Confluent Cloud vs Confluent Platform

Confluent Platform is a self-managed distribution of Apache Kafka that you control and operate, typically for on-premises or private cloud deployments, while Confluent Cloud is a fully-managed, cloud-native Kafka service that offloads all infrastructure management to Confluent. The primary difference is the operational model: Platform offers flexibility and complete control at the cost of requiring significant operational expertise, whereas Cloud offers simplicity and scalability with a pay-as-you-go model but is managed by the provider. 

Feature	Confluent Platform	Confluent Cloud
Management	Self-managed (on-premises or private cloud)	Fully-managed by Confluent
Operational Model	You own the entire operational lifecycle, including infrastructure	Confluent manages the infrastructure, including upgrades and patching
Scalability	Manual scaling process	Automatic, elastic scaling
Pricing	Subscription-based, often based on cluster size, users, or support	Pay-as-you-go, based on consumed resources like throughput, storage, and API calls
Control	Complete control and customization	Less direct control over infrastructure, but offers features like private networking and BYOK for enhanced security
Ease of Use	Requires more technical expertise	Easier to use and manage due to automation
Ecosystem	Open-core platform, you install and configure components like KsqlDB and Schema Registry	Includes managed versions of components like KsqlDB and Schema Registry