Apache KafkavsSure
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Apache Kafka | Sure | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 74/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #4 of 62 in Personal Finance |
| GitHub stars | 34 153 | 10 711 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +347 | +687 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 15 |
| Latest release | — | v0.7.5-hotfix.3 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Java | Ruby |
Which one should you pick?
Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 74/100 for Sure, so it is the safer default.
Sure ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.
If you want the quickest setup, Sure is easier to run; Apache Kafka needs more configuration.
Apache Kafka details →Sure details →