ActiveMQ vs Apache Kafka comparison

The compared ActiveMQ and Apache Kafka solutions aren't in the same category. ActiveMQ is ranked #2 in MQ , with an average rating of 8.5, and holds a 19.8% mindshare in the category. Apache Kafka is ranked #5 in SA , with an average rating of 8.7, and holds a 4.0% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of ActiveMQ users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Apache Kafka users who would recommend it.

ActiveMQ

Read 28 ActiveMQ reviews

4,809 Views
4,617 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Apache Kafka

Read 90 Apache Kafka reviews

5,455 Views
2,127 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

ActiveMQ

Apache Kafka

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between ActiveMQ and Apache Kafka based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Message Queue (MQ) Software solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed ActiveMQ vs. Apache Kafka Report (Updated: May 2024).

Buyer's Guide

ActiveMQ vs. Apache Kafka

May 2024

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Helped 893,164 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

ActiveMQ

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Message Queue (MQ) Software (2nd)

Apache Kafka

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Streaming Analytics (5th)

Mindshare comparison

ActiveMQ and Apache Kafka aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. ActiveMQ is designed for Message Queue (MQ) Software and holds a mindshare of 19.8%, down 26.4% compared to last year.
Apache Kafka, on the other hand, focuses on Streaming Analytics, holds 4.0% mindshare, up 2.8% since last year.

Message Queue (MQ) Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
ActiveMQ	19.8%
IBM MQ	21.0%
VMware Tanzu Data Solutions	9.3%
Other	49.900000000000006%

Message Queue (MQ) Software

Streaming Analytics Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Apache Kafka	4.0%
Apache Flink	8.9%
Databricks	8.1%
Other	79.0%

Streaming Analytics

Featured Reviews

MoumitaDas

Software Engineer III at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Integration capabilities enhance message handling without human interaction

With ActiveMQ there should be more options. If you work with other technologies, for example, Java, there are many options. We can integrate the way we want ActiveMQ. We can create partitions and clusters, but AP is not providing such options currently. It only provides time, request response timing, the number of requests that need to be handled, and protocol types. The configuration needs to be broadened inside AP to perform in a better way. Sometimes issues arise in production with ActiveMQ due to the number of requests. For example, if you have configured one thousand requests at a time and it receives one thousand and one messages at a time, it breaks. The configuration aspect is tricky. When configurations are proper, ActiveMQ almost has zero errors.

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Bruno da Silva

Senior Manager at Timestamp, SA

Have worked closely with the team to deploy streaming and transaction pipelines in a flexible cloud environment

The interface of Apache Kafka could be significantly better. I started working with Apache Kafka from its early days, and I have seen many improvements. The back office functionality could be enhanced. Scaling up continues to be a challenge, though it is much easier now than it was in the beginning.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the holding and forwarding."

"It's a very easy-to-use product, documentation is sufficient, and anyone with a bit of knowledge about technology, like Java, can quickly set it up and it could be up and running in minutes."

"The ability to store the failed events for some time is valuable."

"Reliable message delivery and mirroring."

"For us, initial setup was VERY easy since we were using the Apache-provided Docker image for ActiveMQ, which alleviates a lot of the traditional pains involved with installing new software."

"It’s a JMS broker, so the fact that it can allow for asynchronous communication is valuable."

"Message broadcasting: There could be a use case sending the same message to all consumers. So as a producer, I broadcast the message to a topic. Then, whichever consumers are subscribed to the topic can consume the same message."

"Loose coupling of components by the use of messaging queues allows for completely separate component life cycles and ownership within the organization."

More ActiveMQ pros

"Ease of use."

"We get amazing throughput."

"When starting out with minimal hardware, Kafka has a guaranteed delivery mechanism that is very easy to set up and can handle very large data volumes, helping to speed up the timeline from prototype all the way to production volumes."

"When we're working with big data, we need a throughput computing panel, which is something that Kafka provides, and something we find extremely valuable."

"The most valuable features are the stream API, consumer groups, and the way that the scaling takes place."

"The most valuable feature of Apache Kafka is Kafka Connect."

