Google Cloud Managed Service for Apache Kafka vs Redpanda
Google Cloud Managed Service for Apache Kafka
cloud.google.com
Redpanda
redpanda.comSide by side
| Figure | Google Cloud Managed Service for Apache Kafka | Redpanda |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 4 |
| Spec score · Event Streaming Platforms | 6.0 (#22) | 8.4 (#5) |
| Spec score · Schema Registry Software | 5.9 (#23) | 8.4 (#3) |
| Spec score · Message Queue (MQ) Software | 6.0 (#28) | 8.4 (#8) |
Plans
Google Cloud Managed Service for Apache Kafka
- CPU+RAMPriced on request
- Connect CPU+RAMPriced on request
- Local StoragePriced on request
- Long term storagePriced on request
- Inter-zone data transferPriced on request
Redpanda
- Community EditionFree
- Bring Your Own CloudPriced on request
- Enterprise EditionPriced on request
- ServerlessPriced on request
In their own words
Google Cloud Managed Service for Apache Kafka
Google Cloud Managed Service for Apache Kafka has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Redpanda
Redpanda is an event-streaming platform for storing real-time events in ordered topics that can be replayed, with access through the Apache Kafka API. Its Kafka compatibility is intended to let existing applications and tools continue without rewrites or changes. The platform uses a native C++ architecture, runs as a single binary, and has no external dependencies. Redpanda Connect supplies more than 300 pre-built connectors for sources, sinks, processors, databases, APIs, cloud services, and AI pipelines. Native Apache Iceberg support and Iceberg topics let streams be materialized into lakehouse-ready tables. Deployment options include Serverless, managed BYOC on AWS, GCP, or Azure, and self-managed installations on bare metal, virtual machines, Kubernetes, or Docker. Redpanda also lists stream processing, a schema registry, both delivery guarantees, and client support for Java, C/C++, Go, Python, Rust, and Node.js. The maker states that its platform delivers 10x lower tail latencies than open-source Kafka.