head to head · open source
flink-cdc vs Lightdash
flink-cdc has 6,491 GitHub stars, 2,205 forks, 119 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Lightdash has 6,221 stars, 802 forks, 1,018 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. flink-cdc leads on adoption by 4% (6,491 vs 6,221 stars). flink-cdc is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Lightdash is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. flink-cdc has attracted 34% as many forks as stars, Lightdash 13%. flink-cdc was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| flink-cdc | Lightdash | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 6.5K | ★ 6.2K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Java | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.2K | ⑂ 802 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick flink-cdc if
- You weight community size — 6.5K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Lightdash if
- You want the Lightdash feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Lightdash fits your workflow better
About flink-cdc
Flink CDC is a distributed data integration tool for real time data and batch data, built on top of Apache Flink. It prioritizes efficient end to end data integration and offers enhanced functionalities such as full database synchronization, sharding table synchronization, schema evolution and data transformation. API Layers Flink CDC provides three API layers for different usage scenarios: 1. YAML API (Pipeline API) The YAML API provides a declarative, zero code approach to define data pipelines. Users describe the source, sink, routing, transformation, and schema evolution rules in a YAML file and submit it…
read the full flink-cdc overview →
About Lightdash
Open source Agentic BI for modern data teams Build governed metrics, dashboards, AI agents, and data apps from your context layer. Ship analytics through Git, CI, MCP, and the Lightdash CLI. Why Lightdash Lightdash is the Agentic BI platform for teams that want analytics to move like software. Your context layer defines trusted metrics, joins, permissions, business logic, and caching once, then powers every way people consume data: dashboards, AI agents, data apps, embedded analytics, SDKs, and MCP. Data teams can build and maintain analytics with any AI agent, then use the terminal, pull requests, and CI to…
read the full Lightdash overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is flink-cdc or Lightdash more popular?
flink-cdc has 6,491 GitHub stars and Lightdash has 6,221. flink-cdc has the larger community by that measure.
Are flink-cdc and Lightdash free?
Both are open source. flink-cdc is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Lightdash has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between flink-cdc and Lightdash?
flink-cdc is written in Java and Lightdash in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, flink-cdc or Lightdash?
Choose flink-cdc if you want the larger community (6,491 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Lightdash if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.