Direct answer: managed Kafka pricing in 2026 comes in two models: Confluent Cloud by eCKU-hour + data + storage (Basic first eCKU free, then 0.14/eCKU-hr; Standard 0.75/eCKU-hr; Enterprise 1.75–2.25; storage 0.08/GB-month; data 0.035–0.05/GB); AWS MSK by broker-hour + storage + transfer (kafka.m7g.large 0.204/hour, m5.large 0.21/hour; storage 0.10/GB-month standard, 0.06 low-cost tier; example 3 brokers + 1.5TB = 606.94/month). At a steady 3-broker/1-eCKU, 1.5TB storage and 2.5TB in/out: Confluent Standard about 880, AWS MSK about 601.76; at low/intermittent use (100 eCKU-hours, 0.5TB, 1TB in/out): Confluent Basic about 154, MSK about 498.76 (3 brokers still run 730 hours). Bottom line: steady high utilization favors MSK broker-hours; low/intermittent utilization and managed connectors/Schema Registry favor Confluent’s eCKU; they are not feature-equivalent — MSK Connect/Schema Registry/governance are extra.
This guide is for architecture, platform engineering and procurement teams running event streams, log pipelines, CDC, real-time analytics and microservice decoupling. Data cut-off: 7 November 2026; prices come from Confluent Cloud Pricing and AWS MSK Pricing, in USD, excluding tax; all TCOs are editorial calculations, not vendor quotes. “eCKU/broker, storage, data, connectors/governance” differ, so official facts, editorial assumptions and non-comparable items are kept separate.
Confluent: Basic 0/month (first eCKU free, then 0.14/eCKU-hr), Standard 0.75/eCKU-hr (starting about 385/month), Enterprise 1.75–2.25; storage 0.08/GB-month; data 0.035–0.05/GB; includes Schema Registry/connectors/governance. AWS MSK: kafka.m7g.large 0.204/hour, m5.large 0.21/hour; storage 0.10/GB-month (low-cost 0.06); 3 brokers + 1.5TB example 606.94/month; Connect/Schema Registry extra. Steady MSK is cheaper; low utilization favors Confluent.
Two meters: eCKU-hours + data/storage vs broker-hours + storage/transfer
Confluent Cloud: Basic 0/month, first eCKU free then 0.14/eCKU-hr, data 0.05/GB, storage 0.08/GB-month; Standard 0.75/eCKU-hr (starting about 385/month at 70% utilization), data 0.035–0.05/GB, storage 0.08, with 99.99% SLA, infinite storage and audit logs; Enterprise 1.75–2.25/eCKU-hr, data 0.02–0.05/GB, storage 0.08; Dedicated 2.25/eCKU-hr (minimum 2 eCKUs), data 0.014–0.03, storage 0.03, starting about 2,300/month. eCKU is the horizontal scaling unit, autoscaling with usage, and clusters can scale to zero. AWS MSK: standard brokers hourly, kafka.m7g.large 0.204/hour, m5.large 0.21/hour; storage 0.10/GB-month (standard), 0.06/GB-month (low-cost tier), retrieval 0.0015/GB; data transfer extra; MSK does not scale to zero — brokers run continuously.
| Platform/tier | Compute | Storage | Data | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confluent Basic | First eCKU free, then 0.14/eCKU-hr | 0.08/GB-month | 0.05/GB | 0 monthly; basic SLA |
| Confluent Standard | 0.75/eCKU-hr; starting about 385/month | 0.08/GB-month | 0.035–0.05/GB | 99.99% SLA/infinite storage/audit |
| Confluent Enterprise | 1.75–2.25/eCKU-hr; starting about 895/month | 0.08/GB-month | 0.02–0.05/GB | Private networking/GBps+ |
| Confluent Dedicated | 2.25/eCKU-hr (min 2); starting about 2,300/month | 0.03/GB-month | 0.014–0.03/GB | Dedicated cluster |
| AWS MSK m7g.large | 0.204/hour | 0.10/GB-month (standard) | Transfer extra | 3 brokers+; always-on |
| AWS MSK m5.large | 0.21/hour | 0.10/GB-month (standard) | Transfer extra | 3 brokers+; always-on |
Sources: Confluent Cloud Pricing and AWS MSK Pricing (US/USD, accessed 7 November 2026). Excludes tax, commitments/annual discounts, data transfer out, connectors, Schema Registry, MSK Connect, storage overage, support and migration; Confluent “starting” assumes 70% utilization per the page; MSK 0.06/GB-month is the low-cost tier, retrieval 0.0015/GB.
