# activemq vs Apache Kafka

> Two self-hosted [Message Broker projects](https://selfhost.directory/message-broker), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | activemq | Apache Kafka |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | 83/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #7 of 12 in Message Broker | #1 of 12 in Message Broker |
| GitHub stars | 2 462 | 34 152 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 | +346 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 24 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | activemq-5.19.12 · 22 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 64/100 for activemq, so it is the safer default.

activemq ships more often: 24 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.

If you want the quickest setup, activemq is easier to run; Apache Kafka needs more configuration.

Apache Kafka is growing faster right now (+346 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [activemq](https://selfhost.directory/project/activemq) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/activemq.md)
- [Apache Kafka](https://selfhost.directory/project/apache-kafka) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/apache-kafka.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/activemq-vs-apache-kafka