Lead Software Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
MSP
Top 10
Nov 1, 2025
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing went well. When I did my testing around it or research, I used the free credits. However, I did not realize that I was crossing the credits until I received an email regarding billing, so I had to email the team to let them know that I was not aware of that. I thought Confluent would stop me when I crossed the credits, but it did not, and then I got charged. So, because of that, there was back and forth with the team regarding the cost, but overall, I feel it would have been easier to handle if there were a mechanism that let us know when the credits were being fully utilized or when the limits were getting crossed.
VP Engineering at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 10
May 28, 2025
They charge per topic and other resources. Because we are very cost sensitive, we want to approve it and make sure people don't just use it unnecessarily.
Global Vice President, Product Strategy & Gtm at NucleusTeq
Real User
Top 10
Mar 4, 2025
Previously, the pricing was on the higher side. However, recent product introductions consider various use cases, like freight clusters, making enterprise clusters more reasonably priced with flexible pricing options.
Learn what your peers think about Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
Integration Solution Architect at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 5
May 24, 2024
Using Confluent, you have more licensing prices to account for when you calculate. 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.
If you use Confluent Cloud, it's expensive because it needs updates available in the platform, like AWS. But you only pay for what you use. So it's quite affordable considering the value it provides. It is affordable for me.
Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud provides real-time data streaming with seamless integration, enhanced scalability, and efficient data processing, recognized for its real-time architecture, ease of use, and reliable multi-cloud operations while effectively managing large data volumes.Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud is designed to handle large-scale data operations across different cloud environments. It supports real-time data streaming, crucial for applications in transaction processing,...
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing went well. When I did my testing around it or research, I used the free credits. However, I did not realize that I was crossing the credits until I received an email regarding billing, so I had to email the team to let them know that I was not aware of that. I thought Confluent would stop me when I crossed the credits, but it did not, and then I got charged. So, because of that, there was back and forth with the team regarding the cost, but overall, I feel it would have been easier to handle if there were a mechanism that let us know when the credits were being fully utilized or when the limits were getting crossed.
They charge per topic and other resources. Because we are very cost sensitive, we want to approve it and make sure people don't just use it unnecessarily.
I would rate the pricing as fair, five out of ten. You can pay between 30,000 to 60,000 euros per year.
Previously, the pricing was on the higher side. However, recent product introductions consider various use cases, like freight clusters, making enterprise clusters more reasonably priced with flexible pricing options.
I'm not sure about the pricing of Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud.
I consider that the product's price falls under the middle range category.
Since we are in development, we have no license. We will need one eventually. The price isn't low, but it's not too high.
Using Confluent, you have more licensing prices to account for when you calculate. 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.
If you use Confluent Cloud, it's expensive because it needs updates available in the platform, like AWS. But you only pay for what you use. So it's quite affordable considering the value it provides. It is affordable for me.