Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Confluent Cloud vs Scaleway

Confluent Cloud logo

Confluent Cloud

Cloud

The data streaming platform built on Apache Kafka, delivered as a fully managed cloud service

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Confluent CloudFull review
Scaleway logo

Scaleway

Cloud

European cloud for developers

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit ScalewayFull review

The short version

  • Confluent Cloud is a managed Apache Kafka service billed; Scaleway is a European cloud computing provider.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $385/mo and €0.01/mo.
  • Where Confluent Cloud falls short: requires understanding of eCKU (Elastic Confluent Unit) billing.
  • Where Scaleway falls short: no free tier or trial period mentioned on homepage.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Confluent Cloud and Scaleway actually diverge.

Attributes where Confluent Cloud and Scaleway differ
AttributeConfluent CloudScaleway
PlatformsWebWeb, API

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Usage-based), free tier (Yes), category (Cloud).

Not yet recorded: founded for Confluent Cloud.

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Confluent Cloud

Nothing recorded that Scaleway does not also cover.

Only in Scaleway

  • Virtual Instances
  • Bare Metal
  • Kubernetes Kapsule
  • Object Storage
  • Serverless Functions
  • Managed Databases
  • Container Registry
  • Load Balancer

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Confluent Cloud

  • Apache Kafka event streaming and processingnot Scaleway
  • Real-time data pipeline architecturenot Scaleway
  • Multi-cloud event broker deploymentnot Scaleway
  • Stream processing and analyticsnot Scaleway
  • Microservices data synchronizationnot Scaleway

Scaleway

  • Web hostingnot Confluent Cloud
  • Container orchestrationnot Confluent Cloud
  • Development environmentsnot Confluent Cloud
  • Data storagenot Confluent Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Confluent Cloud

  • Requires understanding of eCKU (Elastic Confluent Unit) billing
  • Data in/egress costs add $0.014-$0.050 per GB
  • Storage costs of $0.03-$0.08 per GB-month
  • Minimum commitment recommended for cost optimization

Scaleway

  • No free tier or trial period mentioned on homepage
  • Specific pricing requires navigating to individual product category pages
  • Base pricing starts at 4.99 EUR per month but varies significantly by service type

Pricing, plan by plan

Confluent Cloud

Free
  • BasicFree
    • Free first eCKU
    • Then $0.14 per eCKU-hour
    • 99.5% uptime
  • Standard$385/mo
    • $0.75 per eCKU-hour
    • 99.99% uptime with 2+ eCKUs
    • Infinite storage
  • Enterprise$895/mo
    • $1.75-$2.25 per eCKU-hour
    • Private networking
    • GBps+ scaling
  • Freight$2,300/mo
    • $2.25 per eCKU-hour
    • Specialty logging tier
    • Highest throughput requirements

Scaleway

Free
  • DEV1-S€7.99/mo
    • 2 vCPU
    • 2GB RAM
    • 20GB SSD

Which should you pick?

Choose Confluent Cloud if

  • You want to start without paying.
Confluent Cloud review

Choose Scaleway if

  • You need virtual instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want bare metal.
Scaleway review

Questions people ask

Is Confluent Cloud or Scaleway better?
Neither clearly leads. Confluent Cloud starts at Free and Scaleway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Confluent Cloud or Scaleway?
Confluent Cloud starts at Free and Scaleway at Free.
Does Confluent Cloud or Scaleway run on more platforms?
Confluent Cloud runs on Web. Scaleway runs on Web, API.
Can I use Confluent Cloud for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Confluent Cloud best used for?
Confluent Cloud is most often used for apache kafka event streaming and processing, real-time data pipeline architecture, multi-cloud event broker deployment, stream processing and analytics. Of those, apache kafka event streaming and processing and real-time data pipeline architecture are not what Scaleway is typically brought in for.
What can Confluent Cloud do that Scaleway cannot?
Scaleway covers Virtual Instances, Bare Metal, Kubernetes Kapsule, Object Storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Confluent Cloud: How much does Confluent Cloud cost?

Confluent Cloud pricing starts free on Basic tier with $0.14 per eCKU-hour, Standard at $0.75 per eCKU-hour (~$385/month base), Enterprise at $1.75-$2.25 per eCKU-hour (~$895/month base), and Freight specialty tier at $2.25 per eCKU-hour (~$2300/month).

Source
Scaleway: Does Scaleway have a free tier?

Scaleway does not mention a free tier or trial period on its pricing or homepage. Users must select specific services to see rates.

Source
Confluent Cloud: Is there a free tier for Confluent Cloud?

Yes, the Basic tier is free with one eCKU credit included. Additional usage is billed at $0.14 per eCKU-hour, plus data transfer and storage fees apply.

Source
Scaleway: What is Scaleway's pricing model?

Scaleway uses transparent, usage-based pricing that varies by service. Different categories (bare metal, compute, AI, storage, network) have separate pricing. Dedibox servers start at 4.99 EUR per month.

Source
Confluent Cloud: What additional fees does Confluent Cloud charge?

Beyond eCKU hours, Confluent charges data in/egress at $0.014-$0.050 per GB and storage at $0.03-$0.08 per GB-month. Costs vary by tier and region.

Source
Scaleway: How does Scaleway billing work?

Scaleway emphasizes transparent, predictable billing where customers know exactly what they'll pay. Users must select products and view pricing within each category.

Source
Confluent Cloud: Does Confluent offer discounts for higher usage?

Yes, volume discounts are negotiated upfront based on annual consumption estimates. Annual commitments allow flexible cross-product allocation with guaranteed cost savings.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Confluent Cloud

More on Scaleway

Keep looking

Other head to heads