Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

EMQX VS Apache ActiveMQ

Compare EMQX VS Apache ActiveMQ and see what are their differences

EMQX logo EMQX

EMQX is an open source MQTT 5.0 broker for mission-critical IoT scenarios, massively scalable and highly available clustering, running anywhere from edge to cloud.

Apache ActiveMQ logo Apache ActiveMQ

Apache ActiveMQ is an open source messaging and integration patterns server.
  • EMQX Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-05-21

EMQX is the world's most scalable and reliable MQTT Broker designed by EMQ. It supports 100M concurrent IoT device connections per cluster while maintaining extremely high throughput and sub-millisecond latency. EMQX boasts more than 20,000 global users from over 50 countries, connecting more than 100M IoT devices worldwide, and is trusted by over 300 customers in mission-critical IoT scenarios, including well-known brands like HPE, VMware, Verifone, SAIC Volkswagen and Ericsson.

  • Apache ActiveMQ Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-01

EMQX

Website
emqx.io
$ Details
freemium
Release Date
2013 January
Startup details
Country
China
State
Zhejiang
City
Hangzhou
Founder(s)
Feng Lee
Employees
50 - 99

EMQX features and specs

  • High Performance
    EMQX is known for its high throughput and low latency, making it suitable for large-scale IoT and real-time messaging applications.
  • Scalability
    It supports horizontal scalability, allowing users to add more nodes to the cluster as needed without significant performance degradation.
  • Protocol Support
    EMQX supports multiple protocols including MQTT, MQTT-SN, CoAP, LwM2M, and WebSocket, offering flexibility for various use cases.
  • Enterprise Features
    It comes with advanced features such as rule engine, data integration, and server monitoring which are essential for enterprise environments.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, EMQX provides transparency, community support, and the ability to custom-tailor solutions based on specific needs.
  • Security
    Provides robust security features including SSL/TLS encryption, ACL, authentication, and ID verification ensuring secure communication.

Possible disadvantages of EMQX

  • Complexity
    Setting up and managing an EMQX cluster can be complex and might require a significant amount of expertise and time.
  • Resource Intensive
    While it's performant, EMQX can be resource-intensive, especially under high loads, which could be a strain on less powerful hardware.
  • Cost
    While the open-source version is free, advanced enterprise features and customer support come at a higher cost that may not be feasible for small businesses.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may face a steep learning curve due to the variety of features and configurations available.
  • Dependency on Erlang
    EMQX is built on Erlang/OTP, which means that any issues or limitations within Erlang can directly affect the performance and stability of EMQX.

Apache ActiveMQ features and specs

  • Open Source
    ActiveMQ is open-source under the Apache License, making it free to use and modify. This can lead to cost savings compared to commercial solutions.
  • Wide Protocol Support
    ActiveMQ supports multiple messaging protocols, including AMQP, MQTT, OpenWire, Stomp, and others, allowing for flexible integration with various systems and applications.
  • Java Integration
    Written in Java, ActiveMQ integrates well with JVM-based applications and other Apache projects like Camel and Karaf, making it a good fit for Java-centric environments.
  • High Availability
    Features like broker clustering, network of brokers, and failover support provide robust high availability options, ensuring message delivery even in case of failures.
  • Performance and Scalability
    ActiveMQ can handle a large number of messages and users by scaling horizontally, making it suitable for both small and enterprise-level applications.
  • Admin Console
    ActiveMQ provides a web-based admin console for easy management and monitoring of the message broker, simplifying administrative tasks.

Possible disadvantages of Apache ActiveMQ

  • Complex Configuration
    The initial setup and configuration can be complex, especially for newcomers. It often requires a steep learning curve to understand all the available options and optimizations.
  • Resource Intensive
    ActiveMQ can be resource-intensive, particularly in high-throughput scenarios, which may necessitate more robust hardware for optimal performance.
  • Latency
    In certain configurations, ActiveMQ may exhibit higher latency compared to other brokers, which might not make it suitable for use cases requiring real-time guarantees.
  • Java Dependency
    As a Java-based solution, ActiveMQ requires the JVM, which can be a downside for organizations that have standardized on other technology stacks.
  • Community Support
    While there is a community around ActiveMQ, it may not be as large or as active as those for other, similar open-source projects. This can lead to slower responses to issues and fewer community-based resources.
  • Documentation
    Though comprehensive, the documentation can sometimes be difficult to navigate, making it challenging for users to find specific information quickly.

