# activemq vs Node RED

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | activemq | Node RED |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | 81/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #7 of 12 in Message Broker | #1 of 26 in Automation |
| GitHub stars | 2 462 | 23 790 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 | +108 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 24 ✓ | 21 |
| Latest release | activemq-5.19.12 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | 4.1.17 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Java | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Node RED scores 81/100 against 64/100 for activemq, so it is the safer default.

activemq ships more often: 24 stable releases in the past year, against 21 for Node RED.

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

Node RED is growing faster right now (+108 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [activemq](https://selfhost.directory/project/activemq) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/activemq.md)
- [Node RED](https://selfhost.directory/project/node-red) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/node-red.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/activemq-vs-node-red