Apache Pulsar vs Google Pub/Sub:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Apache Pulsar had more branded searches than Google Pub/Sub among event streaming platforms worldwide. Apache Pulsar had about 4,400 branded searches, while Google Pub/Sub had 2,400. Apache Pulsar made up 5.1% of all event streaming platform searches we track, and Google Pub/Sub accounted for 2.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about event streaming platforms, Apache Pulsar and Google Pub/Sub each appeared in three of the five answers. Apache Pulsar was mentioned before Google Pub/Sub in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Apache Pulsar, about 83% more searches than Google Pub/Sub
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Apache Pulsar, named ahead of Google Pub/Sub in 3 of 5 answers
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Top event streaming platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Apache Pulsar and Google Pub/Sub were each mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Apache Pulsar was listed before Google Pub/Sub in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Apache Kafka5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Amazon Kinesis5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Apache Flink4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Redpanda4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Confluent4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Apache Pulsar3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Google Pub/Sub3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Azure Event Hubs2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about event streaming platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which event streaming platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best event streaming platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best event streaming platform for live event data?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“event streaming platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“real time event streaming”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Apache Pulsar or Google Pub/Sub more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Apache Pulsar and Google Pub/Sub by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight event streaming platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Apache Pulsar, Google Pub/Sub. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Apache Kafka | Apache Flink | Amazon Kinesis | Apache Pulsar | Google Pub/Sub | Azure Event Hubs | Redpanda | Confluent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 50.3% | 22.5% | 13.7% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 2% | 0.83% | 0.27% |
| Nov 2025 | 54.6% | 20% | 12.2% | 6% | 4% | 2.2% | 0.9% | 0.19% |
| Dec 2025 | 54.2% | 19.8% | 12.1% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 0.96% | 0.41% |
| Jan 2026 | 50% | 22.4% | 13.6% | 6.7% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 1% | 0.26% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.9% | 23.3% | 11.5% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 1% | 0.24% |
| Mar 2026 | 54.4% | 20% | 12.1% | 5.9% | 4% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.27% |
| Apr 2026 | 54.5% | 19.9% | 12.1% | 5.9% | 4% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 0.34% |
| May 2026 | 56.1% | 20.5% | 11.6% | 5% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 0.26% |
| Jun 2026 | 51.2% | 22.9% | 12.9% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 0.21% |
| Jul 2026 | 53.2% | 19.4% | 14.2% | 5.8% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 1.3% | 0.18% |
| Aug 2026 | 54.6% | 20% | 12.1% | 5.9% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.22% |
| Sep 2026 | 57.6% | 21.1% | 10.5% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.27% |
How has the Apache Pulsar and Google Pub/Sub comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Apache Pulsar was ahead of Google Pub/Sub in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apache Pulsar’s share of searches among event streaming platforms worldwide moved from 6.7% to 5.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 4.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Google Pub/Sub’s share of searches among event streaming platforms worldwide moved from 3.7% to 2.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 2.4K.
How did search popularity change for event streaming platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Apache Pulsar lost share of searches among event streaming platforms worldwide, from 5.9% to 5.1%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Google Pub/Sub worldwide fell 45.5% over 12 measured months, from 4.4K to 2.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Apache Pulsar’s and Google Pub/Sub’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 Pulsar
1 branded search term
- apache pulsar
Google Pub/Sub
1 branded search term
- googlepubsub
Other head-to-heads among event streaming platforms
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