# Apache Pulsar vs Inngest

| Attribute | Apache Pulsar | Inngest |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 60.2 (38% (low)) | 56.4 (69% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 316 | 2 |
| adoption.github_stars | 15,343 | 5,939 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | - | 2,477,593 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A distributed messaging system built for cloud deployments that enables applications to reliably publish and consume messages—either individually or as continuous streams—with sub-10-millisecond latency, supporting millions of independent topics and large-scale streaming workloads. It is indexed under Message Queues.","source":"https://pulsar.apache.org","question":"What is Apache Pulsar?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Apache Pulsar is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://pulsar.apache.org","question":"Is Apache Pulsar free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Apache Pulsar supports a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://pulsar.apache.org","question":"What platforms does Apache Pulsar support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Apache Pulsar can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://pulsar.apache.org","question":"Can Apache Pulsar be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 27 integrations for Apache Pulsar, including Kafka, RabbitMQ, MongoDB, Cassandra, Elasticsearch, HBase, HDFS and InfluxDB, plus 19 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://pulsar.apache.org","question":"What does Apache Pulsar integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Apache Pulsar is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar","question":"Is Apache Pulsar open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"Provides an execution layer that automatically handles durability, retries, and state management for background jobs, scheduled tasks, and AI workflows through code-based function definitions. It is indexed under Message Queues.","source":"https://www.inngest.com/","question":"What is Inngest?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Inngest is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. A commercial or hosted edition starts at $0.50. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.inngest.com/","question":"Is Inngest free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Inngest supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.inngest.com/","question":"What platforms does Inngest support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Inngest can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.inngest.com/","question":"Can Inngest be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 5 integrations for Inngest, including Datadog, Vercel, OpenAI, Discord and Deno. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.inngest.com/","question":"What does Inngest integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and HIPAA for Inngest. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Inngest not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.inngest.com/","question":"What security certifications does Inngest have?","confidence":0.48},{"answer":"Yes. Inngest is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://www.npmjs.com/package/inngest","question":"Is Inngest open source?","confidence":0.85}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A message broker supporting both pub-sub and queue-based messaging patterns. It provides durable storage with strong ordering guarantees, horizontally scales to millions of topics and messages per second, and supports geo-replication for distributed deployments. | 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. |
| features.capabilities | `{"hosting":"both","ordering":"per_partition","paradigm":"pubsub","protocol":"pulsar://","message_replay":true,"persistent_log":true,"consumer_groups":true,"geo_replication":true,"kafka_compatible":true,"stream_processing":true,"delivery_guarantee":"exactly_once","horizontal_scaling":true}` | `{"hosting":"both","paradigm":"durable_exec","protocol":"HTTPS","message_replay":true,"persistent_log":true,"consumer_groups":false,"kafka_compatible":false,"managed_offering":true,"stream_processing":false,"delivery_guarantee":"at_least_once","horizontal_scaling":true}` |
| integrations.count | 35 | 3 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Kafka"},{"name":"RabbitMQ"},{"name":"MongoDB"},{"name":"Cassandra"},{"name":"Elasticsearch"},{"name":"HBase"},{"name":"HDFS"},{"name":"InfluxDB"},{"name":"Redis"},{"name":"Solr"},{"name":"DynamoDB"},{"name":"Kinesis"},{"name":"Azure Data Explorer"},{"name":"ClickHouse"},{"name":"PostgreSQL"},{"name":"MariaDB"},{"name":"SQLite"},{"name":"Debezium MySQL"},{"name":"Debezium PostgreSQL"},{"name":"Debezium MongoDB"},{"name":"Debezium Oracle"},{"name":"Debezium Microsoft SQL Server"},{"name":"Canal"},{"name":"Aerospike"},{"name":"Alluxio"},{"name":"NSQ"},{"name":"Netty"},{"name":"HTTP"},{"name":"File"},{"name":"Kafka Connect Adaptor","native":true,"direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"MySQL","native":true}]` | `[{"name":"Datadog"},{"name":"Vercel"},{"name":"OpenAI"},{"name":"Discord"},{"name":"Deno"},{"name":"PostgreSQL","native":true,"category":"database"}]` |
| language.primary | Java | Go |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"web":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://pulsar.apache.org","retrievedAt":"2026-10-14T22:35:49.214Z"}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Hobby","summary":"Free","features":["50k executions","5 concurrent executions","500 MB span data ingested","10K scores","500k events ingested","100k queue depth","50 realtime connections","Basic tracing, metrics, and alerts","3 users","3 workers","Unlimited serverless workers"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For individual developers and small projects getting started with durable execution.","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"3","events":"500k/mo","scores":"10K","workers":"3","span_data":"500 MB","executions":"50k/mo","queue_depth":"100k","realtime_connections":"50","concurrent_executions":"5"}},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"Starting at $99/mo + metered usage","features":["1M executions included","Pay as you go up to 20M","100+ concurrent executions","5 GB span data ingested","50K scores","5M+ events ingested","1M+ queue depth","1000 realtime connections","Granular tracing, metrics, alerts + 7 day trace retention","Increased throughput","15 users","20 workers","Unlimited serverless workers"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":99,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"per":{"qty":25,"unit":"concurrent_execution"},"kind":"metered","amount":25,"currency":"USD"},{"per":{"qty":1,"unit":"gb"},"kind":"metered","amount":3,"currency":"USD"},{"per":{"qty":1000000,"unit":"event"},"kind":"metered","amount":0.5,"currency":"USD"},{"per":{"qty":1000,"unit":"score"},"kind":"metered","amount":1.5,"currency":"USD"},{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"user","amount":10,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"worker","amount":10,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For growing teams building production-ready workflows with increased scale and reliability.","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"15","events":"5M+/mo","scores":"50K","workers":"20","span_data":"5 GB","executions":"1M + pay as you go up to 20M","queue_depth":"1M+","realtime_connections":"1000","concurrent_executions":"100+"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing. Contact sales.","features":["Custom executions","Custom concurrent executions","Custom span data ingested","Custom scores","Custom events ingested","Custom queue depth","Custom realtime connections","Advanced tracing, metrics, alerts + 90 day trace retention","Dedicated Slack channel","SAML, RBAC, audit trails"],"description":"For organizations running critical workflows at scale with advanced security, support, and customization.","contactSales":true}],"addOns":[{"name":"HIPAA BAAs"},{"name":"Advanced observability","components":[{"kind":"one_time","amount":300,"currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"Free tier available. Pro from $99/mo + metered usage.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.inngest.com/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-03T22:31:13.499Z","startingPrice":{"amount":0.5,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | low |
