Apache Kafka Series – Learn Apache Kafka for Beginners v3

Course Overview & Key Highlights (2026)

Course introduction

Apache Kafka Series – Learn Apache Kafka for Beginners v3, created by Stephane Maarek, is a practical, beginner-friendly introduction to the Apache Kafka ecosystem. Updated for Kafka 4.0, this course focuses on helping learners understand Kafka’s architecture, core concepts, and real-world usage through hands-on Java producers and consumers.

Designed for developers and data engineers, the course explains how Kafka fits into modern big data and event-driven architectures, making it an ideal starting point for anyone looking to work with real-time data pipelines.

Course facts at a glance

• Instructor: Stephane Maarek
• Last updated: 2026
• Duration: ~8.5 hours (8h 20m total)
• Rating: ⭐ 4.6 / 5
• Students: 279,000+
• Language: English
• Access: Lifetime (mobile + TV)
• Certificate: Udemy Certificate of Completion
• Typical sale price: ~US$7–12 (varies by promotion)
• Discount Coupon: JAN_26_GET_STARTED

Key highlights

• Updated for Apache Kafka 4.0
• Clear explanation of Kafka ecosystem and architecture
• Learn essential Kafka concepts step by step
• Hands-on setup of a local Kafka development environment
• Work with Kafka command-line tools (CLI)
• Build real-world Java producers and consumers
• Practical case studies using Twitter and Elasticsearch
• Introduction to Kafka Connect and Kafka Streams
• Covers log compaction and operational concepts
• Beginner-friendly, structured learning path

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 What you will learn

Kafka fundamentals

• What Apache Kafka is and where it is used
• Kafka architecture: brokers, clusters, and logs
• Topics, partitions, offsets, and replication

Core Kafka components

• Producers and consumers
• Consumer groups and message delivery semantics
• Understanding brokers and fault tolerance

Hands-on Kafka setup

• Installing and running Kafka locally
• Managing Kafka using official CLI tools
• Creating, configuring, and managing topics

Java & real-world use cases

• Writing Kafka producers and consumers in Java
• Building a Twitter data producer
• Consuming Kafka data into Elasticsearch

Advanced ecosystem overview

• Kafka Connect concepts and use cases
• Kafka Streams fundamentals
• Big data architecture patterns with Kafka
• Understanding and applying log compaction

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q — Is this course suitable for beginners?
Yes. No prior Kafka experience is required. The course starts from fundamentals and builds up gradually.

Q — Do I need Java knowledge?
Basic Java knowledge is recommended, especially for the hands-on producer and consumer examples.

Q — Does this course cover the latest Kafka version?
Yes. The course has been updated to include Kafka 4.0 setup and concepts.

Q — Will I work with real-world examples?
Yes. The course includes realistic use cases like Twitter data ingestion and Elasticsearch consumers.

Q — Is a certificate included?
Yes. You receive a Udemy Certificate of Completion after finishing the course.

Why this course is worth it

Stephane Maarek is known for clear explanations and structured teaching. This course avoids unnecessary complexity while still explaining how Kafka works in production environments. The balance between theory and hands-on practice makes it especially valuable for developers and engineers entering the world of real-time data streaming.

 Final verdict

If you want a solid, beginner-friendly introduction to Apache Kafka that also shows how Kafka is used in real systems, this course is an excellent starting point. It builds strong fundamentals, includes practical Java examples, and prepares you to move on to more advanced Kafka use cases with confidence.