Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

NATS VS Apache ActiveMQ

Compare NATS VS Apache ActiveMQ and see what are their differences

NATS logo NATS

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

Apache ActiveMQ logo Apache ActiveMQ

Apache ActiveMQ is an open source messaging and integration patterns server.
  • NATS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-05

NATS.io is a connective technology for distributed systems and is a perfect fit to connect devices, edge, cloud or hybrid deployments. True multi-tenancy makes NATS ideal for SaaS and self-healing and scaling technology allows for topology changes anytime with zero downtime.

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

NATS features and specs

  • Performance
    NATS is designed for high performance, offering low latency and high throughput, which makes it suitable for real-time applications.
  • Scalability
    It supports horizontal scaling with ease, allowing the system to handle a growing number of connections and messages effectively.
  • Simplicity
    NATS has a straightforward API and simple configuration, making it easier to use and manage compared to more complex messaging systems.
  • Fault Tolerance
    NATS includes features like clustering, message persistence, and support for distributed systems, contributing to high availability and reliability.
  • Polyglot Support
    NATS supports multiple programming languages, including Go, Java, Python, Ruby, and more, making it versatile in various tech stacks.
  • Event-Driven Architecture
    NATS is well-suited for event-driven architecture, facilitating real-time communication and distributed system design.

Possible disadvantages of NATS

  • Limited Message Persistence
    While NATS provides JetStream for message persistence, it was traditionally designed for transient messaging, which might not satisfy all persistence needs.
  • Complex Clustering
    Setting up and maintaining NATS clusters can be complex and may require careful planning and expertise.
  • Learning Curve
    Though simple to start, mastering NATS for large-scale and production-grade deployments can involve a steep learning curve.
  • Feature Set
    NATS focuses on core messaging features, which means it might lack some of the advanced features provided by other messaging systems like Kafka.
  • Ecosystem
    The NATS ecosystem is growing but may not be as extensive as other established messaging systems, potentially limiting available third-party tools and integrations.

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 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.

NATS videos

The coolest OSS project you've never heard of: NATS Getting started!

Apache ActiveMQ videos

No Apache ActiveMQ videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to NATS and Apache ActiveMQ)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Data Integration
38 38%
62% 62
Stream Processing
0 0%
100% 100
App Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using NATS and Apache ActiveMQ. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

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

NATS Reviews

Best message queue for cloud-native apps
NATS is designed to be simple and easy to use, with a small footprint and low latency. It is often used in cloud-native environments to connect different components of a distributed system or to enable communication between microservices. NATS also supports message persistence, security, and clustering, making it a robust messaging system for building scalable and resilient...
Source: docs.vanus.ai
Are Free, Open-Source Message Queues Right For You?
One challenge of NATS is that it does not support reliable message queuing out of the box - messages can be lost if a client disconnects before it receives them. This can be mitigated by using NATS Streaming, a data streaming system powered by NATS, but it adds complexity.
Source: blog.iron.io
NATS vs RabbitMQ vs NSQ vs Kafka | Gcore
NATS is known for its high performance, low latency, and emphasis on simplicity after it was rewritten in Go. Its rewrite in Go makes NATS an ideal choice for demanding and real-time applications and has increased its throughput compared to its original Ruby implementation.
Source: gcore.com

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, NATS seems to be a lot more popular than Apache ActiveMQ. While we know about 73 links to NATS, we've tracked only 7 mentions of Apache ActiveMQ. 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.

NATS mentions (73)

  • What If We Could Rebuild Kafka from Scratch?
    Https://nats.io is easier to use than Kafka and already solves several of the points in this post I believe, like removing partitions, supporting key-based streams, and having flexible topic hierarchies. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Testing Microservices: Message Isolation for Kafka, SQS, More
    NATS, with its lightweight and high-performance design, offers features well-suited for sandbox testing. We can leverage NATS queue groups, which function similarly to Kafka consumer groups. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Kubernetes on Autopilot: Event-Driven Automation Across Clusters
    In today’s dynamic cloud environments, managing Kubernetes resources across multiple clusters can be a complex task. Traditional methods often lack the agility and event-driven architecture needed to respond quickly to changes and automate resource provisioning. This article explores how Sveltos, in conjunction with NATS and JetStream, simplifies multi-cluster Kubernetes management through event-driven automation,... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • I'll think twice before using GitHub Actions again
    Hey thanks! Definitely interesting! I do wonder if this really solves the author problem because by the looks of it , you just have to run meta command and it would run over each of the sub directory. While at the same time , I think I like it because this is what I think people refer to as "modular monolith" Combining this with nats https://nats.io/ (hey if you don't want it to be over the network , you... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • A Distributed Systems Reading List
    I think it's important to clarify who these lists are really for. They're not meant for people simply looking to "learn distributed systems," in my opinion. These might help those pushing the envelope or looking for new approaches. For the rest of us, imagine asking how to solve quadratic equations and getting 100 papers on category theory. > See also https://ferd.ca/a-distributed-systems-reading-list.html, which... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
View more

Apache ActiveMQ mentions (7)

View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

RabbitMQ - RabbitMQ is an open source message broker software.

Socket.io - Realtime application framework (Node.JS server)

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

SignalR - SignalR is a server-side software system designed for writing scalable Internet applications, notably web servers.

Amazon SQS - Amazon Simple Queue Service is a fully managed message queuing service.