| pricing.transparent | - | no |
| release.cadence_days | 3 | 4 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v5.0.0","date":"2026-10-05T19:22:24Z","type":"stable","version":"v5.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.2.5","date":"2026-10-05T19:23:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.2.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.0.14","date":"2026-10-05T19:23:29Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.0.14"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v5.0.0-M2","date":"2026-09-16T23:33:14Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v5.0.0-M2"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.2.4","date":"2026-08-03T09:19:30Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.2.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.0.13","date":"2026-08-03T09:19:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.0.13"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.2.3","date":"2026-07-06T08:46:50Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.2.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.0.12","date":"2026-07-06T08:46:18Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.0.12"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v5.0.0-M1","date":"2026-06-23T14:11:26Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v5.0.0-M1"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.2.2","date":"2026-06-08T18:16:45Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.2.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.0.11","date":"2026-06-08T18:16:01Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.0.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.2.1","date":"2026-04-27T13:04:33Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.0.10","date":"2026-04-27T13:04:17Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.0.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v3.0.17","date":"2026-04-27T13:03:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.17"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.2.0","date":"2026-03-31T21:12:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.1.3","date":"2026-02-19T19:48:49Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.1.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.0.9","date":"2026-02-19T19:48:13Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.0.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v3.0.16","date":"2026-02-16T09:24:53Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.16"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.1.2","date":"2025-11-17T07:58:34Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/apache/pulsar/releases/tag/v4.0.8","date":"2025-11-17T07:58:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.0.8"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.46.0","date":"2026-10-06T15:01:01Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.46.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.45.1","date":"2026-09-17T20:51:40Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.45.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.45.0","date":"2026-09-17T18:14:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.45.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.44.0","date":"2026-08-26T20:55:33Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.44.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.43.0","date":"2026-08-20T15:03:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.43.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.42.0","date":"2026-08-19T16:58:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.42.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.41.1","date":"2026-08-05T18:45:29Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.41.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.41.0","date":"2026-08-03T22:45:39Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.41.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.40.0","date":"2026-07-30T21:12:16Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.40.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.39.0","date":"2026-07-28T16:50:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.39.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.38.1","date":"2026-07-21T21:45:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.38.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.38.0","date":"2026-07-21T20:00:17Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.38.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.37.0","date":"2026-07-14T21:06:57Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.37.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.36.0","date":"2026-07-08T21:24:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.36.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.35.0","date":"2026-07-07T23:33:52Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.35.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.34.0","date":"2026-06-29T17:37:09Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.34.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.33.1-test.3","date":"2026-06-25T16:32:45Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.33.1-test.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.33.1-test.2","date":"2026-06-24T00:54:39Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.33.1-test.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.33.0","date":"2026-06-23T17:42:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.33.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/inngest/inngest/releases/tag/v1.32.0","date":"2026-06-22T23:34:39Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.32.0"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | - | yes |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"SOC 2 Type II","level":"Type II","status":"active","evidenceUrl":"https://www.inngest.com/docs/learn/security"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.hipaa | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 7.1 | - |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |
| security.trust_center | https://pulsar.apache.org/docs/5.0.x/security-athenz/ | https://www.inngest.com/docs/learn/security |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=maven&package_name=org.apache.pulsar%3Apulsar-client-admin&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=inngest-cli&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Message Queues)

| Capability | Apache Pulsar | Inngest |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Messaging paradigm | Pub/sub | Durable execution |
| **Correctness** |  |  |
| Delivery guarantee | Exactly-once | At-least-once |
| Ordering guarantee | Per-partition | - |
| **Durability** |  |  |
| Durable replayable log | ✓ | ✓ |
| Message replay / rewind | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Interop** |  |  |
| Wire protocol | pulsar:// | HTTPS |
| Kafka-protocol compatible | ✓ | ✗ |
| **Scale** |  |  |
| Partitioned horizontal scaling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geo / cross-region replication | ✓ | - |
| **Consumption** |  |  |
| Consumer groups / competing consumers | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dead-letter queue | - | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Managed cloud offering exists | - | ✓ |
| Hosting | Cloud + self-hosted | Cloud + self-hosted |
| **Processing** |  |  |
| Built-in stream processing | ✓ | ✗ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:27:13.182Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*