| Tool | Licence | Latest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| kafbat UI | Apache 2.0 | 1.5.0, Apr 2026 | Broad features, JMX metrics, RBAC |
| AKHQ (https://github.com/tchiotludo/akhq 3,858 ) | Apache 2.0 | 0.28.0, Aug 2026 | Formerly KafkaHQ; ACLs, Connect, LDAP/OIDC |
| Kafdrop (https://github.com/obsidiandynamics/kafdrop 6,156 ) | Apache 2.0 | 4.3.0, Aug 2026 | Lightweight, read-mostly browser |
| Redpanda 64,862 Console | BSL core, RCL extras | 3.12.0, Sep 2026 | Strong message viewer |
| Conduktor Console | Commercial | Free Community tier | 50 users, 3 clusters; Team $125/seat/month |
AKHQ, a Micronaut application, is strong on administration (ACLs, live tail, fine-grained roles); Kafdrop, a small Spring Boot app, suits a quick look at messages. Each runs as one container: pick kafbat or AKHQ for a team, Kafdrop for a laptop.