Steady small cluster: 3 brokers/1 eCKU, 1.5TB, 2.5TB in/out
Steady small cluster: 1 eCKU (or 3 m7g.large brokers), 1.5TB storage, 2.5TB ingress + 2.5TB egress. Confluent Standard: 1 eCKU × 730 × 0.75 = 547.50; storage 1,500 × 0.08 = 120; data 2,500×0.035=87.50 ingress + 2,500×0.05=125 egress = 212.50; total 880.00/month. Using the page’s “starting 385/month” (70% utilization) + storage/data = 717.50. AWS MSK: 3 × 0.204 × 730 = 446.76; storage 1,500×0.10=150; transfer about 5; total 601.76/month (close to AWS’s 606.94 example). At steady state MSK is about 278/month cheaper (versus Confluent 880).
| Steady small (monthly) | Confluent Standard | AWS MSK (3×m7g.large) |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | 547.50 (1 eCKU×730×0.75) | 446.76 (3×0.204×730) |
| Storage | 120.00 (1,500×0.08) | 150.00 (1,500×0.10) |
| Data/transfer | 212.50 (2.5TB in + 2.5TB out) | About 5.00 |
| Total | 880.00 | 601.76 |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. Confluent uses 1 eCKU at 0.75/eCKU-hr, storage 0.08, ingress 0.035/egress 0.05; MSK uses 3×m7g.large at 0.204/hour, storage 0.10, transfer about 5. Excludes tax, commitments/annual billing, connectors/Schema Registry/MSK Connect, storage overage, support and migration; broker/eCKU counts are assumptions, not a performance benchmark.
Steady large cluster: 6 brokers/3 eCKUs, 3TB, 5TB in/out
At double scale: 3 eCKUs or 6 brokers, 3TB storage, 5TB in + 5TB out. Confluent Standard: 3 × 730 × 0.75 = 1,642.50; storage 3,000×0.08=240; data 5,000×0.035=175 + 5,000×0.05=250 = 425; total 2,307.50/month. AWS MSK: 6 × 0.204 × 730 = 893.52; storage 3,000×0.10=300; transfer about 10; total 1,203.52/month. At double scale MSK is still about 1,104/month cheaper (versus 2,307.50); the gap grows linearly with brokers/data. Confluent Enterprise/Dedicated has higher unit prices but includes private networking/dedicated clusters — not a direct comparison.
| Steady large (monthly) | Confluent Standard | AWS MSK (6×m7g.large) |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | 1,642.50 (3 eCKU×730×0.75) | 893.52 (6×0.204×730) |
| Storage | 240.00 (3,000×0.08) | 300.00 (3,000×0.10) |
| Data/transfer | 425.00 (5TB in + 5TB out) | About 10.00 |
| Total | 2,307.50 | 1,203.52 |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. Confluent uses 3 eCKUs at 0.75/eCKU-hr, storage 0.08, ingress 0.035/egress 0.05; MSK uses 6×m7g.large at 0.204/hour, storage 0.10, transfer about 10. Excludes tax, commitments/annual billing, connectors/Schema Registry/MSK Connect, storage overage, support and migration; broker/eCKU counts are assumptions, not a performance benchmark.
