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NSQ VS Apache ActiveMQ

Compare NSQ VS Apache ActiveMQ and see what are their differences

NSQ logo NSQ

A realtime distributed messaging platform.

Apache ActiveMQ logo Apache ActiveMQ

Apache ActiveMQ is an open source messaging and integration patterns server.
  • NSQ Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-07
  • Apache ActiveMQ Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-01

NSQ features and specs

  • Scalability
    NSQ is designed to handle large volumes of data and can easily scale horizontally by adding more nodes to a cluster, ensuring the system can handle increased load without performance degradation.
  • Decentralized Architecture
    NSQ operates on a fully decentralized architecture, which means there is no single point of failure. This enhances the reliability and availability of the system.
  • Real-time Processing
    NSQ is optimized for real-time message delivery and processing, enabling applications to efficiently handle time-sensitive data streams.
  • Simple Configuration
    NSQ offers a simple setup and configuration process, which allows developers to quickly get started and integrate with their existing systems with minimal effort.
  • Language Support
    NSQ provides client libraries for multiple programming languages, ensuring flexibility and ease of integration with various application stacks.

Possible disadvantages of NSQ

  • Operational Complexity
    Managing a clustered NSQ setup can become complex, requiring careful orchestration and monitoring, particularly in large-scale deployments.
  • Lack of Built-in Persistence
    NSQ does not offer built-in message persistence, meaning messages are lost if consumers are unavailable, unless additional infrastructure is implemented to handle durability.
  • Limited Official Client Libraries
    While NSQ supports multiple languages, the official client libraries provided are limited, potentially limiting support and requiring reliance on third-party libraries.
  • Community Support
    The NSQ community is relatively smaller compared to other messaging systems, which might affect the availability of resources and community-driven support.
  • Feature Set
    NSQ focuses on simplicity and performance, which results in a more limited feature set compared to other comprehensive systems like Kafka, which offer more advanced capabilities.

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.

NSQ videos

GopherCon 2014 Spray Some NSQ On It by Matt Reiferson

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Apache ActiveMQ videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to NSQ and Apache ActiveMQ)
Data Integration
23 23%
77% 77
Stream Processing
23 23%
77% 77
Web Service Automation
21 21%
79% 79
Message Queue
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

NSQ Reviews

NATS vs RabbitMQ vs NSQ vs Kafka | Gcore
NSQ is designed with a distributed architecture around the concept of topics, which allows messages to be organized and distributed across the cluster. To ensure reliable delivery, NSQ replicates each message across multiple nodes within the NSQ cluster. This means that if a node fails or there’s a disruption in the network, the message can still be delivered to its intended...
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

NSQ might be a bit more popular than Apache ActiveMQ. We know about 8 links to it since March 2021 and only 7 links to 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.

NSQ mentions (8)

  • RabbitMQ 4.0 Released
    Https://nsq.io/ is also very reliable, stable, lightweight, and easy to use. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Any thoughts on using Redis to extend Go's channels across application / machine boundaries?
    (G)NATS can do millions of messages per second and is the right tool for the job (either that or NSQ). Redis isn't even the fastest Redis protocol implementation, KeyDB significantly outperforms it. Source: over 2 years ago
  • FileWave: Why we moved from ZeroMQ to NATS
    Bit.ly's NSQ is also an excellent message queue option. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Infinite loop pattern to poll for a queue in a REST server app
    Queue consumers are interesting because there are many solutions for them, from using Redis and persisting the data in a data store - but for fast and scalable the approach I would take is something like SQS (as I advocate AWS even free tier) or NSQ for managing your own distributed producers and consumers. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What are pros and cons of Go?
    Distrubition server engine ( for example websocket server multi ws gateway and worker pool,nsq.io realtime message queue and so on). Source: almost 3 years ago
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Apache ActiveMQ mentions (7)

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What are some alternatives?

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

RabbitMQ - RabbitMQ is an open source message broker software.

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

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

nanomsg - nanomsg is a socket library that provides several common communication patterns.

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

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