"Supports more than 10,000 events/second, scalability, and replication, and it is a good product for event-driven architecture."

"This is the base streaming component of our IoT platform."

More Apache Kafka pros

Cons

"From the TPS point of view, it's like 100,000 transactions that need to be admitted from different devices and also from the different minor small systems. Those are best fit for Kafka."

"Configuring ActiveMQ brokers for working in a cluster is difficult and has many constraints."

"Distributed message processing would be a nice addition."

"Another area of improvement is the monitoring console, which is kind of rudimentary."

"I do not recommend ActiveMQ over Apache Kafka partly because I don't know who provides support for the solution."

"Apache ActiveMQ needs some improvement playing with multi-platform message clients."

"Because this is an open-source project, there is no support. We don't have any help or anything like that."

"There is need for more protocols and maybe they should provide documentation on the internet as well."

More ActiveMQ cons

"It’s a trial-and-error process with no one-size-fits-all solution. Issues may arise until it’s appropriately tuned."

"The price for the enterprise version is quite high. It would be better to have a lower price."

"The graphical user environment is currently lacking in Apache."

"It needs a separate cluster and a separate administrator to manage the Kafka cluster, adding an extra cost."

"The repository isn't working very well. It's not user friendly."

"In the next release, I would like for there to be some authorization features and HTL security; we also need bigger software and better monitoring."

"The management overhead is more compared to the messaging system. There are challenges here and there, like for long usage, it requires restarts and nodes from time to time."

"An area for improvement would be growth."

More Apache Kafka cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We are using the open-source version, so we have not looked at any pricing."

"We use the open-source version."

"I use open source with standard Apache licensing."

"I think the software is free."

"The solution is less expensive than its competitors."

"The tool's pricing is reasonable and competitive compared to other solutions."

"It’s open source, ergo free."

"ActiveMQ is open source, so it is free to use."

More ActiveMQ pricing and cost advice

"Running a Kafka cluster can be expensive, especially if you need to scale it up to handle large amounts of data."

"Apache Kafka has an open-source pricing."

"The solution is open source; it's free to use."

"The price of the solution is low."

"Apache Kafka is an open-source solution and there are no fees, but there are fees associated with confluence, which are based on subscription."

"Apache Kafka is an open-sourced solution. There are fees if you want the support, and I would recommend it for enterprises. There are annual subscriptions available."

"Kafka is open-source and it is cheaper than any other product."

"Kafka is more reasonably priced than IBM MQ."

More Apache Kafka pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

27%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

20%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	17

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	32
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	50

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with ActiveMQ?

Pricing is something to consider with ActiveMQ, though cloud pricing is not costly and depends upon the compute selection. Focusing on AI is essential nowadays. AI capabilities require improvement ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for ActiveMQ?

In my current organization, I'm only working with ActiveMQ. I previously worked with IBM WebSphere MQ.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering ActiveMQ?

We have not deployed ActiveMQ's flexible clustering as that requirement is not present for us. We only use active-passive configuration. On a scale of one to ten, I rate ActiveMQ a ten out of ten.

See all answers

What are the differences between Apache Kafka and IBM MQ?

Apache Kafka is open source and can be used for free. It has very good log management and has a way to store the data used for analytics. Apache Kafka is very good if you have a high number of user...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Kafka?

Its pricing is reasonable. It's not always about cost, but about meeting specific needs.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Apache Kafka?

The long-term data storage feature in Apache Kafka depends on the setting, but I believe the maximum duration is seven days.

See all answers

Comparisons

IBM MQ vs ActiveMQ

Compared 48% of the time

Red Hat AMQ vs ActiveMQ

Compared 8% of the time

VMware Tanzu Data Solutions vs ActiveMQ

Compared 8% of the time

MuleSoft Anypoint Platform vs ActiveMQ

Compared 6% of the time

Redis vs ActiveMQ

Compared 1% of the time

More ActiveMQ Competitors

Red Hat AMQ vs Apache Kafka

Compared 12% of the time

PubSub+ Platform vs Apache Kafka

Compared 11% of the time

Databricks vs Apache Kafka

Compared 11% of the time

Azure Stream Analytics vs Apache Kafka

Compared 8% of the time

EMQX vs Apache Kafka

Compared 3% of the time

More Apache Kafka Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ActiveMQ

May 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Apache Kafka

May 2026

Download Apache Kafka product report

Also Known As

AMQ

No data available

Overview

ActiveMQ is a messaging broker facilitating microservices communication and event management. It supports message queues, Camel routes, and asynchronous communication, enhancing integration capabilities and scalability with a network of brokers.

