# Redpanda

> Kafka-compatible streaming platform in a single binary

Redpanda is a Kafka API-compatible streaming platform written in C++, shipped as a single binary without ZooKeeper or a JVM, available self-hosted or as a managed cloud.

Website: https://www.redpanda.com

## Use it when

- You want the Kafka API with less to operate: one C++ binary with built-in Raft, no JVM, no ZooKeeper, no separate coordination layer.
- Tail latency matters; the thread-per-core design targets consistent low latency under load.
- Existing Kafka clients, Connect pipelines, and stream processors must work unchanged.
- Hardware efficiency is a goal: fewer, smaller nodes for the same throughput, with tiered storage keeping local disks small.

## Think twice when

- OSI-approved open source is a requirement; the core is source-available under BUSL, not open source in the OSI sense.
- You depend on the newest Kafka broker features immediately; compatibility tracks the protocol, not every capability the day it ships.
- Your platform team already runs Kafka well at scale; the migration must earn more than familiarity costs.

## How it runs

A single binary per broker on local NVMe with Raft replication; add brokers and rebalance to scale, offload history to object storage with tiered storage. Redpanda Connect provides YAML-defined pipelines with hundreds of connectors, and WebAssembly transforms run inside the broker. Free to self-host; Redpanda Cloud bills data, partitions, and uptime.

## Details

### General

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| License | Source-available |
| SPDX identifier | BUSL-1.1 |
| Deployment | Self-hosted, Managed, Serverless, Hybrid |
| Workload | Streaming |
| Operational complexity | Medium |
| Pricing | Free, Subscription |
| Language | C++ |
| Repository | https://github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda |
| Documentation | https://docs.redpanda.com |
| Stars | 12.6k |

### Event Streaming

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Protocol | Kafka-compatible |
| Consumption model | Replayable log; consumers track offsets |
| Storage | Local NVMe with Raft; tiered storage to object store |
| What you run | One C++ binary with built-in Raft; no JVM, no ZooKeeper |
| Scaling | Add brokers and rebalance; tiered storage keeps local disk small |
| Multi-region | Remote Read Replicas served from object storage, read-only |
| Delivery guarantee | Exactly-once with transactions and idempotent producers |
| Connectors | Redpanda Connect: YAML pipelines with hundreds of connectors |
| Transformations | WebAssembly transforms inside the broker, on Wasmtime |
| Billing unit | Free self-hosted; Cloud bills data in, out, stored, partitions and uptime |

## Capabilities

- [Event Streaming](https://matca.io/capabilities/event-streaming)

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Source: https://matca.io/redpanda
Last updated: 2026-08-31T11:40:48.570Z