Aiven for Apache Kafka®
Aiven for Apache Kafka® is a fully managed Apache Kafka service for building event-driven applications, data pipelines, and stream processing systems.
You create Kafka services using one of two cluster types: Inkless Kafka or Classic Kafka.
Inkless Kafka
Inkless Kafka is a cluster type that supports storing topic data in cloud object storage through diskless topics. Diskless topics are optional and must be explicitly enabled.
This enables elastic scaling and long-term data retention without managing disk capacity.
Inkless Kafka supports:
- Diskless topics, which store data in object storage
- Classic topics, which use managed remote storage by default
Inkless Kafka is intended for high-throughput workloads where storage elasticity and cost efficiency are important, including Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) deployments. For details on how Inkless works, its storage model, and when to use it, see Inkless Kafka overview.
Classic Kafka
Classic Kafka is a cluster type that uses fixed plans with local broker storage and can optionally move older data to object storage using tiered storage.
It is suitable for workloads that rely on predictable capacity, low-latency access to local storage, and plan-based broker sizing. Classic Kafka continues to support existing performance defaults and backups.
Classic Kafka and Inkless Kafka services can run alongside each other within the same project.
Service tiers and deployment models
Aiven for Apache Kafka is available on multiple service tiers and deployment models.
- Free supports evaluation and experimentation with limited throughput and storage.
- Professional supports production workloads and Kafka Connect.
Kafka services can run on Aiven Cloud or Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC). Availability of tiers and features varies by service type and deployment model.
Replication with MirrorMaker 2
Aiven for Apache Kafka® MirrorMaker 2 provides managed cross-cluster replication.
You can replicate data between Kafka clusters, regions, or cloud providers, including between Inkless Kafka and classic Kafka services. This supports migration, disaster recovery, and multi-region architectures.
Data integration with Kafka Connect
Apache Kafka Connect is the standard framework for moving data between Kafka and external systems.
Aiven for Apache Kafka® Connect provides managed source and sink connectors for common databases, storage systems, and data platforms. Kafka Connect is available on the Professional tier for both Inkless and classic Kafka services.
Get started
If you are new to Aiven for Apache Kafka®, start with the following topics: