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DataStax Astra Streaming

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Spec score 7.8 #13 of 27 in Event Streaming Platforms

What it is

DataStax Astra Streaming is a managed cloud service for streaming data and processing event streams, powered by Apache Pulsar. It provides messaging for streaming, publish-subscribe workflows, and queuing, and supports real-time event processing and change data capture. Users manage Pulsar tenants and resources such as topics, connectors, functions, and subscriptions through the Astra Portal, APIs, or related tools. Applications connect through open-source Apache Pulsar client APIs; the service runs Pulsar 3.1 and recommends that API version or higher. Included connectors cover Astra DB and Cassandra, Kafka, AWS Kinesis, Cloud Storage, Elasticsearch, BigQuery, JDBC databases, Snowflake, and selected source systems including Debezium-supported databases. Connections use authentication, authorization, and TLS. Shared clusters have defined tenant, namespace, topic, message-size, and throughput limits. Custom source and sink connectors are not supported, and experimental connectors are not fully supported or tested. A free tier is listed at free; paid pricing is usage-based and varies by region and usage.

Spec sheet

Audience
DataStax describes Astra Streaming as serving enterprise mission-critical workloads as well as mid-market, small-business, and individual developer use cases.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Integrations
Included sink connectors support Astra DB and Cassandra, Kafka, AWS Kinesis, Cloud Storage, Elasticsearch, BigQuery, JDBC databases, and Snowflake.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Security
Shared tenants use Pulsar authentication and authorization alongside Astra organization RBAC, with tenant-scoped roles and permissions.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Support
The documentation directs customers to IBM Support for requests such as private connectivity and unavailable regions.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Client libraries
Applications can connect using open-source Apache Pulsar client APIs; the service runs Pulsar 3.1 and recommends that API version or higher.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Connector limitation
Astra Streaming does not support custom source or sink connectors, and experimental connectors are not fully supported or tested.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Management
Users can manage Pulsar tenants and resources including topics, connectors, functions, and subscriptions through the Astra Portal, APIs, or related tools.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Pricing model
Astra Streaming offers a free tier, while its serverless model charges for resources used; dedicated Streaming Capacity Units are billed separately with customer-specific pricing.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Service
Astra Streaming is a fully managed SaaS for data streaming and event stream processing, powered by Apache Pulsar.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Shared cluster limits
Shared clusters allow up to 10 tenants per organization, 20 namespaces per tenant, 100 topics per namespace, and 5 MB messages.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Source connectors
Included source connectors support Kafka, AWS Kinesis, data generation, and Debezium for MongoDB, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Throughput limits
On shared clusters, the per-topic producer, consumer, and subscription throughput guardrail is 5,000 messages per second and 25 MB per second.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Transport and private networking
Connections use authentication, authorization, and TLS; private connectivity is available for Streaming Capacity Units, not shared clusters.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Use cases
The service provides unified messaging for streaming, pub/sub, and queuing, and supports real-time event processing and change data capture.Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com

Plans and prices

Free tier Free Exact price and included limits not stated on the opened pages Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com
Paid Astra Streaming plans Priced on request Usage-based charges; rates vary by region and usage Streaming Capacity Units are an optional addition to the base plan and are billed uniquely per customer Read 3 Oct 2026 · docs.datastax.com

Every DataStax Astra Streaming plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Managed service powered by Apache Pulsar
  • Supports real-time processing and change data capture
  • Management through portal, APIs, or related tools
  • TLS, authentication, and authorization for connections
  • Free tier listed at free

Limits

  • Shared clusters have tenant, namespace, and topic limits
  • Shared-cluster messages are limited to 5 MB
  • Custom source and sink connectors are not supported
  • Paid rates vary by region and usage

Who it suits

Astra Streaming suits teams building streaming, messaging, or event-processing applications with Apache Pulsar clients. Its stated audience ranges from individual developers and small businesses to enterprise workloads.

Verdict

Astra Streaming combines managed Pulsar messaging with connectors and event-processing capabilities. Check shared-cluster limits and connector support against your requirements; paid rates are usage-based and vary.

Where Specifiction places it

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