Apache KafkavsNode RED
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Apache Kafka | Node RED | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 81/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 34 152 | 23 790 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +346 | +108 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 21 |
| Latest release | — | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 81/100 for Node RED, so it is the safer default.
Node RED ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.
If you want the quickest setup, Node RED is easier to run; Apache Kafka needs more configuration.
Apache Kafka is growing faster right now (+346 stars in 30 days).
Apache Kafka details →Node RED details →