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Apache Pulsar VS NATS

Compare Apache Pulsar VS NATS and see what are their differences

Apache Pulsar logo Apache Pulsar

Apache Pulsar is an open-source, distributed messaging and streaming platform built for the cloud.

NATS logo NATS

NATS.io is an open source messaging system for cloud native applications, IoT messaging, Edge, and microservices architectures.
  • Apache Pulsar Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-12-17
  • NATS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-05

NATS.io is a connective technology for distributed systems and is a perfect fit to connect devices, edge, cloud or hybrid deployments. True multi-tenancy makes NATS ideal for SaaS and self-healing and scaling technology allows for topology changes anytime with zero downtime.

Apache Pulsar features and specs

  • Multi-tenancy
    Apache Pulsar supports multi-tenancy, allowing multiple independent applications to operate in isolated environments within the same cluster. This enables more efficient resource usage and simplified operational management.
  • Geo-replication
    Pulsar's built-in geo-replication feature allows for data to be replicated across different geographic locations, providing high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.
  • Scalability
    Pulsar offers easy horizontal scalability, supporting the seamless addition of new nodes without downtime, which allows it to handle large volumes of data efficiently.
  • Stream and Queue Patterns
    Pulsar supports both streaming and queuing messaging patterns, making it versatile for a wide range of use cases and simplifying architecture by reducing the need for multiple messaging systems.
  • Low Latency
    Designed for low latency, Pulsar is suitable for applications requiring quick message processing, thanks to features like segment-oriented storage architecture.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Pulsar

  • Complex Setup
    The initial setup and configuration of Apache Pulsar can be complex, requiring a solid understanding of its components and architecture, which may be a barrier to entry for new users.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more mature platforms like Apache Kafka, Pulsar has a smaller ecosystem of tools and middleware support, which might limit its integration options.
  • Resource Intensive
    Operating a Pulsar cluster can be resource-intensive, requiring significant computational resources, especially when dealing with high-throughput scenarios.
  • Less Community Support
    As a relatively newer project compared to some competitors, Pulsar has a smaller community, which could impact the availability of support and third-party expertise.
  • Learning Curve
    Pulsar's architecture and features, though powerful, come with a steep learning curve, demanding considerable time and effort to master for effective use.

NATS features and specs

  • Performance
    NATS is designed for high performance, offering low latency and high throughput, which makes it suitable for real-time applications.
  • Scalability
    It supports horizontal scaling with ease, allowing the system to handle a growing number of connections and messages effectively.
  • Simplicity
    NATS has a straightforward API and simple configuration, making it easier to use and manage compared to more complex messaging systems.
  • Fault Tolerance
    NATS includes features like clustering, message persistence, and support for distributed systems, contributing to high availability and reliability.
  • Polyglot Support
    NATS supports multiple programming languages, including Go, Java, Python, Ruby, and more, making it versatile in various tech stacks.
  • Event-Driven Architecture
    NATS is well-suited for event-driven architecture, facilitating real-time communication and distributed system design.

Possible disadvantages of NATS

  • Limited Message Persistence
    While NATS provides JetStream for message persistence, it was traditionally designed for transient messaging, which might not satisfy all persistence needs.
  • Complex Clustering
    Setting up and maintaining NATS clusters can be complex and may require careful planning and expertise.
  • Learning Curve
    Though simple to start, mastering NATS for large-scale and production-grade deployments can involve a steep learning curve.
  • Feature Set
    NATS focuses on core messaging features, which means it might lack some of the advanced features provided by other messaging systems like Kafka.
  • Ecosystem
    The NATS ecosystem is growing but may not be as extensive as other established messaging systems, potentially limiting available third-party tools and integrations.

Apache Pulsar videos

Introduction to Apache Pulsar Basics

NATS videos

The coolest OSS project you've never heard of: NATS Getting started!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Pulsar and NATS)
Data Integration
27 27%
73% 73
Developer Tools
16 16%
84% 84
Stream Processing
100 100%
0% 0
Web Service Automation
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache Pulsar and NATS

Apache Pulsar Reviews

Best message queue for cloud-native apps
Pulsar also provides a rich set of client libraries for various programming languages, making it easy to build messaging and streaming applications using Pulsar. Apache Pulsar is a popular choice for real-time data processing and messaging in large-scale data processing applications, such as those used in the financial, telecommunications, and internet-of-things industries.
Source: docs.vanus.ai

NATS Reviews

Best message queue for cloud-native apps
NATS is designed to be simple and easy to use, with a small footprint and low latency. It is often used in cloud-native environments to connect different components of a distributed system or to enable communication between microservices. NATS also supports message persistence, security, and clustering, making it a robust messaging system for building scalable and resilient...
Source: docs.vanus.ai
Are Free, Open-Source Message Queues Right For You?
One challenge of NATS is that it does not support reliable message queuing out of the box - messages can be lost if a client disconnects before it receives them. This can be mitigated by using NATS Streaming, a data streaming system powered by NATS, but it adds complexity.
Source: blog.iron.io
NATS vs RabbitMQ vs NSQ vs Kafka | Gcore
NATS is known for its high performance, low latency, and emphasis on simplicity after it was rewritten in Go. Its rewrite in Go makes NATS an ideal choice for demanding and real-time applications and has increased its throughput compared to its original Ruby implementation.
Source: gcore.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, NATS seems to be a lot more popular than Apache Pulsar. While we know about 73 links to NATS, we've tracked only 4 mentions of Apache Pulsar. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Pulsar mentions (4)

NATS mentions (73)

  • What If We Could Rebuild Kafka from Scratch?
    Https://nats.io is easier to use than Kafka and already solves several of the points in this post I believe, like removing partitions, supporting key-based streams, and having flexible topic hierarchies. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Testing Microservices: Message Isolation for Kafka, SQS, More
    NATS, with its lightweight and high-performance design, offers features well-suited for sandbox testing. We can leverage NATS queue groups, which function similarly to Kafka consumer groups. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Kubernetes on Autopilot: Event-Driven Automation Across Clusters
    In today’s dynamic cloud environments, managing Kubernetes resources across multiple clusters can be a complex task. Traditional methods often lack the agility and event-driven architecture needed to respond quickly to changes and automate resource provisioning. This article explores how Sveltos, in conjunction with NATS and JetStream, simplifies multi-cluster Kubernetes management through event-driven automation,... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • I'll think twice before using GitHub Actions again
    Hey thanks! Definitely interesting! I do wonder if this really solves the author problem because by the looks of it , you just have to run meta command and it would run over each of the sub directory. While at the same time , I think I like it because this is what I think people refer to as "modular monolith" Combining this with nats https://nats.io/ (hey if you don't want it to be over the network , you... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • A Distributed Systems Reading List
    I think it's important to clarify who these lists are really for. They're not meant for people simply looking to "learn distributed systems," in my opinion. These might help those pushing the envelope or looking for new approaches. For the rest of us, imagine asking how to solve quadratic equations and getting 100 papers on category theory. > See also https://ferd.ca/a-distributed-systems-reading-list.html, which... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Pulsar and NATS, you can also consider the following products

Apache Kafka - Apache Kafka is an open-source message broker project developed by the Apache Software Foundation written in Scala.

Socket.io - Realtime application framework (Node.JS server)

RabbitMQ - RabbitMQ is an open source message broker software.

Redpanda - Redpanda is a powerful, yet simple, and cost-efficient streaming data platform that is compatible with Kafka® APIs while eliminating Kafka complexity.

SignalR - SignalR is a server-side software system designed for writing scalable Internet applications, notably web servers.

ZeroMQ - ZeroMQ is a high-performance asynchronous messaging library.