# Apache Kafka vs RustFS

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

| | Apache Kafka | RustFS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 74/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #1 of 5 in Storage |
| GitHub stars | 34 152 | 35 503 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +346 | +1 771 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 5 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | 1.0.4 · 25 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 74/100 for RustFS, so it is the safer default.

RustFS ships more often: 5 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.

RustFS is growing faster right now (+1 771 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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