Apache KafkavsZot Registry
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Apache Kafka | Zot Registry | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 64/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #3 of 12 in Container Registry |
| GitHub stars | 34 153 | 2 921 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +347 | +122 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 12 |
| Latest release | — | v2.1.22 · 6 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | Go |
Which one should you pick?
Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 64/100 for Zot Registry, so it is the safer default.
Zot Registry ships more often: 12 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.
If you want the quickest setup, Zot Registry is easier to run; Apache Kafka needs more configuration.
Apache Kafka is growing faster right now (+347 stars in 30 days).
Apache Kafka details →Zot Registry details →