Apache Pulsar
Data Engineering · Free + paid
Cloud-native distributed messaging and streaming
At a glance
- Made by
- Apache Software Foundation
- Korean
- None (English and a few others only)
- API
- Yes
- Available on
- API
- Open source
- Apache 2.0
- GitHub
- 15,342 stars · Apache-2.0
What is Apache Pulsar?
Apache Pulsar is an all-in-one open-source distributed messaging and streaming platform built for the cloud. Messages can be consumed and acknowledged individually, or consumed as a stream with latency under 10ms. Its tiered architecture scales quickly to hundreds of nodes without data rebalancing, and it supports multi-tenancy, geo-replication, tiered storage, and 6 official client languages. A single cluster supports up to 1 million topics, and it is one of the top 10 projects of the Apache Software Foundation.
- Fast horizontal scaling with a separate storage layer
- Low-latency (<10ms) messaging and streaming with individual and cumulative acknowledgment
- Geo-replication and automatic client failover
- Multi-tenancy based on tenant policies
- Automatic load balancing
- Official clients for Java, Go, Python, C++, Node.js, and C#
- Official connectors for MySQL, Elasticsearch, Cassandra, and more
- Pulsar Functions serverless functions, up to 1 million topics per cluster
Who uses Apache Pulsar and for what
- Distributed task queues
- Large-scale ordered data streams
Pricing
What you get for free — Open source (Apache 2.0) — no paid plans on the official page
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.
AI tools similar to Apache Pulsar (alternatives)
Apache Pulsar vs. alternatives at a glance
| AI | Pricing | Combos on the map | Connected tools | Free | Cheapest monthly | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache Pulsar | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Flink | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Hadoop | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Kafka | Free + paid | 10 | 6 | No | — | No |
| Apache Spark | Free + paid | 0 | 6 | No | — | No |
0 of these 5 tools have a free plan.
Combo and connection counts are based on the relationships recorded on AI Galaxy Map (2026-10-26); they are not a quality ranking.
Apache Pulsar on AI Galaxy Map
- One of 24 AI tools in the Data Engineering field.
- Connected to 6 other tools — #1 in its field.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Apache Pulsar for free?
Open source (Apache 2.0) — no paid plans on the official page. Prices can change, so check the official site before paying.
What AI can I use instead of Apache Pulsar?
Tools that do the same job, such as Apache Flink, Apache Hadoop, Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, are connected to it on the map.
Can I use Apache Pulsar in Korean?
None (English and a few others only)
Sources (official pages)
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.