# EMQX vs Unison

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

| | EMQX | Unison |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 ✓ | 65/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #2 of 15 in File Sync |
| GitHub stars | 16 868 ✓ | 5 559 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +113 ✓ | +65 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 ✓ | 2 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 ✓ | v2.54.0 · 1 May 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Other | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Erlang | OCaml |

## Which one should you pick?

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

EMQX ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for Unison.

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

## Details

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

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