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Apache ActiveMQ
What Apache ActiveMQ is
Apache ActiveMQ is a free, open-source server for messaging and Integration Patterns that organizations can host themselves. It supports OpenWire, STOMP, AMQP 1.0, and MQTT 3.1, with client options listed for Java, C, C++, C#, Ruby, Perl, Python, and PHP. Messaging features include message groups, virtual destinations, wildcards, composite destinations, and enterprise integration patterns. It fully supports JMS 1.1 and J2EE 1.4+ messaging modes including transient, persistent, transactional, and XA; support for Jakarta Messaging 3.1 and JMS 2.0 is partial. Transport choices include in-VM, TCP, SSL, NIO, UDP, multicast, JGroups, and JXTA, with JDBC persistence and a high-performance journal. A REST API and Ajax web streaming provide browser access. Security options include pluggable providers, JAAS authentication, XML-configured authorization, and user, group, and destination permissions. The project marks 6.3.x and 5.19.x as active release lines for community updates, security patches, and bug fixes. The software is released under the Apache License 2.0.
Who it suits
It suits teams building applications that need a self-hosted messaging server and support for multiple protocols or client languages. It may also suit deployments that need configurable transport and persistence options.
What it does well
- Supports four listed messaging protocols.
- Client options span eight programming languages.
- Includes JDBC persistence and a high-performance journal.
- Offers destination read, write, and admin permissions.
- Free under the Apache License 2.0.
What to know first
- Jakarta Messaging 3.1 support is partial.
- JMS 2.0 support is partial.
- Requires self-hosted deployment.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Apache ActiveMQ Classic | Open source · Apache License 2.0 | Free |
As activemq.apache.org lists them, read 3 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the Apache ActiveMQ Classic website.
- Choose an active 6.3.x or 5.19.x release line.
- For ActiveMQ 6.3.2, use a compatible Java version: 17, 21, or 25.
- Download the release and verify it with an ASC signature or SHA-512 checksum.
- Deploy it in your self-hosted environment and configure transports, persistence, and security as needed.
Verdict
ActiveMQ offers broad protocol, client, transport, and persistence choices for self-hosted messaging. Its documented support is full for JMS 1.1 and J2EE 1.4+, but partial for newer listed messaging standards.
Questions
How much does Apache ActiveMQ cost?
Apache ActiveMQ Classic is free under the Apache License 2.0.
Which messaging protocols does it support?
The listed protocols are OpenWire, STOMP, AMQP 1.0, and MQTT 3.1. The product information also lists REST as a supported protocol.
Which programming languages have clients?
Clients are listed for Java, C, C++, C#, Ruby, Perl, Python, and PHP.
Is Apache ActiveMQ open source?
Yes. It is released under the Apache License 2.0.
What deployment model does it use?
ActiveMQ is self-hosted.
Which Java versions are compatible with ActiveMQ 6.3.2?
The download page lists Java 17, 21, and 25.
Facts from Apache ActiveMQ's own pages
- Administration
- A bundled web console provides queue, topic, subscriber, connection, scheduling and message-send administration. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Advanced messaging features
- The feature catalogue includes message groups, virtual destinations, wildcards, composite destinations, selectors, redelivery policies and scheduled delivery. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- AMQP
- ActiveMQ supports the OASIS AMQP 1.0 protocol, including SASL authentication and authorization policies. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Authentication and permissions
- The documentation describes authentication with users and groups and destination permissions for read, write, and admin operations. · activemq.apache.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Build tooling
- Source builds use Apache Maven, with commands for building and generating Eclipse or IntelliJ project files. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Client languages
- The site lists clients for Java, C, C++, C#, Ruby, Perl, Python, and PHP. · activemq.apache.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Clustering and high availability
- Features include broker networks, master-slave configurations, shared storage and replicated message stores. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Cross-language clients
- Official pages list client support for Java, C, C++, C#, Ruby, Perl, Python, PHP and JavaScript. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Current Java requirements
- The 6.3.2 release lists Java compatibility for 17, 21 and 25, recommending Java 25 for virtual threads. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Current release
- ActiveMQ 6.3.2 was released on September 2, 2026 as a maintenance release. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The project publishes getting-started, protocol, feature, security, administration, FAQ and API documentation. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Download verification
- The project recommends verifying downloads with an ASC signature or SHA-512 checksum. · activemq.apache.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Enterprise integration
- ActiveMQ implements Enterprise Integration Patterns and can run Apache Camel routes inside the broker. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Installation
- Installation consists of downloading an archive, extracting it and starting the broker with the supplied activemq command. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The site lists Spring support, JCA 1.5 resource adaptors, and testing in TomEE, Geronimo, JBoss, GlassFish, and WebLogic. · activemq.apache.org, 3 Oct 2026
- JCA integration
- The distribution includes JCA 1.5 resource adapters for inbound and outbound messaging in J2EE servers. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- JMS support
- It partially supports Jakarta Messaging 3.1 and JMS 2.0, and fully supports JMS 1.1 and J2EE 1.4+ with transient, persistent, transactional, and XA messaging. · activemq.apache.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Licence
- ActiveMQ is open source under the Apache License 2.0. · activemq.apache.org, 14 Oct 2026
- License
- The product is released under the Apache License 2.0. · activemq.apache.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Limit: documentation and streaming
- G2 reviewers report that documentation can be hard to read, that the broker is unsuitable for some high-load or event-streaming workloads, and that clustering or failover may be less seamless than alternatives. · g2.com, 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: sparse documentation
- Capterra reviewers repeatedly describe the documentation as sparse and say RabbitMQ is better documented or more prominent. · capterra.com, 14 Oct 2026
- Maker founded
- LinkedIn lists the Apache Software Foundation as founded in 1999. · linkedin.com, 14 Oct 2026
- Maker headquarters
- LinkedIn lists Wilmington, Delaware as the foundation's headquarters. · linkedin.com, 14 Oct 2026
- Maker legal name
- The Apache Software Foundation is the organization identified as ActiveMQ's maker. · linkedin.com, 14 Oct 2026
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