vioscaleAI
Comparison

Apache Kafka vs Inngest

No clear leader: Apache Kafka (57.2) and Inngest (56.4) are within the 5-point margin; treat as a tie. The attribute-by-attribute breakdown below, with a source and date on every value, is the honest way to compare them.

Apache Kafka full profile →Inngest full profile →
Machine formatsMarkdownJSONGraphQLMarkdown is open. JSON and GraphQL need a free key.
Apache Kafka57
Inngest56
Score
vioscaleAI score
Apache Kafka57 / 100low · 49%
Inngest56 / 100medium · 69%
Pricing
Free tier
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✓
Model
Apache Kafkaopen_source
Inngestfreemium
Price level
Apache Kafkafree
Inngestlow
Transparent
Apache Kafka–
Inngest✗
Integrations
Count
Apache Kafka4
Inngest3
Security
Certifications
Apache Kafka–
InngestSOC 2 Type II
Disclosure policy
Apache Kafka–
Inngest✓
Hipaa
Apache Kafka–
Inngest✓
Scorecard
Apache Kafka6.1
Inngest–
Soc2
Apache Kafka–
Inngest✓
Trust center
Vulnerabilities
Reliability
Status page
Apache Kafka–
Inngest✓
Adoption
Dependent repos
Apache Kafka1
Inngest2
Github stars
Apache Kafka33,937
Inngest5,939
Package downloads weekly
Apache Kafka3,890,048
Inngest2,477,593
Activity
Commits last 30d
Apache Kafka100
Inngest100
Release
Cadence days
Apache Kafka–
Inngest4
History
Apache Kafka–
Inngest20 items
License
Spdx
Apache KafkaApache-2.0
InngestApache-2.0
Language
Primary
Apache KafkaJava
InngestGo
Market
Availability
Apache KafkaAvailable worldwide
Inngest–
Content
Faq
Apache Kafka6 items
Inngest7 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for message queues. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Core
Messaging paradigm
Apache KafkaPub/sub
InngestDurable execution
Correctness
Delivery guarantee
Apache KafkaExactly-once
InngestAt-least-once
Ordering guarantee
Apache KafkaPer-partition
Inngest-
Durability
Durable replayable log
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✓
Message replay / rewind
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✓
Interop
Wire protocol
Apache KafkaBinary over TCP (SSL/SASL for authentication/encryption)
InngestHTTPS
Kafka-protocol compatible
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✗
Scale
Partitioned horizontal scaling
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✓
Geo / cross-region replication
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest-
Consumption
Consumer groups / competing consumers
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✗
Dead-letter queue
Apache Kafka-
Inngest-
Deployment
Managed cloud offering exists
Apache Kafka✗
Inngest✓
Hosting
Apache KafkaSelf-hosted only
InngestCloud + self-hosted
Processing
Built-in stream processing
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✗

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

Apache Kafka

An open-source system for capturing, storing, and processing continuous data flows at scale. Used to build real-time analytics, data connectors, and mission-critical applications.

Independently observed

Inngest

Inngest enables developers to write durable functions with built-in checkpointing and retry logic that survive failures. Functions execute step-by-step with automatic recovery and detailed observability, eliminating the need for manual infrastructure management.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

Apache Kafka

Open source
as of verify ↗

Inngest

from $0.50/moSubscriptionFree tier

Free tier available. Pro from $99/mo + metered usage.

  • HobbyFree
    • 50k executions
    • 5 concurrent executions
    • 500 MB span data ingested
    • 10K scores
    • 500k events ingested
    • +6 more
  • ProStarting at $99/mo + metered usage
    • 1M executions included
    • Pay as you go up to 20M
    • 100+ concurrent executions
    • 5 GB span data ingested
    • 50K scores
    • +8 more
  • EnterpriseContact sales
    • Custom executions
    • Custom concurrent executions
    • Custom span data ingested
    • Custom scores
    • Custom events ingested
    • +5 more
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
Apache Kafka✗
Inngest✓
Linux
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✗
CLI
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
Apache Kafka✗
Inngest✓
Self-hosted
Apache Kafka✓
Inngest✓

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

Apache Kafka

4 total
  • Postgres
  • JMS
  • Elasticsearch
  • AWS S3
Independently observed

Inngest

6 total
  • Datadog
  • Vercel
  • OpenAI
  • Discord
  • Deno
  • PostgreSQL
Independently observed
Still deciding?

Apache Kafka or Inngest: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.