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Apache Heron

Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

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Apache Heron's own site

What Apache Heron is

Apache Heron is a distributed engine for processing data streams in real time, with fault tolerance and topology isolation as part of its design. Twitter developed it and donated it to the Apache Incubator in 2018. Heron was built for compatibility with the Apache Storm ecosystem and topology API, and its process-based architecture is written in Java, C++ and Python. The project describes Java and Python Streamlets APIs, a Python API similar to Storm’s, and YAML-based ECO topology stitching. It supports backpressure, stateful and effectively-once processing, and configurations for latency-sensitive or throughput-sensitive workloads. Adaptors are described for Apache Hadoop, Apache BookKeeper and the local file system. Dhalion is intended to tune, heal and stabilize topologies when unexpected behavior occurs. Deployment scheduler options include Kubernetes, DC/OS, Nomad, SLURM and standalone. Heron is open source under Apache License 2.0 and is free for self-hosted Linux deployment. The project retired on January 18, 2023, and its GitHub repository was archived as read-only on March 3, 2023.

Who it suits

Heron suits teams building real-time stream-processing topologies that need Storm compatibility, stateful processing or configurable latency and throughput priorities. Its self-hosted Linux deployment and scheduler options are relevant to teams managing their own infrastructure, though the project is retired and archived.

What it does well

  • Apache Storm ecosystem and topology API compatibility
  • Supports backpressure and stateful, effectively-once processing
  • Java, C++ and Python implementation
  • Scheduler choices include Kubernetes, DC/OS, Nomad and SLURM
  • Apache License 2.0 open-source software

What to know first

  • The project retired on January 18, 2023
  • The GitHub repository is archived and read-only
  • Deployment is listed for Linux and self-hosting

Limits

No free-plan quotas are listed. The project is retired, and its GitHub repository is archived as read-only.

Getting started

  1. Visit https://heron.apache.org/
  2. Use a Linux self-hosted deployment
  3. Choose a listed scheduler: Kubernetes, DC/OS, Nomad, SLURM or standalone
  4. Review the repository’s Java 11, Python 3.6 and Bazel 6.0.0 build requirements

Verdict

Heron may suit teams that need its specific stream-processing model, Storm compatibility and self-hosted scheduler choices. The project’s retirement and read-only archive are important reasons to look elsewhere if ongoing project activity is essential.

Questions

How much does Apache Heron cost?

Heron is free and open source under Apache License 2.0.

Which platforms are listed?

Linux and self-hosted deployment are listed.

Is Heron compatible with Apache Storm?

It was built for backwards compatibility with the Apache Storm ecosystem and topology API.

Is Apache Heron still active?

The project retired on January 18, 2023. Its GitHub repository was archived as read-only on March 3, 2023.

Which schedulers can be used?

The listed options are Kubernetes, DC/OS, Nomad, SLURM and standalone.

Facts from Apache Heron's own pages

APIs
The project describes Java and Python Streamlets APIs, a Python API similar to Storm’s, and YAML-based ECO topology stitching. · blog.x.com, 4 Oct 2026
Architecture
Heron uses a process-based computing model with topology isolation. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Archive
The Apache Heron GitHub repository was archived on March 3, 2023 and is read-only. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Build requirements
The repository README lists Java 11, Python 3.6, and Bazel 6.0.0 as requirements. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Community support
The README lists user and development mailing lists and a Heron Slack workspace. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Deployment integrations
Twitter’s project announcement describes integration with Apache Mesos, Apache Aurora, Apache REEF, and Slurm. · blog.x.com, 9 Oct 2026
Features
Heron supports backpressure, task isolation for troubleshooting, and configuring topologies for latency-sensitive or throughput-sensitive workloads. · blog.x.com, 4 Oct 2026
Intended use
The repository describes Heron as a real-time stream processing engine developed at Twitter. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Languages and architecture
Heron uses a process-based architecture and is written in Java, C++ and Python. · blog.x.com, 4 Oct 2026
License
The project is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Origin
Twitter developed Heron as a distributed streaming engine and donated it to the Apache Incubator in 2018. · blog.x.com, 4 Oct 2026
Project status
The Apache Incubator page says the Heron podling retired on 2023-01-18. · incubator.apache.org, 9 Oct 2026
Purpose
Heron is a real-time, distributed, fault-tolerant stream processing engine. · incubator.apache.org, 9 Oct 2026
Schedulers
The project lists Kubernetes, DC/OS, Nomad, SLURM and standalone as scheduler deployment options. · blog.x.com, 4 Oct 2026
Security
The GitHub repository page links to a security policy. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Self-management
Dhalion is described as enabling Heron to self-tune, self-heal and self-stabilize when topologies encounter unexpected behavior. · blog.x.com, 4 Oct 2026
State and processing
The project describes stateful and effectively-once processing, with adaptors for Apache Hadoop, Apache BookKeeper and the local file system. · blog.x.com, 4 Oct 2026
Stateful processing
Twitter’s donation announcement describes stateful, exactly-once processing with adaptors for Apache Hadoop, Apache BookKeeper, and the local file system. · blog.x.com, 9 Oct 2026
Status
Apache Heron retired on 2023-01-18. · incubator.apache.org, 4 Oct 2026
Storm compatibility
Heron was designed to retain compatibility with Apache Storm’s data model and topology API. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Typical workloads
Twitter listed ETL, model enhancement, anomaly and fraud detection, IoT, embedded systems, VR/AR, ad bidding, financial, security and social media use cases. · blog.x.com, 4 Oct 2026
What it does
Heron is a real-time, distributed, fault-tolerant stream processing engine. · incubator.apache.org, 4 Oct 2026

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