scalability
I worked with Apache Kafka for customers in the financial industry and OTT platforms. They use Kafka particularly for data streaming. Companies offering movie and entertainment as a service, similar to Netflix, use Kafka Apache Kafka offers unique data streaming. It allows the use of data in…
Yaseer Arafat - PeerSpot reviewer
Unmatched Performance and Scalability for Modern Applications
Redis has room for improvement in a few areas. Enhanced tools for managing and monitoring clusters would be beneficial, as would built-in security mechanisms like advanced encryption and granular access controls. Simplifying setup and configuration could make Redis more accessible to new users. Introducing more enterprise-grade features, such as better multi-tenancy support and improved backup and restore capabilities, would also be advantageous. For the next release, it would be great to see enhanced cluster management tools, native multi-region supports for better data redundancy, integrated analytics for deeper insights, AI and ML integration features, and improved developer experience through enhanced SDKs and tools.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
26%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Retailer
5%
Financial Services Firm
25%
Computer Software Company
12%
Educational Organization
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business32
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise47
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise8
 

Questions from the Community

What are the differences between Apache Kafka and IBM MQ?
Apache Kafka is open source and can be used for free. It has very good log management and has a way to store the data used for analytics. Apache Kafka is very good if you have a high number of user...
What do you like most about Apache Kafka?
Apache Kafka is an open-source solution that can be used for messaging or event processing.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Kafka?
Its pricing is reasonable. It's not always about cost, but about meeting specific needs.
What do you like most about Redis?
Redis is better tested and is used by large companies. I haven't found a direct alternative to what Redis offers. Plus, there are a lot of support and learning resources available, which help you u...
What needs improvement with Redis?
The disadvantage of Redis is that it's a little bit hard to have too many clusters or too many nodes and create the clusters. The sync between the nodes is easier to implement with Couchbase, for e...
What is your primary use case for Redis?
Redis is used for a part of a booking engine for travel, specifically for the front part to get some sessions and information about the sessions. If a customer or user is using the sites in differe...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

No data available
Redis Enterprise
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Uber, Netflix, Activision, Spotify, Slack, Pinterest
1. Twitter 2. GitHub 3. StackOverflow 4. Pinterest 5. Snapchat 6. Craigslist 7. Digg 8. Weibo 9. Airbnb 10. Uber 11. Slack 12. Trello 13. Shopify 14. Coursera 15. Medium 16. Twitch 17. Foursquare 18. Meetup 19. Kickstarter 20. Docker 21. Heroku 22. Bitbucket 23. Groupon 24. Flipboard 25. SoundCloud 26. BuzzFeed 27. Disqus 28. The New York Times 29. Walmart 30. Nike 31. Sony 32. Philips
Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Kafka vs. Redis and other solutions. Updated: May 2024.
868,183 professionals have used our research since 2012.