Analysis of EMQX

Overall verdict

  • EMQX is considered a robust and reliable platform for MQTT messaging, particularly for IoT and real-time data streaming applications. Its performance, scalability, and feature set make it a strong contender in the MQTT broker market.

Why this product is good

  • EMQX is highly regarded for its ability to handle a high number of concurrent connections, making it a suitable choice for IoT applications. With a distributed architecture, EMQX offers several features such as MQTT over WebSocket, MQTT-SN, and integration with major cloud services. It supports extensive plugins and extensions, offers high availability and scalability, and provides a user-friendly management console.

Recommended for

  • IoT developers looking for a scalable and reliable MQTT broker
  • Businesses requiring high concurrency and low-latency message handling
  • Teams looking to integrate their IoT solutions with cloud platforms
  • Users seeking a broker with strong community support and ecosystem

Analysis of Apache ActiveMQ

Overall verdict

  • Apache ActiveMQ is generally considered a good choice for message brokering due to its comprehensive feature set, stability, and scalability. It is especially beneficial in environments where integration between different systems and technologies is necessary, thanks to its support of numerous messaging protocols.

Why this product is good

  • Apache ActiveMQ is a popular open-source message broker that is known for its flexibility and reliability. It supports multiple messaging protocols and offers features such as high availability, load balancing, and a robust set of messaging patterns. It is a mature project with a large user base and a supportive community. Its ability to integrate with various platforms and languages, along with its rich feature set, makes it a suitable choice for many applications requiring reliable message queuing.

Recommended for

    Apache ActiveMQ is recommended for enterprises looking for a reliable and scalable message broker, developers needing rich messaging functionality, and organizations that require robust support for various messaging protocols, including JMS, AMQP, STOMP, and MQTT. It is particularly well-suited for applications that need to distribute messages between different applications, languages, and platforms.

EMQX videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to EMQX and Apache ActiveMQ)
IoT Connectivity
100 100%
0% 0
Data Integration
28 28%
72% 72
Web Service Automation
42 42%
58% 58
Stream Processing
0 0%
100% 100

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Reviews

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

EMQX Reviews

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Apache ActiveMQ Reviews

6 Best Kafka Alternatives: 2022’s Must-know List
ActiveMQ is a flexible, open-source, multi-protocol messaging broker that supports many protocols. This makes it easy for developers to use a variety of languages and platforms. The AMQP protocol facilitates integration with many applications based on different platforms. However, ActiveMQ’s high-end data accessibility capabilities are complemented by its load balancing,...
Source: hevodata.com
Top 15 Alternatives to RabbitMQ In 2021
It is a managed information broker for Apache ActiveMQ which has simple installation and it runs message broker in cloud. It doesn’t need any special look after regular management and maintenance of the message system. It is utilized to send bulk message services.
Source: gokicker.com
Top 15 Kafka Alternatives Popular In 2021
Apache ActiveMQ is a popular, open-source, flexible multi-protocol messaging broker. Since it has great support for industry-based protocols, developers get access to languages and platforms. It helps in connecting clients written in languages like Python, C, C++, JavaScript, etc. With the help of the AMQP protocol, integration with many applications with different platforms...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache ActiveMQ seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 7 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.

EMQX mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of EMQX yet. Tracking of EMQX recommendations started around May 2021.

Apache ActiveMQ mentions (7)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing EMQX and Apache ActiveMQ, you can also consider the following products

emqtt - emqtt - erlang mqtt broker

RabbitMQ - RabbitMQ is an open source message broker software.

HiveMQ - HiveMQ is the MQTT based messaging platform for fast, efficient and reliable data movement to and from connected IoT devices and enterprise systems

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

mosquitto - Eclipse Mosquitto is an open source (EPL/EDL licensed) message broker that implements the MQTT protocol versions 5.0, 3.1.1 and 3.1. Mosquitto is lightweight and is suitable for use on all devices

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