Best Streaming Analytics Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Apache Beam is ranked #1 of 25 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Apache Druid and Apache Storm. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Apache Druid. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Materialize at $0.13/mo.
Streaming analytics software works with data as events arrive, and the listed options differ in processing features and deployment. Compare event-time and stateful processing, exactly-once processing, and watermarks, along with the SQL interface and supported languages. Deployment choices, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing are also included for comparison. Apache Beam, Apache Druid, and Apache Storm are among the named options, alongside Feldera and Timeplus. Consider the processing behavior and interfaces your workloads call for, then weigh those requirements against the listed capabilities and deployment details.
25 streaming analytics software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
14 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apache BeamWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | Apache DruidWeb · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | Apache StormWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 4 | FelderaWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 5 | TimeplusWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $199/mo | 6.6 | |
| 6 | Apache SparkWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 7 | Confluent CloudWeb · Linux · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $385/mo | 6.5 | |
| 8 | MaterializeWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $0.13/mo | 6.5 | |
| 9 | Apache FlinkLinux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | Apache PinotWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 11 | Apache SamzaLinux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | Tinybird CloudWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $49/mo | 6.4 | |
| 13 | Ververica PlatformWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 14 | Pathway Live Data FrameworkSelf-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 15 | RisingWaveWeb · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $0.23/mo | 5.6 |
| 16 | kdb+Windows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | TIBCO BusinessWorksWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | Amazon Managed Service for Apache FlinkWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 19 | Tencent Cloud CDNWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | CNY 21/mo | 5.0 |
| 20 | TIBCO StreamingWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 21 | Alibaba Cloud Realtime Compute for Apache FlinkWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 22 | Apache HeronLinux · Self-hosted | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 23 | Apache KafkaNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 24 | Tencent Cloud OceanusWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | CNY 2,352/mo | 4.9 |
| 25 | Google Cloud DataflowWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which streaming analytics software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Apache Beam is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 6.6. Apache Druid is second and Apache Storm third.
How many of these have a free plan?
14 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Materialize has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.13/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.