# Apache Kafka vs vector

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

| | Apache Kafka | vector |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 79/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #1 of 7 in Data Pipelines |
| GitHub stars | 34 154 ✓ | 22 776 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +348 ✓ | +171 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 7 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v0.60.0 · 19 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 79/100 for vector, so it is the safer default.

vector ships more often: 7 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.

If you want the quickest setup, vector is easier to run; Apache Kafka needs more configuration.

Apache Kafka is growing faster right now (+348 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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