Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apache Pulsar VS RabbitMQ

Compare Apache Pulsar VS RabbitMQ and see what are their differences

Apache Pulsar logo Apache Pulsar

Apache Pulsar is an open-source, distributed messaging and streaming platform built for the cloud.

RabbitMQ logo RabbitMQ

RabbitMQ is an open source message broker software.
  • Apache Pulsar Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-12-17
  • RabbitMQ Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03

Apache Pulsar features and specs

  • Multi-tenancy
    Apache Pulsar supports multi-tenancy, allowing multiple independent applications to operate in isolated environments within the same cluster. This enables more efficient resource usage and simplified operational management.
  • Geo-replication
    Pulsar's built-in geo-replication feature allows for data to be replicated across different geographic locations, providing high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.
  • Scalability
    Pulsar offers easy horizontal scalability, supporting the seamless addition of new nodes without downtime, which allows it to handle large volumes of data efficiently.
  • Stream and Queue Patterns
    Pulsar supports both streaming and queuing messaging patterns, making it versatile for a wide range of use cases and simplifying architecture by reducing the need for multiple messaging systems.
  • Low Latency
    Designed for low latency, Pulsar is suitable for applications requiring quick message processing, thanks to features like segment-oriented storage architecture.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Pulsar

  • Complex Setup
    The initial setup and configuration of Apache Pulsar can be complex, requiring a solid understanding of its components and architecture, which may be a barrier to entry for new users.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Compared to more mature platforms like Apache Kafka, Pulsar has a smaller ecosystem of tools and middleware support, which might limit its integration options.
  • Resource Intensive
    Operating a Pulsar cluster can be resource-intensive, requiring significant computational resources, especially when dealing with high-throughput scenarios.
  • Less Community Support
    As a relatively newer project compared to some competitors, Pulsar has a smaller community, which could impact the availability of support and third-party expertise.
  • Learning Curve
    Pulsar's architecture and features, though powerful, come with a steep learning curve, demanding considerable time and effort to master for effective use.

RabbitMQ features and specs

  • Reliability
    RabbitMQ ensures message durability by persisting messages to disk. This enhances reliability, especially for critical applications where message loss is unacceptable.
  • Flexibility
    RabbitMQ supports multiple messaging protocols like AMQP, MQTT, and STOMP, allowing diverse applications to communicate seamlessly.
  • Advanced Features
    RabbitMQ offers rich features such as message routing, delivery acknowledgments, and clustering, which can satisfy complex messaging needs.
  • Ease of Use
    RabbitMQ provides extensive documentation and user-friendly management tools, making it accessible for developers and administrators.
  • Scalability
    Its clustering and federated queues capabilities allow RabbitMQ to scale both vertically and horizontally to handle increased loads.
  • Transaction Support
    RabbitMQ provides support for transactions, ensuring that a series of operations can be executed atomically, which is crucial for maintaining data integrity.

Possible disadvantages of RabbitMQ

  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up and configuring RabbitMQ can be complex, especially for users who are unfamiliar with messaging brokers or have limited experience with it.
  • Overhead
    RabbitMQ can introduce overhead in terms of latency and resource consumption, which might be an issue for high-performance applications requiring low latency.
  • Maintenance
    Maintaining RabbitMQ, including tasks such as monitoring, managing clusters, and handling updates, requires ongoing effort and expertise.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its feature-rich nature and various configurations, there can be a steep learning curve for new users to master RabbitMQ.
  • Performance Issues with High Volume
    In extremely high-volume scenarios, RabbitMQ may experience performance bottlenecks and memory issues, requiring careful tuning and scaling strategies.
  • Security Considerations
    Proper security configuration, including user roles, permissions, and encryption, is essential but can be complex and critical for preventing unauthorized access.

Apache Pulsar videos

Introduction to Apache Pulsar Basics

RabbitMQ videos

數據工程 | 快速review | 如何架設Docker Swarm + RabbitMQ??

More videos:

  • Review - What's New in RabbitMQ—June 2012 Edition
  • Review - Feature complete: Uncovering the true cost different RabbitMQ features and configs - Jack Vanlightly

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Pulsar and RabbitMQ)
Data Integration
10 10%
90% 90
Stream Processing
12 12%
88% 88
Web Service Automation
Developer Tools
25 25%
75% 75

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache Pulsar and RabbitMQ

Apache Pulsar Reviews

Best message queue for cloud-native apps
Pulsar also provides a rich set of client libraries for various programming languages, making it easy to build messaging and streaming applications using Pulsar. Apache Pulsar is a popular choice for real-time data processing and messaging in large-scale data processing applications, such as those used in the financial, telecommunications, and internet-of-things industries.
Source: docs.vanus.ai

RabbitMQ Reviews

Best message queue for cloud-native apps
RabbitMQ is an open-source message broker software that allows applications to communicate with each other using a messaging protocol. It was developed by Rabbit Technologies and first released in 2007, which was later acquired by VMware.RabbitMQ is based on the Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) and provides a reliable, scalable, and interoperable messaging system.
Source: docs.vanus.ai
Are Free, Open-Source Message Queues Right For You?
However, it's important to note that every tool has its strengths and use cases. For instance, Kafka's strength lies in real-time data streaming, NATS shines with its simplicity, and RabbitMQ provides support for complex routing. In contrast, IronMQ provides an excellent balance of simplicity, durability, scalability, and ease of management, making it a powerful choice for...
Source: blog.iron.io
NATS vs RabbitMQ vs NSQ vs Kafka | Gcore
RabbitMQ follows a standard store-and-forward pattern, allowing messages to be stored in RAM, on disk, or both. To ensure the persistence of messages, the producer can tag them as persistent, and they will be stored in a separate queue. This helps achieve message retention even after a restart or failure of the RabbitMQ server.
Source: gcore.com
6 Best Kafka Alternatives: 2022’s Must-know List
Due to RabbitMQ’s lightweight design, it can be easily deployed on public and private clouds. RabbitMQ is backed not only by a robust support system but also offers a great developer community. Since it is open-source software it is one of the best Kafka Alternatives and RabbitMQ is free of cost.
Source: hevodata.com
Top 15 Alternatives to RabbitMQ In 2021
In this article, we will discuss an overview on RabbitMQ Alternatives. RabbitMQ has a flexible messaging system and functions as a multipurpose broker. But it often stops working, because of its high latency and very slow while doing so. The deployment & management of RabbitMQ is a too dull procedure. It can not be installed as modules, it can be installed only on machines...
Source: gokicker.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Pulsar should be more popular than RabbitMQ. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Pulsar mentions (4)

RabbitMQ mentions (1)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Pulsar and RabbitMQ, you can also consider the following products

NATS - NATS.io is an open source messaging system for cloud native applications, IoT messaging, Edge, and microservices architectures.

Apache ActiveMQ - Apache ActiveMQ is an open source messaging and integration patterns server.

Apache Kafka - Apache Kafka is an open-source message broker project developed by the Apache Software Foundation written in Scala.

IBM MQ - IBM MQ is messaging middleware that simplifies and accelerates the integration of diverse applications and data across multiple platforms.

Redpanda - Redpanda is a powerful, yet simple, and cost-efficient streaming data platform that is compatible with Kafka® APIs while eliminating Kafka complexity.

ZeroMQ - ZeroMQ is a high-performance asynchronous messaging library.