RisingWave
RisingWave: A strong fit for teams that need SQL stream processing and continuously updated results. Ranked #13 of 27 in Event Streaming Platforms by our editors (8.0/10); pricing: 7-day trial; best for teams focused on SQL stream processing.
At a glance
- Editor score8.0 / 10
- Pricing7-day trial
- Best forTeams focused on SQL stream processing
- Free planNo
- Paid from$0.23/unit usage-based
- Deployment modelHybrid
- Founded2021 · San Francisco, California, United States
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- SQL-based processing with incremental computation and materialized views
- Exactly-once processing with barrier-based checkpointing
- 31 connectors across queues, databases, CDC, and storage systems
Where it doesn't
- No permanent free plan is listed
- Basic is fully hosted, while self-managed deployment starts with other tiers
- The entry price is usage-based rather than a fixed monthly subscription
Our verdict on RisingWave
RisingWave is a distributed SQL streaming platform for teams that ingest, transform, and serve real-time data. It uses PostgreSQL-compatible SQL, incremental computation, materialized views, and continuous sinks to support real-time analytics, monitoring, fraud detection, streaming ETL, operational applications, and AI data pipelines. Deployment options include a fully managed cloud service, BYOC, and self-managed software on infrastructure such as Kubernetes. Teams focused on SQL stream processing will find its product scope more aligned than teams primarily seeking a traditional message broker.
The published plans show a usage-based entry point of $0.227 per RWU per hour for Basic, with AWS, GCP, or Azure hosting, core features, pay-as-you-go billing, and standard support. Pro adds fully hosted or BYOC deployment, no core limits, premium features, and either pay-as-you-go or an annual contract; premium 24x7 support is available for purchase. Self-managed supports on-premises or Kubernetes deployment, no core limits, premium features, premium support and SLA, and a quarterly success review. A seven-day free trial provides an evaluation path, while the paid structure suits teams that can align spend with processing usage.
RisingWave’s technical depth is strongest around continuous computation and serving: materialized views keep results updated, continuous data sinks send outputs downstream, and exactly-once processing uses barrier-based checkpointing. Schema registry support enables Avro message parsing, while PostgreSQL wire compatibility, a Python SDK, and PostgreSQL-compatible client access support application integration. Connectors cover Apache Kafka, Apache Pulsar, Amazon Kinesis, Google Pub/Sub, Redpanda, NATS JetStream, MQTT, several databases, Apache Iceberg, and Delta Lake. Choose RisingWave when SQL, streaming transformations, and managed or hybrid deployment are priorities; consider an alternative when a permanent free plan or a broker-first product is the main requirement.
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RisingWave pricing
All 3 RisingWave plans and prices →
RisingWave fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $0.23/unit usage-based |
| Deployment model | Hybrid |
| Maximum retention | Not verified |
| Stream processing | Yes |
| Schema registry | Yes |
| Delivery guarantee | Exactly-once |
| Connectors listed | 31 connectors |
| Supported client languages | Python, Java, Node.js |
| Free trial | 7 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Linux |
| Compliance & security | SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 31+ integrations: Apache Kafka, Apache Pulsar, Amazon Kinesis, Google Pub/Sub, Redpanda, NATS JetStream … See all → |
| Pricing | 7-day trial (source) |
| Website | risingwave.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
RisingWave integrations
RisingWave lists 31+ integrations on its own site — the 20 named here are the ones its pages call out.
- Apache Kafka
- Apache Pulsar
- Amazon Kinesis
- Google Pub/Sub
- Redpanda
- NATS JetStream
- MQTT
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- MongoDB
- CockroachDB
- SQL Server
- TiDB
- Apache Iceberg
- Delta Lake
- BigQuery
- Snowflake
- Amazon Redshift
- ClickHouse
- Elasticsearch
See all RisingWave integrations →
Alternatives to RisingWave
- Apache KafkaA deep, self-hosted Kafka foundation for teams prepared to own operations.9.4
- Confluent CloudA broad managed Kafka platform with strong governance, but a high paid entry price.9.2
- Aiven for Apache KafkaManaged Kafka with a free plan, schema tools, connectors, replication, and hybrid deployment.9.0
See all RisingWave alternatives →
Also Ranked In
RisingWave is ranked in 5 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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