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Maxwell's Daemon

Free#16 of 22 in Change Data Capture Software

Maxwell's Daemon: A focused, self-hosted option for streaming MySQL row changes as JSON. Ranked #16 of 22 in Change Data Capture Software by our editors (7.4/10); pricing: Open source; best for simple MySQL change streaming.

7.4/10Editor score

Try Maxwell's Daemon

Maxwell's Daemon7.4 Try Maxwell's Daemon

At a glance

Editor score
7.4 / 10
Pricing
Open source
Best for
Simple MySQL change streaming
Paid from
Free
Deployment model
Self-hosted
Facts checked
20 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Reads MySQL binlogs and emits row changes as JSON
- Supports Kafka, Kinesis, Pub/Sub, BigQuery, and messaging producers
- Includes schema tracking, bootstrapping, filtering, and partitioning
Where it doesn't
- Verified source coverage is limited to MySQL
- Self-hosted deployment places operation on the user
- Linux is the listed platform

Our verdict on Maxwell's Daemon

Maxwell's Daemon is an open-source, self-hosted change data capture application for MySQL. It reads row changes from MySQL binary logs and writes them as JSON events for streaming systems and messaging destinations. The product fits teams that need a focused MySQL change stream for ETL, audit logging, cache building, search indexing, or inter-service communication, rather than a broad multi-database replication layer.

Its main strength is ecosystem fit. Producer options cover Kafka, Amazon Kinesis, Google Cloud Pub/Sub, Google BigQuery, RabbitMQ, Redis, NATS, Amazon SNS, and Amazon SQS. That gives teams several ways to route captured changes into streaming, messaging, analytics, or application workflows. Schema tracking and schema-change deltas help preserve structural context, while configurable filtering and partitioning provide control over which changes are emitted and how events are distributed. Table-data bootstrapping can place existing table data into the change stream alongside ongoing changes.

The product’s narrow scope is also its clearest boundary. The published positioning centers on MySQL binlog capture, so teams with sources beyond MySQL should consider a product with broader source coverage. Deployment is self-hosted, with operation handled by the user, and Linux is the listed platform. Distribution options include a downloadable binary, Docker image, and Homebrew package, while command-line operation supports a direct deployment model. Choose Maxwell's Daemon when MySQL is the source and an open-source, destination-flexible CDC daemon is the priority; choose another option when managed operation or multi-database capture matters more.

Your product? Our editors can test Maxwell's Daemon in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

Maxwell's Daemon pricing

Plans Open sourceFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.

See plans on maxwells-daemon.io

Maxwell's Daemon fact sheet

Free plan	Not verified
Paid from	Free
Deployment model	Self-hosted
Capture method	Log-based
Source connectors	Not verified
Destination connectors	Not verified
Schema evolution	Yes
Initial snapshot	Yes
Deployment	Self-hosted
Platforms	Linux
Support	Docs, Community
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate)
Integrations	9 integrations: Kafka, Amazon Kinesis, NATS, Google Cloud Pub/Sub, Google BigQuery, RabbitMQ …
Pricing	Open source
Website	maxwells-daemon.io
Facts checked	20 Sep 2026

Maxwell's Daemon integrations

Maxwell's Daemon lists 9 integrations on its own site.

Kafka
Amazon Kinesis
NATS
Google Cloud Pub/Sub
Google BigQuery
RabbitMQ
Redis
Amazon SNS
Amazon SQS

Alternatives to Maxwell's Daemon

See all Maxwell's Daemon alternatives →

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Featured on iTechGuides

Maxwell's Daemon is listed in our Change Data Capture Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update