EMQXvsShields
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| EMQX | Shields | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #6 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 16 868 | 27 331 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +113 | +125 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 0 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Erlang | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
Shields scores 80/100 against 78/100 for EMQX, so it is the safer default.
EMQX ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Shields.
If you want the quickest setup, Shields is easier to run; EMQX needs more configuration.
EMQX details →Shields details →