MQTT messaging platform for connecting, moving and processing IoT data in real time.
Free plan Free trial Open source From $234 a month, billed yearly WebMacLinuxAPISelf-hosted
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Best Message Broker Software 2026
Facts read 29 Sep 2026 – 15 Oct 2026
Message broker software helps applications publish, route and receive messages. This list helps buyers compare broker options for deployment, pricing and message handling needs.
The standings: top 10
| Name | In a line | Record score | Price from | Try it free | Runs on | Facts read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 EMQX | MQTT messaging platform for connecting, moving and processing IoT data in real time. | 5.9 | $234 a month, billed yearly | Free plan | Web, Mac, Linux, API | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 02 CloudAMQP | Managed hosting platform for LavinMQ and RabbitMQ messaging clusters. | 5.8 | $19 a month | Free plan | Web, Mac, Linux, API | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 03 Lightstreamer | Event broker for reliable real-time data delivery to web and mobile applications. | 5.8 | Free plan | Free plan | Android, iPhone & iPad, Web, Windows | 5 Oct 2026 |
| 04 Solace PubSub+ Event Broker | Event broker that streams information across cloud, on-premises and edge environments. | 5.7 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Linux, API, Self-hosted | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 05 RabbitMQ | Open source messaging and streaming broker for microservices, real-time data and IoT. | 5.6 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 06 IronMQ | Persistent message queue for communication between services and distributed application components. | 5.5 | $399 a month | Free plan | Web, Linux, API, Self-hosted | 7 Oct 2026 |
| 07 Apache RocketMQ | Distributed middleware for asynchronous communication and publish/subscribe messaging. | 5.4 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux, API | 14 Oct 2026 |
| 08 Google Cloud Pub/Sub | Asynchronous messaging service that decouples message-producing and message-processing services. | 5.4 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, API | 1 Oct 2026 |
| 09 Apache ActiveMQ | It suits teams that need a self-hosted messaging server with multiple protocols, client languages and transport options. | 5.3 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 14 Oct 2026 |
| 10 Faye | 5.3 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 15 Oct 2026 |
The page has no published ranking basis. Compare the maker-published figures shown for free plans, paid starting points, deployment models, delivery guarantees, dead-letter queues, ordering, message size and protocols.
02
CloudAMQP
Managed hosting platform for LavinMQ and RabbitMQ messaging clusters.
WebMacLinux+2 Record5.8 Visit
03
Lightstreamer
Event broker for reliable real-time data delivery to web and mobile applications.
AndroidiPhone & iPadWeb+5 Record5.8 Visit
04
Solace PubSub+ Event Broker
Event broker that streams information across cloud, on-premises and edge environments.
WebLinuxAPI+1 Record5.7 Visit
05
RabbitMQ
Open source messaging and streaming broker for microservices, real-time data and IoT.
WebWindowsMac+3 Record5.6 Visit
6
IronMQ
WebLinuxAPI+1 $399 a month Record5.5 Visit Persistent message queue for communication between services and distributed application components.
7
Apache RocketMQ
WindowsMacLinux+2 Free plan Record5.4 Visit Distributed middleware for asynchronous communication and publish/subscribe messaging.
8
Google Cloud Pub/Sub
WebAPI Free plan Record5.4 Visit Asynchronous messaging service that decouples message-producing and message-processing services.
9
Apache ActiveMQ
WebWindowsMac+3 Free plan Record5.3 Visit It suits teams that need a self-hosted messaging server with multiple protocols, client languages and transport options.
11
HiveMQ MQTT Broker
WindowsLinuxAPI+1 $299 a month Record5.3 Visit MQTT broker for event-driven messages from devices to enterprise systems, scaling to many connections.
12
NanoMQ
WindowsLinuxSelf-hosted Free plan Record5.3 Visit Lightweight MQTT broker for IoT edge systems, supporting MQTT 5.0, 3.1.1, and 3.1.
13
Amazon SNS
WebAPI $2 a month Record5.1 Visit Managed Pub/Sub service for application-to-application and application-to-person messaging.
14
Eclipse Amlen
AndroidiPhone & iPadWeb+3 Free plan Record5.1 Visit Free MQTT messaging software for IoT and web use, with WebSockets, JMS and add-on protocol support.
15
SocketCluster
AndroidiPhone & iPadWeb+3 Free plan Record5.1 Visit HTTP and WebSockets server environment for scalable pub/sub and RPC systems.
16
Upstash QStash
WebAPI $180 a month Record5.1 Visit Serverless messaging and scheduling service with delivery guarantees and automatic retries.
17
Moquette
AndroidWindowsLinux+2 Free plan Record4.8 Visit Lightweight Java MQTT broker for embedded Internet of Things applications.
19
Amazon SQS
WebAPI Free plan Record4.7 Visit Managed message queue for decoupled, event-driven software components and serverless workloads.
20
Apache Qpid Broker-J
WindowsMacLinux+2 Free plan Record4.7 Visit Java broker for storing, routing, and forwarding AMQP messages, with REST, AMQP, and web-console management.
22
ZeroMQ
WindowsMacLinux+1 Free plan Record4.7 Visit Asynchronous messaging library for distributed apps, with no required message broker.
23
beanstalkd
MacLinuxSelf-hosted Free plan Record4.6 Visit Simple work queue for asynchronous tasks, with optional binlog persistence after restarts.
24
Eclipse Mosquitto
WindowsMacLinux+1 Free plan Record4.6 Visit Lightweight MQTT 5.0, 3.1.1, and 3.1 broker for sensors, phones, and embedded devices.
Before you choose
Check the cost path
Review the pricing model and the listed paid starting point before choosing a broker. A free plan and a free trial are different offers, so check which one a listing provides.
Listings include free, freemium and paid models. Confirm the current terms on the maker's page before moving from evaluation to production.
Match the deployment model
Compare deployment model labels with your operating plan. Platform labels on the list include self-hosted, Linux, API, web, Windows and macOS.
If you need to read or change the code, check whether the listing is marked open source and review its licence.
Compare delivery behavior
Use delivery guarantees, dead-letter queues and ordering guarantees as separate checks. They describe different parts of message handling, so match them to the behavior your applications require.
Check message limits
Maximum message size can affect payload design and integration work. Compare the published limit with the messages your systems need to send.
Confirm protocol support
Supported protocols determine how a broker connects with clients and services. Compare the protocol list with the interfaces already used by your applications.
Questions
Which message brokers offer a free plan?
Listings marked with a free plan include Lightstreamer, Eclipse Amlen, SocketCluster, Moquette, Apache ActiveMQ, CloudAMQP, EMQX, RabbitMQ, Solace PubSub+ Event Broker, Apache RocketMQ and HiveMQ MQTT Broker.
Which message brokers have a free trial?
EMQX lists a 14-day trial, Solace PubSub+ Event Broker lists a 30-day trial, and HiveMQ MQTT Broker lists a 15-day trial.
Which options are open source?
Apache RocketMQ is marked open source in its pricing note. Other listings may also carry an open-source label, so check the listing and licence before choosing.
Which platforms appear in this list?
Platform labels include self-hosted, Linux, API, web, Windows and macOS. ApsaraMQ for MQTT lists Android, iOS and web.
What should I compare between message brokers?
Compare free plan, paid starting point, deployment model, delivery guarantees, dead-letter queues, ordering guarantees, maximum message size and supported protocols.
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