EMQXvsOrca
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| EMQX | Orca | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 91/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #1 of 209 in AI Agents |
| GitHub stars | 16 868 | 108 815 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +114 | +8 908 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 15 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 | v1.4.243 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Erlang | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Orca scores 91/100 against 78/100 for EMQX, so it is the safer default.
If you want the quickest setup, Orca is easier to run; EMQX needs more configuration.
Orca is growing faster right now (+8 908 stars in 30 days).