Operate topics
See topic metadata, partitions, consumer groups, lag, replicas, record counts, and live refreshes.
Kafka, terminal-first
Kafka flows through your terminal.
Kaskade brings topic administration and record inspection into one fast, keyboard-driven interface, with flexible deserialization and secure connections built in.
brew install kaskade
Latest release View releases ↗
Open source · Python 3.10+ · macOS & Linux
One tool, the whole flow
From topic operations to record detail.
Administer Kafka, consume precisely, and decode data without breaking terminal flow.
Change topics safely
Create, edit, delete, filter, and inspect topic configuration without memorizing another command set.
Consume precisely
Read from the latest or earliest records, or target exact partitions and offsets.
Decode every payload
Inspect bytes, primitives, JSON, Avro, and Protobuf through Confluent or native Apicurio Registry.
Keep imperfect data visible
Filter nulls and live records while malformed fields remain inspectable through explicit byte fallbacks.
Connect your way
Reuse client profiles and connect through TLS, SASL, Confluent Cloud, or Amazon MSK IAM.
See it in action
A TUI that gets out of your way.
Clear hierarchy, useful shortcuts, and dense information where it helps.
Admin Understand your cluster in one view.
topics · partitions · groups · lag
Consumer Inspect the record, not the noise.
filter · deserialize · copy · export
Up and running
Install. Connect. Work.
Pick your installer, then point Kaskade at a broker or reuse a client profile.
Option A
Homebrew
brew install kaskade
Option B
pipx
pipx install kaskade
Then connect
Replace the example broker, topic, and options with your own.
Admin
kaskade admin -b my-kafka:9092
Consumer
kaskade consumer -b my-kafka:9092 -t my-topic
Profile
kaskade admin --config-file client.ini
Go deeper
Everything else is one command away.
Built with good company
