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Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud vs Cloud Security Connector for Zscaler comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Apache Kafka on Confluent C...
Ranking in AWS Marketplace
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cloud Security Connector fo...
Ranking in AWS Marketplace
16th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the AWS Marketplace category, the mindshare of Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud is 0.8%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cloud Security Connector for Zscaler is 0.8%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
AWS Marketplace
 

Featured Reviews

Ritik Varshney - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced data streaming with reliable features and good analytics
Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud provides an enhanced level of reliability and resources compared to Apache Kafka alone. It offers more features which are beneficial for our clients, including cluster linking, schema registry, error handling, and dead-letter queues. It significantly improves customer and publisher satisfaction, especially with topic integration and data streaming.
Deepak  Nagar - PeerSpot reviewer
A fast and scalable solution that is secure and can be modified according to the customers’ requirements
The tool is easy to deploy. We have to deploy the agent on the user’s machine. The agent takes 20 minutes to be installed. The tool is deployed in the data center. If the prerequisites are set up already, the product can be deployed in two or three hours. It is a cloud-based solution. We need two support engineers and one senior resource with more than seven years of experience in networking to deploy and maintain the tool. We need one product manager for coordination.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Overall, I think it's a good experience. Apache Kafka can be quite complex and difficult to maintain on your own, so using Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud makes it much easier to use it without worrying about setup and maintenance."
"The state-saving feature is very much appreciated. It allows me to rewind a certain process if I see an error and then reprocess it."
"The product's installation phase is pretty straightforward for us since we know how to use it."
"In case of huge transactions on the web or mobile apps, it helps you capture real-time data and analyze it."
"Kafka and Confluent Cloud have proven to be cost-effective, especially when compared to other tools. In a recent BI integration program over the past year, we assessed multiple use cases spanning ship-to-shore and various Azure integrations. Our findings revealed that Confluent Kafka performed exceptionally well, standing out alongside Genesys and Azure Event Hubs. While these three are top contenders, the choice among other tools depends on the specific use case and project requirements. The customer initially used tools like SMQs, FITRA, and Stream for real-time data processing. However, after our recommendation, Confluent Cloud proved to be a superior choice, capable of replacing these three tools and simplifying their data infrastructure. This shift to a single tool, Confluent Cloud, streamlined their operations, making maintenance and management more efficient for their internal projects."
"Kafka provides handy properties that allow us to directly configure the data, whether to keep it or discard it after use."
"Confluent Cloud handles data volume pretty well."
"Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud is more reliable and frequent to use compared to Apache Kafka."
"It is very useful ............visibility on the end-user,"
"The solution is secure."
 

Cons

"Maybe in terms of Apache Kafka's integration with other Microsoft tools, our company faced some challenges."
"There are some premium connectors, for example, available in Confluent, which you cannot access in the marketplace, so there are some limitations."
"Some areas for improvement in Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud include issues faced during migration with Kubernetes pods."
"There could be an in-built feature for data analysis."
"The administration port could be more extensive."
"There's one thing that's a common use case, but I don't know why it's not covered in Kafka. When a message comes in, and another message with the same key arrives, the first version should be deleted automatically."
"The solution is expensive."
"Regarding real-time data usage, there were challenges with CDC (Change Data Capture) integrations. Specifically, with PyTRAN, we encountered difficulties. We recommended using our on-premises Kaspersky as an alternative to PyTRAN for that specific use case due to issues with CDC store configuration and log reading challenges with the iton components."
"The connectivity could be faster."
"If there are any issues at the network level, such as users working from home, then it is very hard to catch up with them and resolve issues on the end-user machine."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I consider that the product's price falls under the middle range category."
"Regarding pricing, Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud is not a cheap tool. The right use case would justify the cost. It might make sense if you have a high volume of data that you can leverage to generate value for the business. But if you don't have those requirements, there are likely cheaper solutions you could use instead."
"I think the pricing is fair, but Confluent requires a little bit more thinking because the price can go up really quickly when it comes to premium connectors."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Government
7%
Insurance Company
24%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud?
Kafka and Confluent Cloud have proven to be cost-effective, especially when compared to other tools. In a recent BI integration program over the past year, we assessed multiple use cases spanning s...
What needs improvement with Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud?
Improvement can be made by making it easier to build applications on the real-time stream, focusing on real-time pre-processing and anomaly detection. They should enhance their capabilities in real...
What is your primary use case for Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud?
I use Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud ( /products/apache-kafka-on-confluent-cloud-reviews ) as a streaming platform for enterprises to move data in real time from the point of generation to where i...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cloud Security Connector for Zscaler?
It is a little bit too costly because of the maintenance and the product scalability. It is a little bit costly compared to other products, and it has more features compared to them. That is where ...
What needs improvement with Cloud Security Connector for Zscaler?
If there are any issues at the network level, such as users working from home, then it is very hard to catch up with them and resolve issues on the end-user machine. If the user doesn't have intern...
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud vs. Cloud Security Connector for Zscaler and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.