// Bitnami alternatives / kafka

Bitnami Apache Kafka alternative
Replacing bitnamilegacy/kafka

The bitnamilegacy/kafka image has had about 14.3 million pulls since Bitnami moved it to the legacy repository, and it receives no updates. Switching to the official apache/kafka image means changing environment variables and the data path. Get either wrong and the new container starts empty.

Get a drop-in Apache Kafka image

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Bitnami Apache Kafka variables and their official equivalents

Bitnami Apache Kafka image to official apache/kafka:

SettingBitnamiOfficial image
Any broker propertyKAFKA_CFG_<PROPERTY> (for example KAFKA_CFG_NODE_ID)KAFKA_<PROPERTY> (for example KAFKA_NODE_ID)
KRaft rolesKAFKA_CFG_PROCESS_ROLESKAFKA_PROCESS_ROLES
Controller quorumKAFKA_CFG_CONTROLLER_QUORUM_BOOTSTRAP_SERVERSKAFKA_CONTROLLER_QUORUM_BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS
Data path/bitnami/kafkalog.dirs as configured

What breaks when you switch

  • Every KAFKA_CFG_ variable has to be renamed. Missing one silently falls back to a default.
  • Bitnami's client and broker credential helpers (KAFKA_CLIENT_USERS, KAFKA_CLIENT_PASSWORDS) have no official equivalent; configure JAAS and SASL directly.
  • The official apache/kafka image covers current releases. ZooKeeper-mode 3.x clusters need either a migration to KRaft or a maintained 3.x image.

What happened to the Bitnami Apache Kafka image

For years, bitnami/kafka on Docker Hub was one of the most common ways to deploy Apache Kafka on Kubernetes, usually through the Bitnami Apache Kafka Helm chart. On 28 August 2025 Broadcom moved every versioned Bitnami container image, including this one, to the bitnamilegacy repository, and removed the public docker.io/bitnami catalog on 29 September 2025. The free tier now offers only latest tags of a limited set of images for development.

The legacy Docker image still pulls, so existing deployments keep working. It no longer receives updates, which means every vulnerability disclosed since the move stays open in the Apache Kafka binary, in the base image and in every bundled dependency. Container scanners will report a growing count at every audit, and a workload that depends on a frozen public repository is one registry change away from ImagePullBackOff.

How to migrate Apache Kafka off Bitnami safely

  1. Find every reference to bitnami/kafka and bitnamilegacy/kafka in running workloads, Helm values files and CI pipelines, including init containers.
  2. Record the Apache Kafka version each deployment pins. Versions past upstream end of life are not covered by the free open source images.
  3. Take a backup and test a restore before touching a stateful workload.
  4. Mirror the replacement container images into your own registry, and scan them before you deploy.
  5. Move one replica or one environment at a time, and confirm the data path, file ownership and credentials on the new image.
  6. Remove every remaining legacy reference so nothing falls back to the archive on the next deploy.

Your options

OSSeva drop-in image

A patched image that keeps Bitnami's variables, paths and user, covering Kafka 2.8 to 3.9, including ZooKeeper-mode clusters. Your chart keeps working after a registry change.

Official apache/kafka image

Free and maintained for current versions. Apply the mapping above and move the volume.

Strimzi

A CNCF operator for Kafka on Kubernetes, and the common replacement for the Bitnami kafka chart.

Bitnami Secure Images

Broadcom's paid catalog keeps the Bitnami layout for supported versions, sold within TrueSource.

Repoint the Bitnami Apache Kafka Helm chart

# values-override.yaml
image:
  registry: registry.example.com   # your mirror of the replacement image
  repository: kafka
  tag: "<pinned version>"
global:
  security:
    allowInsecureImages: true      # recent Bitnami charts reject non-Bitnami images without this

This works only with an image that keeps Bitnami's layout. With the official image, rewrite the chart or move to an operator. See replacing bitnamilegacy images for the full inventory and rollout steps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to the Bitnami Apache Kafka image?

To keep the Bitnami Apache Kafka Helm chart unchanged, use a Bitnami-compatible image; OSSeva ships patched ones covering Kafka 2.8 to 3.9, including ZooKeeper-mode clusters. To rewrite the deployment, use the official apache/kafka image or Strimzi.

Is bitnamilegacy/kafka still getting security updates?

No. Bitnami moved versioned images to the bitnamilegacy repository on 28 August 2025 and describes it as receiving no further updates. It had about 14.3 million pulls by September 2026.

Can I keep using the Bitnami Apache Kafka Helm chart?

Yes, with a maintained image that keeps Bitnami's layout. Set image.registry and image.repository in your values file, and set global.security.allowInsecureImages to true, because recent Bitnami charts refuse non-Bitnami images otherwise.

Is Bitnami no longer free?

Not for production. Since 28 August 2025, versioned Bitnami images live in the bitnamilegacy repository with no updates, and the free tier offers latest tags of a limited set of images for development. Maintained, versioned images are sold as Bitnami Secure Images, which Broadcom prices by quote.

Where does the Bitnami Apache Kafka image store data?

Under /bitnami/kafka. The official image uses log.dirs as configured, so the volume mount must change when you switch images.

Keep your Apache Kafka chart. Change the image.

Send us your image list and versions; we reply with coverage and a migration plan within five working days.

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