Cloudera Schema Registry vs Karapace
Cloudera Schema Registry
docs.cloudera.comKarapace
aiven.ioSide by side
| Figure | Cloudera Schema Registry | Karapace |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $35/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Schema Registry Software | 7.3 (#14) | 8.1 (#8) |
| Deployment | The Kubernetes Operator edition packages Cloudera Runtime Schema Registry as a Helm chart for deployment on Kubernetes. | The project documents Docker-based setup and installation from source with pip. |
| Integrations | Documented integration points include custom NiFi processors and Kafka serializers and deserializers. | The Aiven Terraform Provider supports managing Karapace Schema Registry authorization ACL entries. |
Plans
In their own words
Cloudera Schema Registry
Cloudera Schema Registry has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Karapace
Karapace is Aiven’s open-source Schema Registry and REST Proxy for Aiven for Apache Kafka. The registry stores and versions schemas, then checks compatibility before a changed schema is published. It accepts Avro, Protobuf, and JSON Schema, with references supported for Avro and Protobuf. Compatibility modes include NONE, BACKWARD, BACKWARD_TRANSITIVE, FORWARD, FORWARD_TRANSITIVE, FULL, and FULL_TRANSITIVE. The REST Proxy exposes HTTP endpoints for producing and consuming Kafka events, so scripts, curl, and HTTP services can work with events. OAuth 2.0/OIDC authentication is available for both components. Registry ACLs and OIDC role-based rules can limit operations, including by HTTP method. Example identity providers include Auth0, Okta, Google Identity Platform, and Azure. Deployment documentation covers Docker and installation from source with pip; the API is stated to support Schema Registry 6.1.1 operations. Karapace is available in Aiven’s Kafka free tier for learning, prototyping, and evaluation. The Free plan costs nothing, while Developer costs $35 a month.