compare
NATS vs Redpanda
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | NATS | Redpanda |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | C++ |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | None detected |
| Stars | 21k | 13k |
| Latest | v2.15.0 | v26.2.2 |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-08-22 |
| Release cadence | too few releases | about 1 day between releases |
| Active contributors | 33+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 30+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | No licence detected |
How they relate
Both replace Apache Kafka. Alternatives to Apache Kafka →
PartialNATSDurable streams with JetStream, without Kafka's protocol.
Drop-inRedpandaKafka API compatible, without ZooKeeper or a JVM.
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
Redpanda
- v26.2.22026-08-22rpk sql debug bundle collects a diagnostic bundle from an Oxla (SQL) cluster. by @Bixkog in #31078 by @tyson-redpanda i…
- v25.3.172026-08-20adds the cloud_storage_prefetch_segments_max cluster config which can be used to enable small segment prefetching in cl…
- v26.1.172026-08-20Fixed an issue where audit-log initialization unconditionally sent a CreateTopics request to the controller leader, cau…
- v26.1.162026-08-13IMPORTANT: Do not install the 26.1.16 release. A critical bug was identified that has broad implications that can creat…
- v25.3.162026-08-13IMPORTANT: Do not install the 25.13.16 release. A critical bug was identified that has broad implications that can crea…
NATS
✓ signed The latest release, v2.15.0, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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Redpanda
✓ signed The latest release, v26.2.2, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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