# EMQX vs Spoolman

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

| | EMQX | Spoolman |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 ✓ | 65/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #3 of 22 in 3D Printing |
| GitHub stars | 16 868 ✓ | 2 955 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +114 ✓ | +111 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 ✓ | 7 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.27.0 · 25 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Erlang | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

EMQX scores 78/100 against 65/100 for Spoolman, so it is the safer default.

EMQX ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 7 for Spoolman.

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

## Details

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

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