Apache Flink vs Storm

Side-by-side — pricing, strengths, tradeoffs, and fit.

Apache Flink

Distributed stream and batch data processing platform.

Storm

Distributed realtime computation system for processing large streams of data.

At a glance

Open SourceFree Tier
● Established·From $0
Open SourceFree Tier
● Established·From $0

Overview

One-liner

Distributed stream and batch data processing platform.

One-liner

Distributed realtime computation system for processing large streams of data.

Maturity

Established

Maturity

Established

Open source

✓ Yes

Open source

✓ Yes

Pricing

Free tier

✓ Available

Open source — free to use

Free tier

✓ Available

Open source — free to use

Starts at

$0

Starts at

$0

Model

Flat rate

Model

Flat rate

Enterprise

✕ None

Enterprise

✕ None

Best for

✓ Best for

Teams needing low-latency, high-throughput stream processing with exactly-once semantics
Projects requiring both batch and streaming capabilities within a single framework
Developers working on event-driven architectures where stateful computations are essential

✓ Best for

Teams needing a fault-tolerant system for processing large streams of data in real-time.
Projects that require guaranteed message processing with low-latency.

Not ideal for

✕ Not for

Applications that require real-time sub-millisecond latency
Scenarios where the overhead of setting up a self-hosted solution is prohibitive

✕ Not for

Applications requiring real-time streaming without the need for distributed architecture and scalability.
Small-scale projects where simplicity outweighs the benefits of a distributed system.

Strengths

↑ Strengths

Exactly-once processing semantics
Support for both stream and batch processing
High throughput and low latency
Stateful computations with fault tolerance

↑ Strengths

Distributed and fault-tolerant architecture
Guaranteed message processing
Scalability for handling large data streams
Real-time computation capabilities

Weaknesses

↓ Weaknesses

Steep learning curve for new users
Limited documentation and community support
Performance overhead for small-scale applications
Complex setup and configuration

↓ Weaknesses

Steep learning curve for new users
Limited language support beyond Java
Complex setup and configuration
Performance bottlenecks in large-scale deployments
Full Apache Flink profile →Full Storm profile →