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Amazon MQ
What it is
Amazon MQ is a managed message broker service for Apache ActiveMQ and RabbitMQ. It takes care of broker provisioning, setup, upgrades, ongoing operation, maintenance, and failure recovery. Applications can move from existing brokers using standard messaging protocols, without rewriting their messaging code. Brokers can be launched through the AWS Management Console, CloudFormation, the CLI, or API calls, with single-instance, replicated-cluster, and active/standby deployment choices. ActiveMQ supports protocols such as JMS, NMS, AMQP, MQTT, STOMP, OpenWire, and WebSocket, and clients for Java, Node.js, Go, Python, Ruby, and C++. RabbitMQ supports classic, classic mirrored, and quorum queues, with quorum queues on RabbitMQ 3.13 and later. CloudWatch receives broker and queue metrics each minute; CloudTrail records broker and configuration API calls. Data at rest is encrypted with AWS KMS, and broker connections use TLS. An AWS Free Tier offer is available to eligible new customers for six months; pay-as-you-go broker charges are hourly and storage is billed monthly.
For and against
For
- Migrate existing brokers without rewriting messaging code.
- Offers single-instance, replicated, and active/standby deployments.
- Supports a range of protocols and client languages.
- CloudWatch metrics arrive every minute.
Against
- Broker and storage charges vary by configuration.
- Standard AWS data transfer fees may apply.
- RabbitMQ brokers do not support TLS 1.3.
The verdict
Amazon MQ combines managed ActiveMQ and RabbitMQ operations with migration support and several deployment choices. Consider its variable broker, storage, and transfer charges when estimating use.
Who it suits
Amazon MQ suits teams moving existing ActiveMQ or RabbitMQ workloads or building applications that communicate through message brokers. It may also suit AWS users who want multiple deployment modes, monitoring, and broker authentication options.
Plans and prices
AWS Free Tier
Up to $200 in credits · credits must be used within 12 months of account creation
Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Pay-as-you-go
No minimum fees or upfront commitments · standard data transfer fees may apply
Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
On the record
- Access controls
- Amazon MQ supports IAM controls for service actions; broker authentication methods include LDAP for ActiveMQ and OAuth 2.0, IAM, LDAP, HTTP, and mutual TLS options for RabbitMQ.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Availability
- Amazon MQ offers single-instance, replicated cluster, and active/standby deployment modes, with availability and durability features across Availability Zones.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- AWS integrations
- Amazon MQ integrates with CloudWatch for broker and queue metrics and supports using AWS Lambda functions to poll a broker.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Intended workloads
- AWS describes Amazon MQ use cases including low-latency event messaging, migration from on premises, and communication between cloud-native applications and components.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Limits
- Amazon MQ charges standard AWS data transfer fees, and traffic forwarded between brokers across Availability Zones in the same Region is charged at $0.01/GB in each direction.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Maker history
- Amazon Web Services says it launched in 2006; Amazon's investor FAQ says the company was incorporated in 1994 and its principal corporate offices are in Seattle, Washington.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Management
- Amazon MQ can be launched through the AWS Management Console, CloudFormation, the CLI, or API calls, and manages provisioning, setup, upgrades, and failure recovery.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Migration
- Applications can migrate existing message brokers to Amazon MQ using industry-standard messaging protocols without rewriting messaging code.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Monitoring and audit
- Amazon MQ sends broker and queue metrics to CloudWatch every minute and integrates with CloudTrail to record API calls related to brokers and configurations.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Private networking
- Amazon MQ brokers can be isolated in an Amazon VPC, and RabbitMQ brokers can connect across VPCs and AWS accounts using private networking.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Protocols and clients
- ActiveMQ supports JMS, NMS, AMQP, STOMP, OpenWire, WebSocket, and MQTT, with clients including Java, Node.js, Go, Python, Ruby, and C++.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- RabbitMQ queues
- Amazon MQ for RabbitMQ supports classic, classic mirrored, and quorum queues; quorum queues are supported on RabbitMQ 3.13 and above.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Security
- Amazon MQ encrypts data at rest with AWS KMS and uses TLS for connections between brokers; the documentation says TLS 1.3 is not available for RabbitMQ brokers.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- What it does
- Amazon MQ is a managed message broker service for Apache ActiveMQ and RabbitMQ that handles broker setup, operation, and maintenance.docs.aws.amazon.com · read 8 Oct 2026
