Choosing the right open source data platform for your business

When it comes to managing open source technologies like Apache Kafka®, Cassandra®, and PostgreSQL®, selecting the right open source data platform can be a game-changer. A reliable managed service provider can simplify deployment, scale efficiently, and optimize overall performance. NetApp Instaclustr, Confluent, and Aiven are three popular platforms for Kafka, each offering unique features tailored to businesses seeking scalable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions for their data infrastructure. This blog breaks down their features, pricing, and strengths to help you find the best open source data platform tailored to your business needs.

Why an open source data platform matters

An open source data platform provides flexibility, transparency, and cost-effectiveness for managing your data infrastructure. By eliminating vendor lock-in, you maintain control of your technology stack, ensuring scalability and long-term freedom to innovate.

Explore the possibilities of open source integration to future-proof your infrastructure and empower your business to adapt in a fast-paced digital environment.

Key benefits include:

• Greater control with no proprietary restrictions
• Scalability across multi-cloud or hybrid environments
• Cost savings by avoiding vendor licensing fees

Comparing the open source data platforms

1. NetApp Instaclustr

NetApp Instaclustr is a top-tier open source data platform specializing in fully managed open source data-layer solutions. We focus on giving businesses complete control over their technology stack with no vendor lock-in. Our extensive support for open source databases and technologies, performance optimization, and expert management ensures robust scalability and reliability for high-demand applications.

Key features:

• 24×7 operational support from an experienced team of data engineers
• No proprietary extensions, ensuring a 100% open source experience without vendor lock-in
• Customizable deployments with multi-cloud and hybrid cloud support
• Strong SLAs designed for business-critical applications
• Fully managed open source offerings, including Apache Kafka, Cassandra, PostgreSQL, Valkey™, OpenSearch®, Cadence, and more

Who should choose Instaclustr?

Instaclustr is a great fit for businesses seeking a vendor-agnostic approach with complete control over freely available open source technology and SLAs and technical support suitable for critical production-grade workloads.

2. Confluent

Confluent is built around Apache Kafka and offers additional proprietary tools to enhance the Kafka ecosystem. These tools and features include Confluent Schema Registry and ksqlDB to extend Kafka’s functionality. For some use cases, these tools and features are adequate. However, it is recommended to compare them to the available open source capabilities to have a complete understanding of the options. It is important to note that Confluent’s streaming platform is “open core,” meaning there is a licensing requirement for the offering versus a true open source model that includes substantial cost savings, unparalleled flexibility, and a constant stream of new features and security updates.

Another consideration is switching cost. Because Confluent’s offering is not fully open source, switching to another option may not offer the flexibility or cost-friendliness required by some organizations.

Key features (limited to Kafka and Flink):

• Optimized Apache Kafka experience with proprietary enhancements like ksqlDB for stream processing and Confluent Schema Registry
• Advanced security and monitoring features to simplify Kafka workloads
• Hybrid cloud and multi-region capabilities
• Built-in data governance tools catered to regulated industries

Who should choose Confluent?

Organizations heavily invested in Kafka that need supplementary functionality for stream processing and data governance tools—even if it comes at the expense of vendor lock-in, as Confluent is limited to Kafka and Flink and some proprietary features.

3. Aiven

Aiven provides an open source data platform with rapid deployment features, developer-friendly integrations, and transparent pricing.  The platform emphasizes rapid scalability with easy deployment.

Key features:

• Managed services for technologies like Kafka, PostgreSQL, Cassandra, Redis™, and Grafana
• Multi-cloud support across platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure
• Self-service deployment and flexibility in scaling up resources

Who should choose Aiven?

Aiven is suited to startups that prioritize ease of use and quick deployments but may not need complex operational monitoring or enterprise-grade features.

Feature comparison table

How to choose the right open source data platform

Choosing the right open source data platform depends on your organization’s specific technical needs, scalability requirements, and openness to vendor lock-in. NetApp Instaclustr, Confluent, and Aiven each bring something unique to the table.

• Choose NetApp Instaclustr if you’re looking for a reliable, fully open source managed service with enterprise-grade support for a wide range of technologies with opportunity to evolve your strategy over time (for example, moving workloads from cloud-to-cloud or bringing them in-house).
• Opt for Confluent if your focus is Apache Kafka and you’re open to licensing proprietary technology for advanced Kafka capabilities.
• Select Aiven if you’re a team seeking self-service scalability, developer-friendly tools, and you are comfortable working with an emerging company.