# EMQX vs RabbitMQ

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

| | EMQX | RabbitMQ |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 ✓ | 77/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #3 of 12 in Message Broker |
| GitHub stars | 16 867 ✓ | 13 949 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +113 ✓ | +78 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 ✓ | 14 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 | v4.3.7 · 20 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Other |
| Main language | Erlang | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

EMQX scores 78/100 against 77/100 for RabbitMQ, so it is the safer default.

EMQX ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for RabbitMQ.

If you want the quickest setup, RabbitMQ is easier to run; EMQX needs more configuration.

## Details

- [EMQX](https://selfhost.directory/project/emqx) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/emqx.md)
- [RabbitMQ](https://selfhost.directory/project/rabbitmq) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rabbitmq.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/emqx-vs-rabbitmq