Getting Started

Start here to learn Kafka fundamentals and common use cases, try a local setup, and find Docker, upgrade, and compatibility guidance.

Learn what event streaming is, how Kafka works, and the core Kafka concepts and APIs.

Explore common Kafka use cases for messaging, activity tracking, stream processing, and storing event data.

Run Kafka locally, create a topic, produce and consume events, and explore Kafka Connect and Kafka Streams.

Discover tools and integrations that extend Kafka beyond the main distribution.

Find upgrade steps for Kafka clusters and clients, along with compatibility requirements and notable changes across releases.

Understand how KRaft mode differs from ZooKeeper mode, including removed features, metric changes, and behavioral changes.

Check Java, server, and client/broker compatibility matrices for planning Kafka upgrades.

Learn how to pull and run the Kafka JVM Docker image and the experimental native Docker image.