kafka
Pure Python client for Apache Kafka
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. kafka-python is production-stable, widely adopted (254199 monthly downloads, top 15000 on PyPI), has zero known vulnerabilities, and carries a permissive Apache License 2.0. Installation is frictionless with no runtime dependencies. The only caveat is that the last release was 2017-10-07; verify that this aligns with your support expectations and that the package still meets your target Kafka broker and Python version requirements.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a running Kafka broker accessible at the specified bootstrap_servers address; optional compression support (lz4, snappy) requires additional system libraries.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies.
- Actively maintained with recent commits (2026-08-07) and a large user base (254199 monthly downloads).
License · maintenance · safety
Apache License 2.0 (permissive) — Apache License 2.0 is permissive: you can use this library freely in commercial and private projects, modify it, and distribute it, provided you include a copy of the license and state significant changes. No copyleft obligations.
last release 2017-10-07 (3233 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-07 · 5,901 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 254,199 downloads/mo, #8,500 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install kafka
from kafka import KafkaConsumer
consumer = KafkaConsumer('my_favorite_topic', group_id='my_favorite_group')
for msg in consumer:
print(msg)
from kafka import KafkaProducer
producer = KafkaProducer(bootstrap_servers='localhost:1234')
producer.send('foobar', b'some_message_bytes')- Whether the package supports modern Python versions beyond 3.6 (classifiers list up to 3.6, but current ecosystem has moved further)
- Current status of optional compression dependencies (lz4, snappy) and whether they remain actively maintained
- Whether the last release date (2017-10-07) reflects true maintenance status or if updates are released through a different channel
What it is and what it does
kafka-python is a pure-Python client for Apache Kafka that lets you produce and consume messages from Kafka brokers without external compiled dependencies. It provides two main APIs: KafkaConsumer for reading messages (with support for consumer groups and dynamic partition assignment on brokers 0.9+) and KafkaProducer for writing messages asynchronously. Both are designed to behave similarly to the official Java client, with Pythonic additions like consumer iterators. The library handles serialization, compression (gzip natively; lz4 and snappy via optional packages), and protocol-level operations.
The package is best suited for Kafka 0.9 and newer brokers, though it remains backward-compatible with 0.8.0. It supports thread-safe producer usage but recommends multiprocessing for consumers. No runtime dependencies means installation is straightforward, and the large download volume and production-stable status indicate it is widely used in production systems.
Use it for
- Build a consumer application that subscribes to a Kafka topic and processes messages in a consumer group with automatic partition rebalancing
- Implement an asynchronous message producer that sends events to Kafka with optional compression and key-based partitioning
- Set up multi-consumer message processing by manually assigning different partitions to consumer instances using configuration management
- Integrate custom serialization (JSON, msgpack, etc.) for message values and keys in producer and consumer workflows
- Probe and test Kafka broker compatibility by using the protocol layer to check broker versions (0.8.0 to 0.11)
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
kafka-python is production-stable, widely adopted (254199 monthly downloads, top 15000 on PyPI), has zero known vulnerabilities, and carries a permissive Apache License 2.0. Installation is frictionless with no runtime dependencies. The only caveat is that the last release was 2017-10-07; verify that this aligns with your support expectations and that the package still meets your target Kafka broker and Python version requirements.
Install
kafka on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Actively maintained with recent commits (2026-08-07) and a large user base (254199 monthly downloads). Production-stable classifier and 5901 repository stars indicate mature, widely-adopted code.
Requires a running Kafka broker accessible at the specified bootstrap_servers address; optional compression support (lz4, snappy) requires additional system libraries.
License in practice
Apache License 2.0 is permissive: you can use this library freely in commercial and private projects, modify it, and distribute it, provided you include a copy of the license and state significant changes. No copyleft obligations.
Quickstart
pip install kafka
from kafka import KafkaConsumer
consumer = KafkaConsumer('my_favorite_topic', group_id='my_favorite_group')
for msg in consumer:
print(msg)
from kafka import KafkaProducer
producer = KafkaProducer(bootstrap_servers='localhost:1234')
producer.send('foobar', b'some_message_bytes')Verify before relying
- Whether the package supports modern Python versions beyond 3.6 (classifiers list up to 3.6, but current ecosystem has moved further)
- Current status of optional compression dependencies (lz4, snappy) and whether they remain actively maintained
- Whether the last release date (2017-10-07) reflects true maintenance status or if updates are released through a different channel
Package facts
| License | Apache License 2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 3,233 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 254,199 / month, #8,500 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: kafka-1.3.5-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also aiokafka · confluent-kafka · kafka-python · kafka-python-ng · quixstreams · faststream · kafka-connect-py · aws-msk-iam-sasl-signer-python · kafka-schema-registry · confluent_avro