Side by side
Apache Flink CDC vs TiCDC
Both stand on change data capture software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
Apache Flink CDC offers multiple ways to define CDC pipelines and a broad set of listed connectors. Its deployment requires an Apache Flink environment, and the stated runtime requirement for version 3.6.0 is JDK 11 or later.
Visit Apache Flink CDC Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+1
TiCDC provides incremental TiDB replication with filtering, multiple sink types, and cluster-to-cluster options. Plan for its at-least-once delivery behavior, table index requirements, and documented unsupported cases before relying on a replication path.
Visit TiCDCThe facts
| Apache Flink CDC | TiCDC | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | docs.pingcap.com |
| On change data capture software | #2 of 23 | #1 of 23 |
Apache Flink CDC: what it does well
- Supports full and sharded table synchronization
- Provides YAML, SQL, and DataStream APIs
- Lists a broad range of connectors
- Flink CDC 3.6 supports Flink 1.20 and 2.2
- Distributed under Apache 2.0 License
What to know first
- Self-hosted deployment is required
- Version 3.6.0 requires JDK 11 or later
- Support is directed to mailing list and Flink JIRA
TiCDC: what it does well
- Replicates to databases, Kafka, cloud storage, and NFS.
- Supports bidirectional TiDB cluster replication.
- Filters databases, tables, DMLs, and DDLs.
- Nodes can be added or removed dynamically.
What to know first
- At-least-once delivery can repeat statements or Kafka messages.
- Tables generally need a valid index.
- Large transactions have partial support and out-of-memory risk.
- RawKV-only clusters are unsupported.
Alternatives to Apache Flink CDC Alternatives to TiCDC The whole list