--- title: "Apache Flink vs Kafka: Which is searched more?" description: "Is Apache Flink or Kafka more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Streaming data platforms set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/apache-flink-vs-kafka" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Apache Flink vs Kafka: Which is searched more? Is Apache Flink or Kafka more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Streaming data platforms set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Apache Flink and Kafka - **Competitive set**: Streaming data platforms - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Apache Flink Share of Search**: 27% - **Kafka Share of Search**: 8% ## Is Apache Flink or Kafka more popular in search? - In September 2026, Apache Flink had more branded searches than Kafka among streaming data platforms worldwide. Apache Flink had about 18,100 branded searches, while Kafka had 5,400. Apache Flink made up 27% of all streaming data platform searches we track, and Kafka accounted for 8%. - Apache Flink was ahead of Kafka in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apache Flink’s share of searches among streaming data platforms worldwide moved from 30.6% to 27%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 18.1K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kafka’s share of searches among streaming data platforms worldwide moved from 11.2% to 8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 5.4K. ## Top streaming data platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kafka appeared in all five answers. Apache Flink was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Kafka was listed before Apache Flink in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Kafka | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Confluent | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Kinesis | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Redpanda | 4th | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Pub/Sub | 5th | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Apache Flink | 6th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Apache Pulsar | 7th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Azure Event Hubs | 8th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about streaming data platforms - Asked ChatGPT "Which streaming data platform should I use?": 1. Kafka, 2. Confluent, 3. Kinesis, 4. Pub/Sub, 5. Apache Flink, 6. Redpanda - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best streaming data platforms?": 1. Kafka, 2. Confluent, 3. Kinesis, 4. Apache Flink, 5. Redpanda, 6. Pub/Sub, 7. Azure Event Hubs, 8. Apache Pulsar - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best streaming data platform for event data?": 1. Confluent, 2. Kafka, 3. Redpanda, 4. Kinesis, 5. Pub/Sub - Searched Google, AI Overview "streaming data platforms": 1. Kafka, 2. Confluent, 3. Redpanda, 4. Kinesis, 5. Apache Flink - Searched Google, AI Overview "event streaming platform": 1. Kafka, 2. Confluent, 3. Redpanda, 4. Apache Pulsar, 5. Kinesis, 6. Pub/Sub, 7. Azure Event Hubs, 8. Apache Flink Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for streaming data platforms worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Apache Flink gained share of searches among streaming data platforms worldwide, from 23% to 27%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Kafka worldwide fell 45.5% over 12 measured months, from 9.9K to 5.4K in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | Apache Flink estimated searches | Apache Flink Share of Search | Apache Flink rank | Kafka estimated searches | Kafka Share of Search | Kafka rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 27.1K | 30.6% | 2 | 9.9K | 11.2% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | 22.2K | 28.1% | 2 | 8.1K | 10.3% | 3 | | Dec 2025 | 18.1K | 24.9% | 2 | 8.1K | 11.1% | 3 | | Jan 2026 | 22.2K | 28.1% | 2 | 8.1K | 10.2% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | 22.2K | 28.9% | 2 | 8.1K | 10.5% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | 22.2K | 25.6% | 2 | 8.1K | 9.3% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | 18.1K | 23.1% | 2 | 6.6K | 8.4% | 3 | | May 2026 | 18.1K | 23.7% | 2 | 6.6K | 8.6% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | 18.1K | 23.7% | 2 | 6.6K | 8.7% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | 14.8K | 20.2% | 2 | 5.4K | 7.4% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | 14.8K | 23% | 2 | 5.4K | 8.4% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | 18.1K | 27% | 2 | 5.4K | 8% | 3 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Apache Flink’s and Kafka’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **Apache Flink**: Measured on the search term “apache flink”. - **Kafka**: Measured on the search term “kafka streaming”. - [Apache Flink profile](/demand/global-en/brands/apache-flink) - [Kafka profile](/demand/global-en/brands/kafka) - [All streaming data platforms worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/streaming-data-platforms): The set both shares are measured inside, 8 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Apache Flink or Kafka more popular in search? In September 2026, Apache Flink had more branded searches than Kafka among streaming data platforms worldwide. Apache Flink had about 18,100 branded searches, while Kafka had 5,400. Apache Flink made up 27% of all streaming data platform searches we track, and Kafka accounted for 8%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Apache Flink vs Kafka: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/apache-flink-vs-kafka This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/apache-flink-vs-kafka. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.