How to Run Redpanda with Docker in 5 Minutes

Redpanda is a blazing fast, Kafka-compatible streaming platform that doesn’t require JVM or Zookeeper. It’s built in C++ for performance and designed to be simple to set up, especially with Docker.

In this quick guide, we’ll show you how to get Redpanda up and running in just 5 minutes using Docker. Whether you’re testing locally or exploring streaming for the first time, this setup is perfect for developers of any level.

🧱 Why Use Redpanda?

Before jumping in, here’s why Redpanda is a great choice:

• Kafka API compatible — works with your existing Kafka tools and libraries
• No JVM — runs as a single native binary
• Lightweight — perfect for edge and cloud environments
• Fast — extremely low latency and high throughput

Now let’s get started.

⚙️ Prerequisites

• Docker installed and running: Get Docker
• Terminal or command line access

That’s it. No Kafka. No Zookeeper. No complex YAML files.

🚀 Step-by-Step: Run Redpanda with Docker

1. Pull and Run Redpanda

Open your terminal and run:

docker run -d --pull=always --name=redpanda \
  -p 9092:9092 -p 9644:9644 \
  docker.redpanda.com/redpandadata/redpanda:latest \
  redpanda start --overprovisioned --smp 1 --memory 1G --reserve-memory 0M \
  --node-id 0 --check=false --kafka-addr PLAINTEXT://0.0.0.0:9092

What This Does:

• Downloads the latest Redpanda Docker image
• Runs it with ports 9092 (Kafka API) and 9644 (Admin API)
• Starts a single-node Redpanda cluster optimized for development

Note: This setup is meant for local testing, not production.

🔹 Verifying It’s Running

You can check if the container is active:

docker ps

You should see something like:

CONTAINER ID   IMAGE                                ...   STATUS         PORTS
abcd1234       redpandadata/redpanda:latest         ...   Up X minutes   0.0.0.0:9092->9092, 9644->9644

🔹 Optional: Use rpk (Redpanda CLI)

To interact with Redpanda more easily, install rpk:

curl -s https://packages.vectorized.io/install.sh | bash

Then you can run:

rpk topic create test-topic
rpk topic produce test-topic
rpk topic consume test-topic

Now that Redpanda is running:

• Try producing and consuming messages using Python, Node.js, or Java Kafka clients
• Explore Redpanda Console for a GUI dashboard: https://docs.redpanda.com/docs/guide/tools/rp-console/
• Build real-time apps like live order tracking, chat, or IoT dashboards

🔍 Troubleshooting Tips

• Port already in use? Change 9092 to another available port.
• Can’t connect from client? Ensure you’re using localhost:9092 and Docker network allows it.
• Redpanda exits immediately? Try restarting Docker and ensure enough memory is allocated.

💬 Final Thoughts

Redpanda is an ideal tool for developers who want real-time data streaming without the Kafka complexity. With just one Docker command, you’re ready to experiment with high-performance streaming apps.

Stay tuned for more Redpanda tutorials where we build practical systems like:

• Real-time food delivery tracking
• Live chat analytics
• IoT sensor alerting

If you found this helpful, consider sharing it or bookmarking for future reference!

Happy streaming! ✨