Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka

aws.amazon.com

From $0.11/mo WebLinuxAPI

Spec score 7.9 #10 of 27 in Event Streaming Platforms

What it is

Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (MSK) manages Apache Kafka infrastructure on AWS for developers and platform engineers. It provisions and configures clusters, replaces failed servers, coordinates patches and upgrades, and handles monitoring and scaling. Provisioned clusters let customers choose broker and storage options, while Serverless clusters adjust resources to workload needs. MSK keeps compatibility with the Apache Kafka client protocol, so existing Kafka applications and tools can work without application code changes. Integrations include Amazon S3, Redshift, Managed Service for Apache Flink, Lambda, Glue Schema Registry, and Database Migration Service. Clusters span multiple Availability Zones, with three as the default, and the service-level agreement specifies three 9s of availability. Security includes IAM, SASL/SCRAM or mutual TLS for Provisioned clusters, and encryption in transit and at rest. CloudWatch supplies over 50 default metrics at no additional cost. MSK is paid, with separate charges possible for storage, processing, connectivity, and enhanced metrics.

Spec sheet

Purpose: Amazon MSK manages Apache Kafka infrastructure and operations so developers and platform engineers can run Kafka on AWS without becoming experts in operating it.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Intended users: AWS describes MSK as intended for developers and DevOps or platform engineers building streaming data applications on AWS.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Integrations: Listed integrations include Amazon S3, Amazon Redshift, Amazon Managed Service for Apache Flink, AWS Lambda, AWS Glue Schema Registry, and AWS Database Migration Service.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Security: MSK supports IAM access control, SASL/SCRAM or mutual TLS authentication for Provisioned clusters, and encryption at rest and in transit.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Compliance: AWS states that it supports 143 security standards and compliance certifications, including PCI-DSS, HIPAA/HITECH, FedRAMP, GDPR, FIPS 140-3, and NIST 800-171.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Broker logs: MSK broker logs can be delivered to CloudWatch Logs, Amazon S3, or Amazon Data Firehose, and MSK API calls can be logged with CloudTrail.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Cluster options: MSK offers Provisioned clusters, where customers choose broker and storage options, and Serverless clusters, which automatically adjust resources to workload needs.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Kafka compatibility: MSK maintains compatibility with the Apache Kafka open source client protocol, allowing Kafka applications and tools to work without application code changes.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Managed operations: MSK provisions and configures clusters, replaces failed servers, orchestrates patches and upgrades, and handles monitoring and scaling.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Monitoring: CloudWatch provides a default set of over 50 metrics at no additional cost; enhanced broker and topic metrics are billed at standard CloudWatch rates.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Notable cost limit: Enhanced CloudWatch metrics are billed at standard CloudWatch rates, and MSK pricing also lists separate charges for storage, data processing, and some connectivity.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Open monitoring: For Provisioned clusters, MSK can export JMX and node metrics for monitoring with Prometheus-compatible solutions including Datadog, Lenses, New Relic, and Sumo Logic.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Resilience: Clusters are distributed across multiple Availability Zones, with three as the default, and the MSK service level agreement guarantees three 9s of availability.Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com

Plans and prices

MSK Connect $0.11 a month Hourly connector usage, billed at one-second resolution; example rate is $0.11 per hour per MCU. Each MCU provides 1 vCPU and 4 GB memory; total cost depends on worker count and size Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com

MSK Provisioned — Standard brokers $0.20 a month Hourly broker usage, billed at one-second resolution; example rate is $0.204 per hour for a kafka.m7g.large in US East (N. Virginia). Storage, optional provisioned storage throughput, data transfer, and private connectivity are charged separately Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com

MSK Replicator $0.30 a month Example Replicator rate is $0.30 per hour; data processed and, for cross-Region replication, data transfer are charged separately. Cross-Region and same-Region replication supported; other charges may apply, including private connectivity Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com

MSK Provisioned — Express brokers $0.41 a month Hourly broker usage, billed at one-second resolution; example rate is $0.408 per hour for an express.m7g.large in US East (N. Virginia). Also charged for data ingested and storage; data transfer and private connectivity may incur separate charges Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com

MSK Serverless $0.75 a month Example US East rate is $0.75/cluster-hr; additional example rates are $ 0.0015/partition-hr, $0.10/GB-in, $0.05/GB-out, and $0.10/GB-month for storage. Usage charges vary by cluster-hours, partition-hours, data written and read, and storage; data transfer may be additional Read 3 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com

Every Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

Managed provisioning, patching, and scaling
Provisioned and Serverless cluster choices
Apache Kafka client compatibility
Multi-Availability-Zone deployment
Over 50 default CloudWatch metrics

Limits

No free plan
Enhanced metrics incur CloudWatch charges
Storage, processing, and connectivity can cost extra
Pricing varies by usage and cluster type

Who it suits

MSK is intended for developers and DevOps or platform engineers building streaming applications on AWS. It fits teams wanting managed Kafka operations while retaining Kafka client compatibility.

Verdict

MSK covers core Kafka operations while offering both configurable and automatically scaling cluster models. Its usage-based pricing and additional service charges require cost planning.