Migration Scenario
You decided to exit Confluent.
Apache Kafka was always open source.
Confluent charges $50K–$500K+ a year to run software that the Apache Software Foundation ships for free. OSSeva provides CVE-patched Kafka builds, migration architecture, and managed operations — under a single contract, without the platform tax.
Scope my Confluent exitThe Confluent pricing reality
Confluent charges $50K–$500K+ annually
Confluent's per-partition, per-connector pricing compounds as your cluster grows. Most enterprises pay for capabilities they never use. Apache Kafka is open source — the platform tax is optional.
Version support capped at 3 years
Confluent supports any given Kafka version for a maximum of 3 years, then forces an upgrade cycle. OSSeva maintains CVE coverage for your current version on your timeline.
Proprietary connectors and Schema Registry lock-in
Confluent's ecosystem of connectors, Schema Registry, and ksqlDB create deep proprietary dependencies. The exit path requires architecture work — OSSeva provides the migration toolkits.
How OSSeva closes the gap
CVE-patched Apache Kafka builds
OSSeva ships patched community Kafka builds for 2.x through 3.x — the same upstream code with active CVE remediation. No Confluent subscription required.
Migration architecture
Our architects have mapped the Confluent → Community Kafka migration path: connector migration, Schema Registry replacement, ksqlDB alternatives, and blue-green cluster cutover.
Ongoing operations
Replace your Confluent support contract with one OSSeva Architect engagement: patches, monitoring, incident response, and architecture reviews on a flat-fee basis.
Pricing model: per cluster, not per partition
OSSeva for Kafka is priced per application cluster — not per partition, per connector, or per consumption hour. For most Confluent customers, the savings are 70–90% versus Confluent renewal. We'll scope your specific environment on the discovery call.
Frequently asked questions
What features does Confluent Platform have that community Kafka does not?
Confluent Platform adds: Confluent Schema Registry, Confluent Control Center (web UI), Confluent Replicator, RBAC via Confluent's metadata service, Tiered Storage (though community Kafka 3.6+ has this), and some connectors. Most of these have open-source equivalents: Apicurio Registry replaces Schema Registry, AKHQ or Redpanda Console replace Control Center, and MirrorMaker 2 replaces Replicator. OSSeva's exit toolkit maps every Confluent feature to a community equivalent.
How does OSSeva ensure Schema Registry compatibility after a Confluent exit?
OSSeva migrates Schema Registry to Apicurio Registry or the community Confluent Schema Registry OSS edition, both of which implement the Confluent Schema Registry API wire protocol. This means existing Kafka producers and consumers using the Schema Registry client continue to work without code changes. OSSeva validates schema compatibility and runs integration tests as part of the migration engagement.
What does Confluent Platform typically cost, and how much can I save?
Confluent Platform is typically priced at $1.00–$4.00 per GB of data throughput per month, depending on contract, with additional charges for support tiers. A 50 TB/day workload might cost $150,000–$600,000 annually. OSSeva-supported community Kafka eliminates the platform license cost. The OSSeva support contract for equivalent patching and compliance documentation is typically 10–20% of the Confluent cost.
Let's scope your Confluent exit.
Discovery call → migration scope → proposal within 5 days. Most Confluent exits complete within one quarter.