Side by side
Confluent Cloud vs NATS
Both stand on message queue (mq) software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Confluent Cloud combines managed Kafka streaming with connectors, stream processing, and governance options. A free plan is available, while paid plans start at $385.00 per month and new signups receive $400 in first-30-day credits.
Visit Confluent CloudChoose NATS if you need open-source messaging for distributed services and want pub/sub, request/reply, and persistent streaming in one system. Its documented clients and connectors offer options across many languages and tools; teams seeking an app outside the listed API, Linux, and self-hosted platforms should look elsewhere.
Visit NATSThe facts
| Confluent Cloud | NATS | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Web | API, Linux, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Standard: $385 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | confluent.io | nats.io |
| On message queue (mq) software | #13 of 29 | #17 of 29 |
Confluent Cloud: what it does well
- Free Basic plan with serverless managed clusters.
- More than 80 managed connectors are listed.
- Supports AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.
- Cluster Linking spans regions and public clouds.
- Client language support includes Java, Python, and Go.
What to know first
- Paid plans start at $385.00 per month.
- Usage-based pricing applies after the 30-day credits.
- Dedicated clusters require pre-provisioned resources.
NATS: what it does well
- Supports pub/sub, request/reply, and persistent streaming through JetStream.
- Combines queueing, key-value functions, streaming, and object storage.
- Single binary has no external dependencies.
- Typically uses less than 20 MB of RAM.
- Documents authentication, authorization, TLS, and isolated accounts.
What to know first
- It is a messaging system for teams building distributed systems.
- The server is listed for Linux and self-hosted environments, alongside an API platform.
Alternatives to Confluent Cloud Alternatives to NATS The whole list