---
title: "Discussion on \"Kafka vs Redpanda vs NATS on My M4 Mac: The Real Numbers\n\" | Hashnode"
description: "Discussion on \"Kafka vs Redpanda vs NATS on My M4 Mac: The Real Numbers\n\". Corrected Kafka, Redpanda, and NATS JetStream latency numbers on an M4 Mac, full test rig disclosed — plus does Kafka still need ZooKeeper in 2026?"
url: "https://hashnode.com/posts/kafka-vs-redpanda-vs-nats-the-real-numbers/6a6f5bf5e7ee2bc8f5403132"
---

[Feed](https://hashnode.com/feed) /

Discussion

# [Kafka vs Redpanda vs NATS on My M4 Mac: The Real Numbers](https://nipunnair.hashnode.dev/kafka-vs-redpanda-vs-nats-the-real-numbers?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

Corrected Kafka, Redpanda, and NATS JetStream latency numbers on an M4 Mac, full test rig disclosed — plus does Kafka still need ZooKeeper in 2026?

Aug 2 · 7 min read · nipunnair.hashnode.dev  
Read the article

-   [#kafka](https://hashnode.com/tag/kafka)
-   [#redpanda](https://hashnode.com/tag/redpanda)
-   [#nats](https://hashnode.com/tag/nats)
-   [#benchmarking](https://hashnode.com/tag/benchmarking)
-   [#performance](https://hashnode.com/tag/performance)

## Written by

[Nipun Nair](https://hashnode.com/@nipunnair)

@nipunnair · Belmont, CA, USA

  
[View profile](https://hashnode.com/@nipunnair)

Sharing thoughts as a Developer, Leader, Learner

## Responses

Markdown supported · ⌘↵ to post

No responses yet.