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kaf vs Confluent CLI: catalog facts
kaf	Confluent CLI
Free Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 licence.	Free The CLI is free; Confluent Cloud and Confluent Platform are billed separately.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Command line
Familiar kubectl-style commands Single Go binary	One tool for both Confluent Cloud and on-premises Confluent Platform Produce and consume Kafka messages from the terminal
Command-line only, no graphical interface Requires access to a running Kafka cluster	Only useful with Confluent Cloud or Confluent Platform Source-available license, not open source
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: Apache-2.0	License: Confluent Community License
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.