Kafka-compatible
AutoMQ is an Apache-2.0 reimplementation of Kafka that stores data on object storage such as S3 and claims full Kafka compatibility with lower cost and elastic scaling. Its savings figures are the vendor's own.
Alternatives / Kafka
3 open-source alternatives
3 Best Open Source Kafka Alternatives in 2026
Looking for an open source Kafka alternative? We compared 3 open source options by license and role. AutoMQ is a Kafka-compatible streaming system on object storage, while Hatchet and Inngest are durable execution tools that replace some Kafka use cases but not event streaming itself.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
Best Kafka alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| AutoMQ | Kafka-compatible streaming on S3 | Apache-2.0 |
| Hatchet | Durable task orchestration | MIT |
| Inngest | Event-driven durable functions (SSPL) | SSPL with delayed Apache-2.0 (source available) |
How we chose these Kafka alternatives
We looked for open-source tools that handle events and background work like Kafka. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository, and note which are not streaming systems. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Durable execution tools
Hatchet is MIT, with checkpointed agent state, retries, monitoring, and SDKs for Python, TypeScript, Go, and Ruby. Inngest runs event-driven backend functions with retries, tracing, and local testing. They orchestrate tasks and workflows, not high-volume event streams.
Important: not equivalent
Hatchet and Inngest do not replace Kafka's log-based streaming. Inngest's server is under the Server Side Public License with a delayed Apache-2.0 license, so it is source available rather than OSI open source today.
License details
AutoMQ is Apache-2.0. Hatchet is MIT. Inngest is SSPL with a delayed Apache-2.0 license.
Maintenance status
All three had commits within days of this update.
Why look for a Kafka alternative?
Apache Kafka is open source, but running it is demanding, and managed offerings are priced by throughput. Alternatives reduce operations with object-storage-based designs or replace queues with durable workflow engines.
automq.com
AutoMQ is an Apache-2.0 reimplementation of Kafka that stores data on object storage such as S3 and claims full Kafka compatibility with lower cost and elastic scaling. Its savings figures are the vendor's own.
10.9K799Apache-2.0Self-hosted
Pricing: Free open-source edition; managed service is paid.
- Kafka-compatible
- Object-storage based scaling
- Apache-2.0
- Cost claims are vendor-reported
- Younger than Kafka
hatchet.run
Hatchet is an MIT-licensed orchestration platform for running background tasks, durable workflows, and AI agents, with queues, scheduling, and observability. It is not a UI builder: it targets workflow and task execution for developers.
8.2K523MITSelf-hosted
Pricing: Free to self-host; Hatchet Cloud is paid.
- Durable workflows and task queues
- MIT license
- Good for AI agent back ends
- Not an internal tool or UI builder
- Needs developers to integrate
inngest.com
Inngest is a platform for event-driven backend functions with retries, tracing, local testing, and automatic scaling. Its server is released under the Server Side Public License with a delayed Apache-2.0 license, so it is source available rather than OSI open source today.
6K378SSPL with delayed Apache-2.0 (source available)Self-hosted
Pricing: Free to self-host; cloud is usage-based.
- Event-driven functions with retries
- Local development tooling
- Automatic scaling in the cloud
- SSPL is not OSI open source
- A workflow tool, not a streaming system
Compare Kafka alternatives
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AutoMQ | Event streaming | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Closest replacement |
| Hatchet | Task orchestration | MIT | Yes | Background tasks |
| Inngest | Durable execution | SSPL, delayed Apache-2.0 | Yes | Serverless-style workflows |
Which one should you choose?
Want a Kafka-compatible system with lower operations
AutoMQ keeps data on object storage and speaks the Kafka protocol.
Want durable background tasks
Hatchet provides retries, checkpoints, and monitoring under MIT.