Apache Kafka VS Confluent_
As of 30 October 2026, Confluent is named by 106 companies and Apache Kafka by 4,727; Apache Kafka skews to companies under 200 people (46% vs 38%), Confluent to companies over 1,000 (42% 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, Confluent 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%
- Confluent: 2–200 employees
- 38%
- Apache Kafka: 1,000+ employees
- 28%
- Confluent: 1,000+ employees
- 42%
- Postings per company, 90 days
- 4.3 · 4.3
- Website or DNS footprint
- 0 · 135
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 | Confluent | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed | 60 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| 2-10 employees | 335 | 7% | 2 | 2% | Apache Kafka |
| 11-50 employees | 749 | 16% | 14 | 13% | Apache Kafka |
| 51-200 employees | 1,099 | 23% | 24 | 23% | even |
| 201-500 employees | 686 | 15% | 10 | 9% | Apache Kafka |
| 501-1000 employees | 484 | 10% | 11 | 10% | even |
| 1001-5000 employees | 693 | 15% | 19 | 18% | Confluent |
| 5001-10000 employees | 184 | 4% | 6 | 6% | even |
| 10,001+ employees | 437 | 9% | 20 | 19% | Confluent |
| Segment | Apache Kafka | share | Confluent | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology & software | 2,667 | 56% | 50 | 47% | Apache Kafka |
| Business & finance services | 990 | 21% | 32 | 30% | Confluent |
| Manufacturing & industry | 301 | 6% | 6 | 6% | even |
| Media & content | 161 | 3% | 3 | 3% | even |
| Commerce & trade | 111 | 2% | 2 | 2% | even |
| Utilities & infrastructure | 98 | 2% | 3 | 3% | even |
| Transport, logistics & rental | 75 | 2% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Consumer services & leisure | 72 | 2% | 4 | 4% | Confluent |
| Public, community & associations | 68 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Health care | 54 | 1% | 2 | 2% | even |
| Automotive | 46 | 1% | 2 | 2% | even |
| Hospitality & travel | 40 | 1% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Segment | Apache Kafka | share | Confluent | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2,811 | 59% | 63 | 59% | even |
| United Kingdom | 349 | 7% | 16 | 15% | Confluent |
| Germany | 213 | 5% | 3 | 3% | even |
| India | 159 | 3% | 2 | 2% | even |
| France | 147 | 3% | 6 | 6% | Confluent |
| Canada | 81 | 2% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Brazil | 73 | 2% | 1 | 1% | even |
| Netherlands | 73 | 2% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Poland | 64 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Italy | 58 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Switzerland | 56 | 1% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Australia | 53 | 1% | 3 | 3% | even |
| United Arab Emirates | – | – | 2 | 2% | outside top 12 |
| Spain | – | – | 2 | 2% | outside top 12 |
| Sweden | – | – | 2 | 2% | outside top 12 |
| Argentina | – | – | 1 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Segment | Apache Kafka | share | Confluent | share | Leans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineering | 15,638 | 57% | 241 | 45% | Apache Kafka |
| Data & AI | 6,524 | 24% | 96 | 18% | Apache Kafka |
| IT operations & business systems | 1,604 | 6% | 81 | 15% | Confluent |
| Product, program & project management | 316 | 1% | 13 | 2% | even |
| Engineering (non-software) | 263 | 1% | 6 | 1% | even |
| Sales | 162 | 1% | 11 | 2% | even |
| Customer service & success | 69 | 0% | 8 | 2% | even |
| Unclassified | 48 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Quality, safety & environment | 39 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| construction and civil | 34 | 0% | 1 | 0% | even |
| General management & consulting | 31 | 0% | – | – | outside top 12 |
| Finance & accounting | 18 | 0% | 2 | 0% | even |
| procurement and purchasing | – | – | 3 | 1% | outside top 12 |
| Human resources | – | – | 2 | 0% | outside top 12 |
| Administration & office | – | – | 1 | 0% | outside top 12 |
The companies behind each column
Companies using Apache Kafka →
Companies using Confluent →
message brokers streaming ranked →
Quote the sentence with the date and the link. The numbers change daily; the link always shows the current ones.
Confluent is named by 106 companies in job postings and Apache Kafka by 4,727; 0 name both. (Breaknorm, 30 October 2026, https://breaknorm.co/compare/apache-kafka-vs-confluent)
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 Confluent: questions
Which is more used, Apache Kafka or Confluent?
By companies naming it in their own job postings, Apache Kafka (4,727) over Confluent (106). By website-and-DNS footprint, Confluent (135 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 38% for Confluent. 28% of Apache Kafka companies have over 1,000 employees, against 42% for Confluent.
Do companies run both?
0 companies name both in their postings, usually Apache Kafka in marketing and Confluent 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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