What are the differences between Kafka Streams and Kafka Connect?

What are the differences between Kafka Streams and Kafka Connect?

Kafka Streams is a stream processing library for building applications that process data in real-time, while Kafka Connect is a tool for integrating Kafka with other systems, allowing for data import and export.

Can you give me an example of when to use each?

Use Kafka Streams when you need to process and analyze data in real-time, like filtering or aggregating data. Use Kafka Connect when you want to move data between Kafka and external systems, like databases or cloud services.

Are there any performance differences between the two?

Yes, Kafka Streams is optimized for low-latency processing and can handle high throughput, while Kafka Connect is designed for reliable data transfer, which may introduce some latency depending on the source or sink.

Which one is easier to set up?

Kafka Connect is generally easier to set up, as it comes with pre-built connectors for many systems. Kafka Streams requires more coding and configuration to build custom processing applications.