Low/intermittent: 100 eCKU-hours, 0.5TB, 1TB in/out
If the stream is active only during work hours/batch: Confluent Basic: 100 eCKU-hr × 0.14 = 14; storage 500×0.08=40; data 1,000×0.05=50 in + 50 out = 100; total 154.00/month (the first free eCKU makes it slightly lower). AWS MSK: 3 brokers still run 730 hours = 446.76; storage 500×0.10=50; transfer about 2; total 498.76/month. At low utilization Confluent’s scale-to-zero/eCKU usage advantage is clear; MSK’s always-on broker cost cannot be amortized. That is why utilization comes before unit price.
| Low/intermittent (monthly) | Confluent Basic | AWS MSK (3×m7g.large) |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | 14.00 (100 eCKU-hr×0.14) | 446.76 (3×0.204×730, always-on) |
| Storage | 40.00 (500×0.08) | 50.00 (500×0.10) |
| Data/transfer | 100.00 (1TB in + 1TB out) | About 2.00 |
| Total | 154.00 | 498.76 |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. Confluent Basic uses 100 eCKU-hr at 0.14, storage 0.08, data 0.05/GB; MSK uses 3 always-on brokers, storage 0.10, transfer about 2. Excludes tax, commitments/annual billing, connectors/Schema Registry/MSK Connect, storage overage, support and migration; eCKU/broker counts are assumptions, not a performance benchmark.
Which option fits which scenario?
Steady high utilization, already on AWS, willing to manage Connect/Schema Registry/governance: AWS MSK (broker-hours + storage, 3 brokers+); low/intermittent, want scale-to-zero and managed Schema Registry/connectors/governance/99.99% SLA: Confluent Standard (0.75/eCKU-hr, starting about 385/month); tiny/test: Confluent Basic (0 monthly, first eCKU free); enterprise private networking/dedicated/GBps+: Confluent Enterprise/Dedicated; cross-cloud/multi-language clients: Confluent’s managed layer is less work. Include payment/storage/data/connectors/governance/SLA; do not compare only “per broker-hour” or “per eCKU”.
| Scenario | First choice | Monthly (example) | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steady small | AWS MSK | About 601.76 (3 brokers/1.5TB) | Brokers/storage/transfer |
| Steady large | AWS MSK | About 1,203.52 (6 brokers/3TB) | Brokers/storage/transfer |
| Low/intermittent | Confluent Basic/Standard | 154.00 (Basic) | eCKU/data/storage |
| Managed governance/connectors | Confluent Standard | About 880.00 (1 eCKU/1.5TB) | Connectors/Schema/SLA |
| Enterprise/private network | Confluent Enterprise/Dedicated | From 895/2,300 | Contract/dedicated cluster |
| Test/tiny | Confluent Basic | 0 + usage | Limits/features |
Sources: the two official pricing pages (accessed 7 November 2026). This is an editorial decision matrix, not vendor advice; throughput, latency, availability, SLA, connector coverage and migration cost were not tested.
What should procurement and acceptance specify?
At least ten things: peak/average throughput, partitions/topics, retention/storage, broker/eCKU size, connectors/Schema Registry, data in/out, cross-AZ/region, SLA/support, compliance/audit, contract/commitment. Run a 2–4 week POC on real traffic and record throughput, latency, scaling, storage, data, connectors and the bill; do not compare only “per broker-hour/eCKU”.
- Throughput: peak/average MB/s, message size, partitions.
- Storage: retention, replicas, tiered/low-cost storage.
- Compute: broker size/count or eCKU; autoscaling/scale-to-zero.
- Connectors: source/destination, CDC, managed vs self-managed.
- Schema Registry: included, compatibility, governance.
- Data: ingress/egress, cross-AZ/region, transfer fees.
- SLA: uptime, support response, credits.
- Compliance: private networking, audit, residency.
- Contract: usage/commitment, annual, renewal, exit.
- POC: 2–4 weeks of real traffic; throughput, latency, scaling, storage, data and bill.
FAQ
Is Confluent or MSK cheaper?
Steady high utilization favors MSK: 3 brokers/1.5TB about 601.76 vs Confluent Standard 880; 6 brokers/3TB about 1,203.52 vs 2,307.50. Low/intermittent favors Confluent: Basic about 154 vs MSK 498.76 (3 always-on brokers).
What is an eCKU?
