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Get started with Aiven for Apache Kafka®

Create a managed Apache Kafka® service on Aiven, explore the Free tier, and send sample data to validate end-to-end streaming in minutes.

Prerequisites​

  • Create an Aiven account and sign in to the Aiven Console.
  • Create or select an Aiven project with permission to create services.

Free tier​

The Free tier provides a fully managed Kafka service with limited resources. For limits, regions, and supported features, see the Free tier overview.

  • No payment method is required.
  • Fixed resource limits support low-throughput workloads.
  • Basic Kafka workflows are supported, including service creation and sample data generation.

Next step: Create a Kafka service using the Free tier.

Create an Inkless Kafka service​

Inkless runs Apache Kafka 4.x and supports diskless topics that store data in cloud object storage rather than on local disks. Compute capacity is sized based on stream load instead of fixed hardware plans.

  • Select Inkless as the service type.
  • Choose Aiven cloud or Bring your own cloud (BYOC) as the deployment mode.
  • On Aiven cloud, provide expected ingress, egress, and retention to estimate capacity and cost.
  • On BYOC, select the BYOC environment, region, and an Inkless plan.

Next step: Create an Inkless Kafka service.

Create a Classic Kafka service​

Classic Kafka uses fixed plans with local broker storage. Tiered storage is available on supported plans and cloud providers.

  • Select Classic Kafka as the service type.
  • Choose Aiven cloud or BYOC as the deployment mode.
  • Select a plan that defines compute, memory, and storage.
  • Optionally adjust disk capacity, enable tiered storage, and select the Kafka version.

Next step: Create a Classic Kafka service.

Generate sample data using the console​

Use the built-in sample data generator to send events to a Kafka topic and confirm that the service is working.

  • Start the generator from the Kafka service overview in the console.
  • Consume messages from the topic to verify connectivity.
  • Validate access control, networking, and client configuration.

Next step: Generate sample data in the console.

Generate data manually (optional)​

Produce data manually to test application integrations or custom workloads.

  • Create topics and configure Kafka clients.
  • Produce and consume messages using client libraries, command-line tools, or container-based utilities.
  • Use this approach for development, automation, or advanced testing scenarios.

Next step: Generate sample data manually with Docker.