Side by side
IBM MQ vs NSQ
Both stand on message queue (mq) software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWeb+1
Visit IBM MQ 
Free plan APILinuxMac+3
NSQ offers decentralized messaging with discovery and cluster administration, but delivery behavior requires care: duplicates are possible and order is not guaranteed. Its lack of built-in replication is also important when planning deployment.
Visit NSQThe facts
| IBM MQ | NSQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | IBM MQ Virtual Processor Core Subscription License: $312 a month | Not published |
| Plans published | 5 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | ibm.com | nsq.io |
| On message queue (mq) software | #23 of 29 | #19 of 29 |
IBM MQ: what it does well
NSQ: what it does well
- Free and open source
- Scales horizontally without a centralized broker
- Supports TCP and HTTP
- Includes web-based cluster administration
- Offers TLS for client connections
What to know first
- Message order is not guaranteed
- Consumers may receive duplicate messages
- No built-in replication
- Messages are primarily held in memory by default