HiveMQ MQTT Broker

HiveMQ MQTT Broker provides event-driven messaging between connected devices and enterprise systems. It supports MQTT 3.1.1 and MQTT 5.0, with persistent messages stored to disk, offline queuing, and quality-of-service support. Clusters can add or remove broker nodes while running and change size at runtime. Extensions connect the broker to streaming services, databases, data warehouses, and security services; listed examples include Kafka, Amazon Kinesis, and Google Pub/Sub. Security options include TLS 1.2/1.3, mutual TLS, fine-grained access controls, pluggable authentication such as OAuth 2.0 and LDAP, and audit logging. The self-managed version can run on private, hybrid, or public clouds, with pre-built images for Kubernetes, OpenShift, and DC/OS. HiveMQ describes the broker as scaling to millions of connections and billions of messages, and positions it for large-scale IoT deployments and mission-critical enterprise operations. The product has a free plan and a 15-day trial. Launch is $299 a month and Run is $499 a month. A self-managed broker without a valid license starts in evaluation mode, limited to 25 client connections.

HiveMQ combines MQTT messaging, runtime clustering, integrations, and security options for connected-device workloads. Check the evaluation connection limit and plan pricing when considering deployment.

It is aimed at teams building large-scale IoT deployments or enterprise operations that need MQTT messaging between devices and systems. Self-managed deployment may suit organizations running workloads across private, hybrid, or public clouds.

Overview

HiveMQ MQTT Broker moves messages between connected devices and enterprise systems using MQTT. It is best suited to teams building large IoT deployments or mission-critical services that need dependable delivery and room to adjust broker capacity while running. Dynamic clustering and broad security controls make it a capable platform, though the published entry plans have tight connection limits for larger workloads.

Key features

Support for MQTT 3.1, 3.1.1, and 5.0, plus TCP, TLS, and WebSocket, gives teams options for connecting clients. Messages can persist to disk, queue for offline clients, and use configurable delivery guarantees and QoS. Dead-letter queues provide another way to handle failed delivery, while the 256 MB maximum message size accommodates large payloads. These controls suit systems where missed or delayed messages matter, but they still need to be matched to the workload’s delivery requirements.

Operators can add or remove broker nodes without downtime and change cluster size at runtime. That flexibility is useful when device counts or message demand shift, although it is most valuable in deployments large enough to need multiple nodes. HiveMQ says the broker can scale to millions of connections and billions of messages; the concrete plan limits are more useful for sizing an initial deployment.

Extensions connect to streaming services, databases, data warehouses, and security services, with integrations for Kafka, Amazon Kinesis, and Google Pub/Sub. Security options include TLS 1.2/1.3, mutual TLS, fine-grained access control, pluggable authentication such as OAuth 2.0 and LDAP, and audit logging. HiveMQ states that it is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified and SOC 2 Type II compliant.

The self-managed broker can run on private, hybrid, and public clouds, with pre-built images for Kubernetes, OpenShift, and DC/OS. Without a valid license, it starts in evaluation mode and allows up to 25 client connections, a narrow ceiling for evaluating a deployment with many devices.

Pricing

HiveMQ uses a freemium model, with a free plan, a 15-day trial, and paid pricing advertised from $0.34. The Lab plan has custom pricing and supports 100 connections at 100 messages per second, based on a normalized 5 KB message size. It is a small-scale option, but the connection and throughput ceilings leave little room for growth.

Launch costs $299 a month, billed $299/month, for one broker deployment, 10,000 connections, 500 messages per second at a normalized 5 KB message size, and Community support. Run costs $499 a month, billed $499/month, for one deployment and the same connection limit, with throughput doubled to 1,000 messages per second and Silver support. Launch suits a workload that fits its lower throughput cap; Run is the better fit when that extra capacity or support tier matters.

Serverless has custom pricing for 100 connections and 10 GB of monthly traffic. Starter has custom pricing and is billed from $0.34/hour plus $0.80 per million messages; it includes 10,000 connections, 1 MB/sec, a 99.95% uptime SLA, and Silver support. Those usage-based terms can suit variable demand, but the hourly and message charges should be considered together. Self-Managed Enterprise has custom pricing for multi-broker and multi-site deployments with custom capacity. Fully-Managed Enterprise has custom pricing and uptime of up to 99.99%. These enterprise plans target deployments that need tailored scale or a higher stated uptime ceiling.

The plans with published capacity figures make comparison possible, but Lab, Serverless, and Starter trade clear monthly totals for custom or usage-based pricing. HiveMQ offers Community, Silver, Gold, and Platinum support; Gold and Platinum are available up to 24×7.

Platforms

HiveMQ supports API, Linux, Windows, and self-hosted use. Its hybrid deployment model and cloud options let teams place the broker across private, hybrid, or public cloud environments.

Who it's for

HiveMQ is a strong fit for enterprise IoT teams that need MQTT messaging, runtime clustering, integrations, and detailed security controls. Smaller projects or teams that need predictable low-cost capacity may find the entry plan ceilings and usage-based pricing harder to justify.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Runtime cluster changes without downtime help operators adapt capacity without planned broker outages.
• Pros: Persistent messaging, offline queues, configurable guarantees, QoS, and dead-letter queues offer several ways to manage delivery and failures.
• Pros: Security controls, compliance credentials, and extensions for major streaming services support demanding enterprise environments.
• Cons: Lab is limited to 100 connections and 100 messages per second, while Launch and Run both cap at 10,000 connections.
• Cons: The self-managed evaluation mode allows only 25 client connections, limiting its usefulness for larger evaluations.
• Cons: Several plans use custom pricing, and Starter adds hourly and per-message charges that can make total cost less straightforward.

Alternatives

Choose EMQX if a freemium MQTT broker with a free serverless plan and support for macOS or web matters to your deployment. Aiven for Apache Kafka is an option for teams seeking managed Kafka with a free tier, 250 KiB/s throughput, five topics, and three days of retention. Amazon SQS fits teams choosing managed queues with a one-million-request Free Tier and standard or FIFO queue options. Confluent Cloud suits teams looking for serverless, fully managed Kafka resources and more than 80 managed connectors on its Basic plan. Google Cloud Pub/Sub is worth considering for cloud messaging with a 10 GiB free throughput allowance. Amazon MQ is an alternative for teams looking at a managed broker with an AWS Free Tier option for eligible new customers. Apache ActiveMQ suits teams who want free, open-source broker software under Apache License 2.0. Apache Kafka is a free, self-hosted option for teams comfortable operating it without formal or commercial support from the Apache Software Foundation.

Browse more options in Message Queue (MQ) Software and Message Broker Software.

Verdict

Choose HiveMQ when a large IoT or enterprise deployment needs MQTT delivery controls, security options, integrations, and clusters that can change size without downtime. Its clearest drawback is the gap between broad scale ambitions and the modest connection limits on entry plans, compounded by custom pricing on several tiers. Teams with simpler needs or a firm low-cost capacity target should compare alternatives before committing.