Apache KafkavsSemaphore UI
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Apache Kafka | Semaphore UI | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #12 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 34 153 | 14 334 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +347 | +151 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 20 |
| Latest release | — | v2.18.31 · 7 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Java | Go |
Which one should you pick?
Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 73/100 for Semaphore UI, so it is the safer default.
Semaphore UI ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.
If you want the quickest setup, Semaphore UI is easier to run; Apache Kafka needs more configuration.
Apache Kafka is growing faster right now (+347 stars in 30 days).
Apache Kafka details →Semaphore UI details →