Side by side
Apache ActiveMQ vs RabbitMQ
Both stand on message broker software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
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.
Visit Apache ActiveMQ
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
RabbitMQ combines multiple messaging patterns and protocols with configurable delivery guarantees and deployment options. The free server is self-managed and community-supported; commercial support is available through VMware Tanzu RabbitMQ, with pricing not listed.
Visit RabbitMQThe facts
| Apache ActiveMQ | RabbitMQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | activemq.apache.org | rabbitmq.com |
| On message broker software | #1 of 39 | #5 of 39 |
Apache ActiveMQ: 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.
RabbitMQ: what it does well
- Routes messages to one or more consumers.
- Supports six listed messaging and streaming protocols.
- Runs in cloud, on-premises, and container environments.
- Includes access controls and built-in TLS.
- Free self-managed server is available.
What to know first
- Community support is best-effort for the free server.
- VMware Tanzu RabbitMQ has no listed price.
- Systems with less than 100 MB of RAM are unsupported.
- Maximum message size is 16 MB.
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