Apicurio Registry vs Lenses
Apicurio Registry
apicur.ioLenses
lenses.ioSide by side
| Figure | Apicurio Registry | Lenses |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $0.33/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 6 |
| Spec score · Schema Registry Software | 8.0 (#11) | 8.1 (#9) |
| Deployment | The getting-started guide runs the server and UI as separate Docker images and also names Podman as a prerequisite option. | Lenses can be deployed in a cloud, on-premises, or hybrid environment. |
| Product | Apicurio Registry is a runtime server that stores API designs and schemas and lets users add, update, and remove artifacts through a REST API. | Lenses describes its Operating Fabric as a platform to build, govern, and operate Kafka apps with engineers and AI agents across Kafka environments. |
| Support | The documentation directs users to the GitHub projects and issue tracker for help, suggestions, and problem reports. | The pricing page includes Team Support in the Team plan and Enterprise Support in the Multi-Kafka Enterprise plan. |
Plans
Lenses
- K2K CommunityFree
- Lenses DevX Community EditionFree
- K2K add-on$1 a month
- Lenses DevX Team Edition$4 a year
- K2K EnterprisePriced on request
- Lenses DevX Multi-Kafka EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Apicurio Registry
Apicurio Registry is an open-source runtime server for storing API designs and schemas as artifacts. Users can add, update, and remove artifacts through a remote REST API. For API discovery, teams can register designs such as OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, and GraphQL so consumers can search and browse APIs, see details, and read generated documentation. For messaging and event streaming, it provides a central place to track schemas and manage data-format evolution. Supported artifact types include OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, GraphQL, Apache Avro, Protocol Buffers, JSON Schema, Kafka Connect schema, WSDL, XML Schema, and ODCS v3.1. Configurable rules can check validity, compatibility, and integrity as artifacts change. Listed storage backends include Apache Kafka, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server. Management options include a web console, REST API, command line, Maven plug-in, and Java client. Kafka serializers and deserializers can enforce schemas in producer and consumer applications. The documentation covers self-hosted deployment, including Kubernetes. The quick-start in-memory server is non-persistent and is not intended for production.
Lenses
Lenses describes its Operating Fabric as a platform for building, governing, and operating Kafka applications with engineers and AI agents. Users can discover streaming data across domains with SQL, prepare it for consumption, and deploy data streams independently. It connects to Confluent Platform, Confluent Cloud, Amazon MSK, Redpanda, and self-managed Apache Kafka, and can run in cloud, on-premises, or hybrid environments. Work interfaces include a Web App, VS Code Extension, Lenses MCP, and Lenses CLI. Lenses says OAuth 2.1 gives agents scoped, short-lived, revocable, and audited access. It also lists open-source Kafka connectors for systems including Amazon S3, Azure Event Hubs, GCP Storage, Cassandra, MongoDB, Redis, and Elasticsearch; the connectors are Apache 2.0 licensed and have enterprise support. The DevX Community Edition supports up to five free users, while SQL Studio supports up to two Kafka clusters. A trial key is available through the guided demo. Team Edition is listed from $4,000 per year and supports up to 15 users with SSO/SAML, RBAC, and Team Support.