Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MQTT X VS EMQX

Compare MQTT X VS EMQX and see what are their differences

MQTT X logo MQTT X

A cross-platform MQTT 5.0 desktop client open-sourced by EMQ, which can run on macOS, Linux and Windows, and supports formatting MQTT payload.

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.
  • MQTT X Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-16
  • 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.

MQTT X

Website
mqttx.app
$ Details
free
Platforms
Linux Mac OSX Windows
Release Date
2019 November

EMQX

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

MQTT X features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    MQTT X offers a clean and intuitive user interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and utilize its features, reducing the learning curve for new users.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    The application is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility and accessibility for users across different operating systems.
  • Multi-Protocol Support
    In addition to the MQTT protocol, MQTT X supports WebSocket, allowing users to test a wider range of IoT and network applications using different protocols.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source tool, MQTT X allows developers to contribute to the source code, customize the software according to their needs and ensure transparency.
  • Advanced Features
    Features like multiple tabs, real-time data monitoring, and support for various MQTT versions enhance the capability and functionality of the software for more complex use cases.

Possible disadvantages of MQTT X

  • Steep Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic interface is user-friendly, understanding and utilizing some of the more advanced features may require additional learning and experience.
  • Limited Documentation
    Some users may find the available documentation insufficient for more complex troubleshooting and advanced user scenarios, potentially hindering effective use.
  • Resource Intensive
    MQTT X, like many cross-platform applications, can be resource-intensive, consuming more memory and CPU usage, which might be an issue for users with limited system resources.
  • Potential Bugs
    As an open-source project, users might occasionally encounter bugs or compatibility issues, which can affect reliability, especially with frequent updates and changes.
  • No Native Mobile Support
    MQTT X does not offer native mobile versions, limiting its use to desktop environments and potentially excluding users who prefer or require mobile access.

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.

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

MQTT X videos

MQTT x HoloLens

EMQX videos

EMQX Cloud in 90 seconds

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MQTT X and EMQX)
Data Integration
39 39%
61% 61
IoT Connectivity
21 21%
79% 79
Web Service Automation
21 21%
79% 79
IoT
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MQTT X seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 15 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.

MQTT X mentions (15)

  • How to Use MQTT in C# with MQTTnet
    You can also use MQTT Client Tool - MQTTX as another client for the message publishing and receiving the test. If you subscribe the โ€œCsharp/mqtt" topic in MQTTX, you will receive the message every second. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • (MQTT Series) Part 1 - Introduction: Hello World
    Then, their MQTTX client, implemented in Electron, supports all platforms, just download and use. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Bridging FINS Data to MQTT: Protocol Explained and Hands-on Tutorial
    This section will introduce how to use Neuron to collect data from FINS TCP devices, upload the collected data to EMQX, and view it using MQTTX. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • JWT Authentication and JWKS Endpoint in MQTT: Principle and a Hands-on Guide
    Next, we open MQTTX, create a new connection, copy the JWT output when JWKS Endpoint starts to the Password field, and click Connect in the upper right corner to connect. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • MQTT Stream Processing with EMQX and eKuiper: A Quick Tutorial
    Again, we can use MQTTX or any other MQTT client to publish MQTT data to the demo/sensor topic. Those data will be processed by the rule. For example, we publish the following data to the topic with a 30 seconds interval, and the two minutes data is like this:. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

EMQX mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MQTT X and EMQX, you can also consider the following products

MQTT Explorer - An all-round MQTT client that provides a structured topic overview

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

MQTT.fx - MQTT.fx is a MQTT Client written in Java based on Eclipse Paho.

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