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Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud vs Security Onion comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Apache Kafka on Confluent C...
Ranking in AWS Marketplace
11th
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Security Onion
Ranking in AWS Marketplace
6th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
Log Management (19th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the AWS Marketplace category, the mindshare of Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud is 4.8%, up from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Security Onion is 10.7%, up from 5.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
AWS Marketplace
 

Featured Reviews

Anantharaman Ganesan - PeerSpot reviewer
Can be easily installed and is reliable
Maybe in terms of Apache Kafka's integration with other Microsoft tools, our company faced some challenges. With other products, specifically non-Apache ones or Microsoft, our company had created some wrapper classes around them. The integration issues of Apache Kafka revolve around other products like Tomcat, other web servers, or Node.js and .NET Core-related areas. After creating some wrapper classes around them, we were able to get the information we wanted. My company has not used any AI features in the product, but I would like to see AI features in the product because they currently help generate real-time content. AI can help our company slowly create some LLM. My company is not currently implementing any AI features, but I see that there will be a lot of opportunities to use such functionalities. I have experience with Databricks, for which I have used AI.
Jörg Kippe - PeerSpot reviewer
A mature and affordable solution that is easy to install and easy to update
The product takes time to learn, it's not that easy. In the beginning we had a lot of questions. If you want to use such a tool in an real (industrial) environment, you have to ask how to get the network data. Can we do a full packet capture? Can we provide agents to our end systems? There are no simple solutions to these questions. It's a general problem when running such systems in an industrial environment.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Overall, I think it's a good experience. Apache Kafka can be quite complex and difficult to maintain on your own, so using Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud makes it much easier to use it without worrying about setup and maintenance."
"Kafka and Confluent Cloud have proven to be cost-effective, especially when compared to other tools. In a recent BI integration program over the past year, we assessed multiple use cases spanning ship-to-shore and various Azure integrations. Our findings revealed that Confluent Kafka performed exceptionally well, standing out alongside Genesys and Azure Event Hubs. While these three are top contenders, the choice among other tools depends on the specific use case and project requirements. The customer initially used tools like SMQs, FITRA, and Stream for real-time data processing. However, after our recommendation, Confluent Cloud proved to be a superior choice, capable of replacing these three tools and simplifying their data infrastructure. This shift to a single tool, Confluent Cloud, streamlined their operations, making maintenance and management more efficient for their internal projects."
"The product's installation phase is pretty straightforward for us since we know how to use it."
"In case of huge transactions on the web or mobile apps, it helps you capture real-time data and analyze it."
"Kafka provides handy properties that allow us to directly configure the data, whether to keep it or discard it after use."
"The state-saving feature is very much appreciated. It allows me to rewind a certain process if I see an error and then reprocess it."
"Confluent Cloud handles data volume pretty well."
"Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud is more reliable and frequent to use compared to Apache Kafka."
"Security Onion is the most mature solution in the market."
"We use Security Onion for internal vulnerability assessment."
"The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports."
 

Cons

"There could be an in-built feature for data analysis."
"Regarding real-time data usage, there were challenges with CDC (Change Data Capture) integrations. Specifically, with PyTRAN, we encountered difficulties. We recommended using our on-premises Kaspersky as an alternative to PyTRAN for that specific use case due to issues with CDC store configuration and log reading challenges with the iton components."
"The administration port could be more extensive."
"Maybe in terms of Apache Kafka's integration with other Microsoft tools, our company faced some challenges."
"Some areas for improvement in Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud include issues faced during migration with Kubernetes pods."
"The solution is expensive."
"There's one thing that's a common use case, but I don't know why it's not covered in Kafka. When a message comes in, and another message with the same key arrives, the first version should be deleted automatically."
"There are some premium connectors, for example, available in Confluent, which you cannot access in the marketplace, so there are some limitations."
"The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult."
"Security Onion's user interface could be improved."
"The product is not easy to learn."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I consider that the product's price falls under the middle range category."
"I think the pricing is fair, but Confluent requires a little bit more thinking because the price can go up really quickly when it comes to premium connectors."
"Regarding pricing, Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud is not a cheap tool. The right use case would justify the cost. It might make sense if you have a high volume of data that you can leverage to generate value for the business. But if you don't have those requirements, there are likely cheaper solutions you could use instead."
"Security Onion is a free solution."
"Security Onion is an open-source solution."
"It is an open-source solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Transportation Company
8%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
12%
University
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud?
Kafka and Confluent Cloud have proven to be cost-effective, especially when compared to other tools. In a recent BI integration program over the past year, we assessed multiple use cases spanning s...
What needs improvement with Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud?
Some areas for improvement in Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud include issues faced during migration with Kubernetes pods. This aspect could be smoother to better support migration processes.
What is your primary use case for Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud?
We use Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud for streaming large volumes of data in real-time. It's employed in scenarios such as handling events from various countries and streaming them efficiently for...
What do you like most about Security Onion?
The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Security Onion?
Security Onion is an open-source solution. On a scale from one to ten, where ten is expensive and one is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten.
What needs improvement with Security Onion?
The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult.
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Kafka on Confluent Cloud vs. Security Onion and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
830,574 professionals have used our research since 2012.