ActiveMQ efficiently supports message transfer in IoT applications and third-party systems, acting as a hub for code distribution and data flow management. It integrates well with XML and protocols like MQTT, while its fast messaging, reliable delivery, and efficient setup via Docker cater to diverse messaging needs. Though ActiveMQ is cost-effective, challenges exist with scalability, stability, and administration tools. Enhanced documentation and broader protocol support could resolve these issues, improving administration and initial configurations.

What are the key features of ActiveMQ?

Message Queues: Supports efficient queuing systems for distributing messages.
Camel Routes: Facilitates robust routing mechanisms within applications.
High Availability: Ensures reliable service delivery without interruptions.
Asynchronous Communication: Supports real-time interaction across systems.
XML Integration: Provides flexible communication through XML compatibility.
Protocol Support: Works with protocols like MQTT for versatile messaging.
Brokers Network: Enhances scalability with interconnected broker systems.
Docker Setup: Simplifies deployment processes using containerization.

What benefits should users expect from ActiveMQ?

Reliable Delivery: Guarantees messages are delivered promptly and consistently.
Cost-Effectiveness: Ensures affordability for small-scale applications.
Flexible Integration: Offers adaptable messaging solutions with varied systems.
Ease of Setup: Provides straightforward configuration and deployment processes.

ActiveMQ implementation spans industries from IoT, managing device communications and responses, to middleware solutions for payload consumption. It handles registrations and updates, sometimes being used in demonstrations of message broker concepts. Users often leverage it for its message handling efficiency in industry-specific applications.

Apache

Apache Kafka provides scalable, high-throughput, real-time data processing. Appreciated for its open-source nature and integration capabilities, Kafka supports distributed messaging and high-volume handling with essential features like message retention, replication, and partitioning.

Apache Kafka is a powerful tool for managing efficient data streams and high volumes of asynchronous messages. Its ease of setup and robust integration options make it popular among industries requiring real-time data streaming and processing. Key features such as message retention and consumer groups cater to demanding applications, while fault-tolerant design ensures reliability. Despite its advantages, Kafka can improve in areas like duplicate management, documentation, and intuitive interfaces. Challenges in configuration and monitoring tools suggest areas for enhancement, alongside reducing complexity and resource dependency.

What are the key features of Apache Kafka?

Scalability: Efficiently handles increasing data volumes without performance loss.
High Throughput: Processes large amounts of data quickly and efficiently.
Real-time Processing: Facilitates immediate data streaming and analytics.
Fault Tolerance: Maintains operations despite failures, ensuring continuous data flow.
Open-source Nature: Offers community-driven enhancements and reduced costs.

What benefits should users look for in Apache Kafka reviews?

Robust Integration: Easily connects with various applications and systems.
Cost-effectiveness: Leverages open-source advantages for financial savings.
Reliability: Provides consistent performance with fault-tolerant mechanisms.
Scalable Infrastructure: Supports growing business needs without compromising efficiency.

Industry applications for Apache Kafka include real-time data streaming for IoT, big data management, and analytics. In finance, it supports fraud detection and transaction monitoring. Healthcare uses Kafka for patient data handling and logistics leverage its data distribution capabilities to optimize operations. Its ability to manage large-scale asynchronous communication makes it vital across sectors demanding high data throughput and reliability.

Apache

Sample Customers

University of Washington, Daugherty Systems, CSC, STG Technologies, Inc.

Uber, Netflix, Activision, Spotify, Slack, Pinterest

Buyer's Guide

ActiveMQ vs. Apache Kafka

May 2024

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