Top MQTT Brokers in 2024

If picking the right broker for your projects is a challenge, let’s review some of the top MQTT brokers out there

Understanding MQTT

MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is a lightweight messaging protocol designed for the Internet of Things (IoT). It enables devices to communicate with each other efficiently and reliably, even in low-bandwidth or unreliable network conditions.

Key features of MQTT:

• Lightweight: Requires minimal bandwidth and resources, making it ideal for IoT devices with limited processing power and memory.
• Efficient: Uses a publish/subscribe model, which reduces the amount of data sent over the network.
• Reliable: Supports quality of service (QoS) levels to ensure message delivery.

Role of MQTT Brokers

An MQTT broker is a server that acts as an intermediary between devices in an MQTT network. It receives messages from publishing clients and distributes them to subscribing clients. Essentially, the broker ensures that messages are correctly routed from publishers to subscribers.

Functions of an MQTT Broker:

• Message Routing: Routes messages from publishers to the appropriate subscribers based on topic filters.
• Quality of service (QoS): Ensures message delivery at different levels of assurance.
• Session management: Maintains session information, including client subscriptions and message queues.
• Security: Manages authentication, authorization, and encryption to secure communication between devices.

Now, let’s move on to ranking the best MQTT brokers available today.

1-Eclipse Mosquitto:

Advantages

• Open Source: Eclipse Mosquitto is a free and open-source MQTT broker, making it accessible to everyone.
• Lightweight: It’s lightweight and ideal for devices with limited resources.
• Reliable: Mosquitto is known for its reliability and performance, even under heavy loads.
• Cross-Platform: It runs on various platforms including Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Disadvantages

• Basic Features: While Mosquitto is great for basic MQTT needs, it lacks some advanced features found in commercial brokers.
• Limited Scalability: It may not be the best choice for extremely large-scale deployments without additional infrastructure.

2-HiveMQ:

Advantages

• Scalability: HiveMQ is designed for enterprise-scale applications, offering excellent scalability.
• Security: It includes robust security features like SSL/TLS encryption and fine-grained access controls.
• Clustering: HiveMQ supports clustering, which ensures high availability and load balancing.
• Integrations: It integrates well with other enterprise systems and cloud platforms.

Disadvantages

• Cost: HiveMQ is a commercial product, which means it can be expensive for smaller projects.
• Complexity: Setting up and managing HiveMQ can be complex compared to simpler brokers.

3-EMQX:

Advantages

• Performance: EMQX is known for its high performance, capable of handling millions of concurrent connections.
• Open Source: It offers both open-source and commercial versions, providing flexibility for different needs.
• Features: EMQX includes a wide range of features like MQTT over WebSocket, HTTP API, and rule-based message processing.
• Scalability: It scales well and supports clustering for high availability.

Disadvantages

• Complex Setup: Setting up EMQX can be complex, particularly for users who are not familiar with its features.
• Resource Intensive: It can be resource-intensive, requiring significant memory and CPU for optimal performance.

4-AWS IoT Core:

Advantages

• Cloud Integration: AWS IoT Core is deeply integrated with other AWS services, making it ideal for cloud-based IoT solutions.
• Scalability: It scales automatically to handle large numbers of devices and messages.
• Security: AWS IoT Core includes advanced security features like mutual authentication and end-to-end encryption.
• Management: It offers easy management through the AWS Management Console and SDKs.

Disadvantages

• Cost: AWS IoT Core can be expensive, especially as your IoT deployment grows.
• AWS Dependency: It’s heavily tied to the AWS ecosystem, which may not be suitable for users who prefer other cloud providers.

5-VerneMQ:

Advantages

• Open Source: VerneMQ is an open-source MQTT broker, providing a cost-effective solution.
• Clustering: It supports clustering, ensuring high availability and reliability.
• Performance: VerneMQ is designed for high performance, capable of handling a large number of connections.
• Plugins: It supports plugins, allowing users to extend its functionality.

Disadvantages

• Complex Configuration: Configuring VerneMQ can be challenging, especially for beginners.
• Resource Usage: It can be resource-intensive, similar to EMQX.

Our favorite: Eclipse Mosquitto

After considering all these options, our personal favorite is Eclipse Mosquitto. Its open-source nature, reliability, and lightweight design make it an excellent choice for a wide range of projects. While it may lack some advanced features, its ease of use and cross-platform support make it a standout option.