Apache Kafka VS Apache Pulsar
As of 30 October 2026, Apache Pulsar is named by 131 companies and Apache Kafka by 4,727; Apache Kafka skews to companies under 200 people (46% vs 48%), Apache Pulsar to companies over 1,000 (34% vs 28%).
As of 30 October 2026 · refreshed daily · counts move as websites, DNS and career sites are re-read.
The website-and-DNS footprint is not comparable between a marketing suite and a CRM: Apache Kafka's script and mail records show on hundreds of thousands of small sites, Apache Pulsar rarely leaves a trace outside its own apps. Compare on the job-posting numbers; use the footprint for reach.
- Apache Kafka: 2–200 employees
- 46%
- Apache Pulsar: 2–200 employees
- 48%
- Apache Kafka: 1,000+ employees
- 28%
- Apache Pulsar: 1,000+ employees
- 34%
- Postings per company, 90 days
- 4.3 · 2.6
- Website or DNS footprint
- 0 · 0
Who chooses which
Share of each tool's companies in every segment. "Leans" marks a gap of more than two points.
| Segment | Apache Kafka | share | Apache Pulsar | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed | 60 | 1% | 2 | 2% | even |
| 2-10 employees | 335 | 7% | 13 | 10% | Apache Pulsar |
| 11-50 employees | 749 | 16% | 22 | 17% | even |
| 51-200 employees | 1,099 | 23% | 28 | 21% | even |
| 201-500 employees | 686 | 15% | 9 | 7% | Apache Kafka |
| 501-1000 employees | 484 | 10% | 13 | 10% | even |
| 1001-5000 employees | 693 | 15% | 18 | 14% | even |
| 5001-10000 employees | 184 | 4% | 8 | 6% | Apache Pulsar |
| 10,001+ employees | 437 | 9% | 18 | 14% | Apache Pulsar |
| Segment | Apache Kafka | share | Apache Pulsar | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology & software | 2,667 | 56% | 64 | 49% | Apache Kafka |
| Business & finance services | 990 | 21% | 37 | 28% | Apache Pulsar |
| Manufacturing & industry | 301 | 6% | 7 | 5% | even |
| Media & content | 161 | 3% | 7 | 5% | even |
| Commerce & trade | 111 | 2% | 3 | 2% | even |
| Utilities & infrastructure | 98 | 2% | 4 | 3% | even |
| Transport, logistics & rental | 75 | 2% | 2 | 2% | even |
| Consumer services & leisure | 72 | 2% | 2 | 2% | even |
| Public, community & associations | 68 | 1% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Health care | 54 | 1% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Automotive | 46 | 1% | 2 | 2% | even |
| Hospitality & travel | 40 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Property & construction | – | – | 1 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Segment | Apache Kafka | share | Apache Pulsar | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2,811 | 59% | 92 | 70% | Apache Pulsar |
| United Kingdom | 349 | 7% | 7 | 5% | Apache Kafka |
| Germany | 213 | 5% | 3 | 2% | Apache Kafka |
| India | 159 | 3% | 2 | 2% | even |
| France | 147 | 3% | 3 | 2% | even |
| Canada | 81 | 2% | 2 | 2% | even |
| Brazil | 73 | 2% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Netherlands | 73 | 2% | 2 | 2% | even |
| Poland | 64 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Italy | 58 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Switzerland | 56 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Australia | 53 | 1% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Portugal | – | – | 5 | 4% | outside top 12 |
| Belgium | – | – | 2 | 2% | outside top 12 |
| Argentina | – | – | 1 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Austria | – | – | 1 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Segment | Apache Kafka | share | Apache Pulsar | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineering | 15,638 | 57% | 256 | 54% | Apache Kafka |
| Data & AI | 6,524 | 24% | 91 | 19% | Apache Kafka |
| IT operations & business systems | 1,604 | 6% | 19 | 4% | even |
| Product, program & project management | 316 | 1% | 5 | 1% | even |
| Engineering (non-software) | 263 | 1% | 35 | 7% | Apache Pulsar |
| Sales | 162 | 1% | 5 | 1% | even |
| Customer service & success | 69 | 0% | 2 | 0% | even |
| Unclassified | 48 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Quality, safety & environment | 39 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Construction and civil | 34 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| General management & consulting | 31 | 0% | 2 | 0% | even |
| Finance & accounting | 18 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Marketing & communications | – | – | 7 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Logistics warehouse and transport | – | – | 3 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Business development & strategy | – | – | 2 | 0% | outside top 12 |
| Manufacturing and production | – | – | 2 | 0% | outside top 12 |
The companies behind each column
Companies using Apache Kafka →
Companies using Apache Pulsar →
message brokers streaming ranked →
Quote the sentence with the date and the link. The numbers change daily; the link always shows the current ones.
Apache Pulsar is named by 131 companies in job postings and Apache Kafka by 4,727; 0 name both. (Breaknorm, 30 October 2026, https://breaknorm.co/compare/apache-kafka-vs-apache-pulsar)
Read from the source, not self-reported
Every number on this page can be traced to a page we crawled or a posting we read. Full methodology →
- Job postingsRead hourly from career sites. A tool counts when the employer's own text names it as the team's system; both tools can count for one company.
- Website and DNSScripts and embeds on the company's pages, plus SPF, DKIM, MX and CNAME records of its domain that point at the vendor.
- SegmentsCountry, size and industry from the company profile built from its website.
- Not a reviewNo ratings, prices or feature claims. For those, read the vendors.
Apache Kafka vs Apache Pulsar: questions
Which is more used, Apache Kafka or Apache Pulsar?
By companies naming it in their own job postings, Apache Kafka (4,727) over Apache Pulsar (131). By website-and-DNS footprint, Apache Pulsar (0 vs 0), because its scripts and mail records sit on many small company sites.
Who chooses Apache Kafka?
46% of Apache Kafka companies have 2 to 200 employees, against 48% for Apache Pulsar. 28% of Apache Kafka companies have over 1,000 employees, against 34% for Apache Pulsar.
Do companies run both?
0 companies name both in their postings, usually Apache Kafka in marketing and Apache Pulsar in sales, or during a migration.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the employer's own text in job postings read hourly from career sites, and from scripts found on company websites in our crawl. No vendor data, no surveys.
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