compare
NATS vs Apache Pulsar
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | NATS | Apache Pulsar |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Java |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 21k | 15k |
| Latest | v2.15.0 | v5.0.0 |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-05 |
| Release cadence | too few releases | about 1 day between releases |
| Active contributors | 33+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 47 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Both replace Apache Kafka. Alternatives to Apache Kafka →
PartialNATSDurable streams with JetStream, without Kafka's protocol.
Full replacementApache PulsarStreaming and pub/sub with storage separated from the brokers, multi-tenant.
NATS
- v2.14.8-RC.22026-10-06Release v2.14.8-RC.2pre-release
- v2.15.1-RC.22026-10-06Release v2.15.1-RC.2pre-release
- v2.14.8-RC.12026-09-28Release v2.14.8-RC.1pre-release
- v2.15.1-RC.12026-09-28Release v2.15.1-RC.1pre-release
- v2.15.02026-09-17Release v2.15.0
Apache Pulsar
- v4.0.142026-10-05[improve][broker][branch-4.2] Upgrade bookkeeper to 4.17.4 (#26219)
- v4.2.52026-10-05[improve][broker][branch-4.2] Upgrade bookkeeper to 4.17.4 (#26219)
- v5.0.02026-10-05The 5.0.0 release also includes the changes from these milestone releases:
- v5.0.0-M22026-09-16[improve][pip] PIP-445: Add Builder Methods to Create Message-based TableView (#24842)pre-release
- v4.2.42026-08-03[fix][ci] Upgrade sandboxed-trivy-action to approved sha (#26169)
NATS
✓ signed The latest release, v2.15.0, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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Apache Pulsar
✓ signed The latest release, v5.0.0, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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