# Apache Kafka vs Apache SkyWalking

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

| | Apache Kafka | Apache SkyWalking |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #2 of 9 in Application Performance Monitoring |
| GitHub stars | 34 098 ✓ | 24 979 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +273 ✓ | +5 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 3 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v11.0.0 · 28 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced ✓ | Advanced |
| 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 Apache SkyWalking, so it is the safer default.

Apache SkyWalking ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.

Apache Kafka is growing faster right now (+273 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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