EMQXvsValkey
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| EMQX | Valkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 81/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #3 of 38 in Databases |
| GitHub stars | 16 868 | 27 547 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +114 | +265 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 22 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 | 9.0.7 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | Erlang | C |
Which one should you pick?
Valkey scores 81/100 against 78/100 for EMQX, so it is the safer default.
Valkey ships more often: 22 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for EMQX.
If you want the quickest setup, Valkey is easier to run; EMQX needs more configuration.
Valkey is growing faster right now (+265 stars in 30 days).
EMQX details →Valkey details →