# Apache Kafka vs OpenSearch

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

| | Apache Kafka | OpenSearch |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #7 of 41 in Search Engines |
| GitHub stars | 34 154 ✓ | 13 929 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +329 ✓ | +154 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 11 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | 2.19.7 · 17 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 76/100 for OpenSearch, so it is the safer default.

OpenSearch ships more often: 11 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.

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

Apache Kafka is growing faster right now (+329 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Apache Kafka](https://selfhost.directory/project/apache-kafka) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/apache-kafka.md)
- [OpenSearch](https://selfhost.directory/project/opensearch) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/opensearch.md)

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