# Apache Kafka vs BLE Monitor

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Apache Kafka | BLE Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 60/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #1 of 3 in Integration |
| GitHub stars | 34 152 ✓ | 2 251 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +346 ✓ | +7 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 13 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | 14.4.0 · 23 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Java | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 60/100 for BLE Monitor, so it is the safer default.

BLE Monitor ships more often: 13 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.

If you want the quickest setup, BLE Monitor is easier to run; Apache Kafka needs more configuration.

Apache Kafka is growing faster right now (+346 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Apache Kafka](https://selfhost.directory/project/apache-kafka) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/apache-kafka.md)
- [BLE Monitor](https://selfhost.directory/project/ble-monitor) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/ble-monitor.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/apache-kafka-vs-ble-monitor