Confluent Cloud vs Redpanda
Choose Confluent Cloud if you want managed Apache Kafka with serverless Apache Flink and built-in stream governance; choose Redpanda if you want a Kafka-compatible platform that can also run in your own cloud account or as self-managed software. Both offer managed streaming, connectors, and deployment across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, but their deployment options and processing tools differ.
Last updated October 25, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Confluent Cloud | Redpanda |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment options | Managed Basic, Standard, Enterprise, Freight, and Dedicated clusters | Managed Serverless, Dedicated, and BYOC; self-managed software |
| Cloud platforms | AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud | AWS and Google Cloud for Serverless; AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud for Dedicated and BYOC |
| Managed pricing | Basic first eCKU free; data transfer and storage billed | Serverless bills uptime, ingress, egress, partitions, and storage |
| Trial credits | $400 for 30 days | $100 for 30 days on AWS direct trial; $300 through cloud marketplaces |
| Integrations | 90+ fully managed connectors | 300+ Redpanda Connect connectors |
| Stream processing | Serverless Apache Flink | Redpanda Connect pipelines; SQL queries on BYOC |
| Lakehouse tables | Tableflow for Iceberg and Delta Lake | Iceberg topics on BYOC and BYOVPC |
| Stream governance | Schema Registry, Stream Catalog, and Stream Lineage | Schema Registry; data-plane RBAC on Dedicated and BYOC |
| Private networking | Enterprise and Dedicated clusters | Serverless, Dedicated, and BYOC |
| Support plans | Developer, Business, and Premier | Basic, Enterprise, and Premium |
| Managed uptime SLA | Basic 99.5%; Standard and Enterprise up to 99.99% | Serverless 99.9%; Dedicated and BYOC 99.99% |
| Entry-tier throughput limit | Basic: up to 250 MB/s ingress and 750 MB/s egress | Serverless: up to 100 MB/s ingress and 300 MB/s egress |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Confluent Cloud if
- Teams requiring managed Apache Kafka
- Teams building pipelines with serverless Apache Flink
- Buyers needing stream catalog and lineage tools
- Teams publishing topics as Iceberg or Delta Lake tables
Choose Redpanda if
- Teams requiring managed clusters in their own cloud account
- Teams that want a self-managed deployment option
- Builders using Redpanda Connect pipelines
- Teams using Kafka clients with a Kafka-compatible platform
The verdict
Confluent Cloud is the better fit when managed Kafka, Flink processing, and stream catalog and lineage tools are deciding requirements. Redpanda is the better fit when running the data plane in your own cloud account, self-managing the software, or using Redpanda Connect is the priority. Compare the specific cluster types you would buy: pricing, security features, and limits vary within each product.
Confluent Cloud vs Redpanda: common questions
- Are Confluent Cloud and Redpanda both Apache Kafka?
- Confluent Cloud provides fully managed Apache Kafka clusters. Redpanda uses its own Kafka API-compatible streaming engine and supports Kafka clients.
- Can I run either product in my own cloud account?
- Redpanda BYOC runs its managed data plane in your AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud account. Confluent Cloud is a managed cloud service; its Enterprise and Dedicated clusters offer private networking.
- Can I self-host Confluent Cloud or Redpanda?
- Redpanda offers self-managed software for your own infrastructure. Confluent Cloud is a managed service; Confluent's self-managed offering is a separate product.
- How do Confluent Cloud and Redpanda charge for managed streaming?
- Confluent Cloud bills for cluster capacity, data transfer, and storage, with separate charges for services such as connectors and Flink. Redpanda Serverless bills for uptime, ingress, egress, partitions, and storage. Rates and billing vary by deployment and region.
- Which product supports Flink stream processing?
- Confluent Cloud offers serverless Apache Flink. Redpanda offers Redpanda Connect pipelines and a SQL query engine for BYOC clusters; its published managed processing options are not the same as Confluent's Flink service.
- Do both products offer prebuilt connectors?
- Yes. Confluent Cloud advertises more than 90 fully managed connectors. Redpanda Cloud offers access to more than 300 connectors through Redpanda Connect.
- Can both products expose streaming data as Iceberg tables?
- Yes. Confluent Cloud Tableflow materializes topics as Apache Iceberg or Delta Lake tables. Redpanda supports Iceberg topics on BYOC and BYOVPC clusters.
- Is there a free trial for Confluent Cloud or Redpanda?
- Confluent Cloud documents $400 in trial credit for 30 days and requires a payment method to create resources. Redpanda documents $100 in credit for its 30-day AWS direct trial without a credit card, or $300 for new subscriptions through AWS or Google Cloud Marketplace.