Karapace

Input—per 1M tokens

Output—per 1M tokens

Context—tokens

WeightsClosed

About

Karapace is ranked #7 of 23 in schema registry software on Inferse. It runs on API, Linux, Self-hosted. There is a free plan. Paid plans start at $35/mo.

Compared on schema registry software

Schema formats: Avro, Protobuf, JSON Schemaaiven.io
Compatibility modes: NONE, BACKWARD, BACKWARD_TRANSITIVE, FORWARD, FORWARD_TRANSITIVE, FULL, FULL_TRANSITIVEaiven.io
Validation scope: eventaiven.io
Deployment options: hybridaiven.io

Facts

What it does: Karapace is an Aiven-built open-source Schema Registry and REST Proxy for Aiven for Apache Kafka.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026
Schema management: The Schema Registry stores and versions schemas and can check compatibility before changes are published.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026
Supported formats: Karapace supports Avro, Protobuf, and JSON Schema registration; schema references are supported for Avro and Protobuf.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026
HTTP access: The REST Proxy exposes APIs for producing and consuming Kafka events over HTTP, including use from scripts, curl, and HTTP-based services.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026
Authentication: Karapace supports OAuth 2.0/OIDC authentication for Schema Registry and the REST Proxy.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026
Authorization: Schema Registry authorization uses access control lists, and OIDC role-based authorization can restrict operations by HTTP method.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026
Identity providers: The OAuth/OIDC setup documentation lists Auth0, Okta, Google Identity Platform, and Azure as example compliant providers.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026
Integrations: The Aiven Terraform Provider supports managing Karapace Schema Registry authorization ACL entries.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026
Deployment: The project documents Docker-based setup and installation from source with pip.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Compatibility: The project states that Karapace is compatible with Schema Registry 6.1.1 at the API level and supports all operations in that API.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Notable limit: Karapace’s built-in schema backup functionality was removed in version 6.0.0 and is no longer maintained in the project.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Free tier scope: Aiven’s Kafka free tier includes Karapace Schema Registry and is described as intended for learning, prototyping, and evaluation.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026

Company

Company headquarters: Aiven says it is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland.aiven.io · 2 Oct 2026
Founded: 2016aiven.io · 28 Sept 2026
Headquarters: Helsinki, Finlandaiven.io · 28 Sept 2026