Confluent Cloud’s elastic capacity unit, billed hourly, autoscaling and able to scale to zero. Basic first eCKU free then 0.14/eCKU-hr; Standard 0.75; Enterprise 1.75–2.25; Dedicated 2.25 (minimum 2).
Why is MSK poor at low utilization?
MSK bills broker-hours; 3 brokers always-on is 3×730 hours, with no request-level scale-to-zero. At low utilization the broker cost cannot be spread, so Confluent’s eCKU usage model fits better.
What else does MSK need?
MSK provides Kafka brokers only; Kafka Connect, Schema Registry, governance/audit and monitoring are usually separate (MSK Connect, Glue Schema Registry, self-managed/third-party). Confluent Standard includes Schema Registry/connectors/governance — add those back when comparing.
How is storage priced?
Confluent 0.08/GB-month (Dedicated 0.03); MSK 0.10/GB-month standard, 0.06 low-cost tier, retrieval 0.0015/GB. Retention/replicas multiply storage; tiered storage lowers long-term retention.
How is data transfer priced?
Confluent 0.035–0.05/GB (Standard in/out); MSK cross-AZ/region/internet transfer follows AWS transfer pricing. Cross-cloud/region scenarios should price transfer separately — it can dominate.
What hidden costs should we expect?
Connectors, Schema Registry, MSK Connect, storage overage, cross-AZ/region transfer, monitoring/logs, SLA/support, compliance/audit, migration/dual-run and tax. Confluent’s “starting 385/month” assumes 70% utilization; actual eCKU-hours vary.
How do we choose and accept?
Steady high utilization: MSK; low utilization/managed governance: Confluent; test: Basic; enterprise private networking: Enterprise/Dedicated. A 2–4 week POC on real traffic records throughput, latency, scaling, storage, data and the bill before signing.
Research method and limitations
This article separates “official facts” from “editorial modelling”: Confluent’s Basic first eCKU free/0.14, Standard 0.75, Enterprise 1.75–2.25, Dedicated 2.25 (min 2), storage 0.08/0.03, data 0.014–0.05/GB and starting 385/895/2,300 come from Confluent Cloud Pricing; AWS MSK’s m7g.large 0.204/hour, m5.large 0.21/hour, storage 0.10/0.06, retrieval 0.0015/GB and 3-broker+1.5TB=606.94 example come from AWS MSK Pricing. The TCOs are arithmetic at 1/3 eCKUs, 3/6 brokers, 1.5/3TB, 2.5/5TB in/out and a 100-eCKU-hour low-utilization case, not vendor quotes.
Eight limitations: (1) only US public list prices are used, excluding tax, commitments/annual discounts, enterprise discounts and regional differences; (2) only broker/eCKU, storage and data are counted, excluding connectors/Schema Registry/MSK Connect, monitoring/logs, SLA/support, compliance/audit and migration; (3) broker/eCKU counts are assumptions, not a performance benchmark; (4) Confluent’s “starting” assumes 70% utilization; actual eCKU-hours vary; (5) throughput, latency, scaling, availability, SLA and connector coverage were not tested; (6) Azure Event Hubs, Redpanda and WarpStream are excluded; (7) migration, re-engineering, training and dual-run are excluded; (8) prices and terms can change by contract, region and exchange rate. Treat this as a pricing-conversion template and replace assumptions with a 2–4 week real-traffic POC.
Sources and basis
- Confluent Cloud, Pricing: confluent.io/confluent-cloud/pricing. Basic first eCKU free then 0.14/eCKU-hr; Standard 0.75; Enterprise 1.75–2.25; Dedicated 2.25 (min 2); storage 0.08/0.03/GB-month; data 0.014–0.05/GB; starting 385/895/2,300/month. Accessed 7 November 2026.
- AWS, MSK Pricing: aws.amazon.com/msk/pricing. kafka.m7g.large 0.204/hour, m5.large 0.21/hour; storage 0.10/GB-month standard, 0.06 low-cost tier; retrieval 0.0015/GB; 3-broker+1.5TB example 606.94/month. Accessed 7 November 2026.
Data cut-off 7 November 2026; prices are public list prices excluding tax; all models are editorial calculations. This is not procurement advice.