ksqlDB Overview¶

ksqlDB is a database purpose-built to help developers create stream processing applications on top of Apache Kafka®.

ksqlDB Quick Start¶

Try ksqlDB Standalone with Docker images.
Get started with hosted ksqlDB in Confluent Cloud in the Confluent Cloud Quick Start.
Run ksqlDB locally with Confluent Platform in the Quick Start for Confluent Platform.

These are the ksqlDB distributions:

ksqlDB Standalone: ksqlDB Standalone is an open-source project that’s licensed under the Confluent Community License. You can install it by using the ksqldb-server and ksqldb-cli Docker images. For more information, see Install ksqlDB in the ksqlDB Standalone documentation.
ksqlDB for Confluent Platform: ksqlDB for Confluent Platform is packaged as part of Confluent Platform. This is a commercial component of Confluent Platform. ksqlDB for Confluent Platform includes enterprise features, like role-based access control, and is available in Confluent Cloud. You can install it by using the cp-ksqldb-cli and cp-ksqldb-server Docker images or by using TAR, ZIP, or Systemd deployments. For more information, see On-Premises Deployments.

The following table summarizes the distributions.

	Project Type	License		Docker Images	TAR, ZIP, Systemd deployment
ksqlDB Standalone	Open source	Confluent Community License		ksqldb-server ksqldb-cli For more information, see Install ksqlDB.	n/a
ksqlDB for Confluent Platform	Packaged with Confluent Platform	This is a commercial component of Confluent Platform.		cp-ksqldb-server cp-ksqldb-cli For more information, see Docker Image Reference for Confluent Platform.	Install Confluent Platform On-Premises