# EMQX vs zookeeper

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

| | EMQX | zookeeper |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 ✓ | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #1 of 8 in Configuration Management |
| GitHub stars | 16 868 ✓ | 12 826 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +113 ✓ | +15 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Erlang | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

EMQX scores 78/100 against 73/100 for zookeeper, so it is the safer default.

EMQX ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for zookeeper.

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

EMQX is growing faster right now (+113 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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