# Apache Kafka vs rudderstack

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

| | Apache Kafka | rudderstack |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #1 of 3 in Customer Data Platform |
| GitHub stars | 34 154 ✓ | 4 508 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +329 ✓ | +20 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 39 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v1.92.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Java | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 64/100 for rudderstack, so it is the safer default.

rudderstack ships more often: 39 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.

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)
- [rudderstack](https://selfhost.directory/project/rudderstack) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rudderstack.md)

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