ActiveMQ vs apache qpid: What are the differences?

Introduction

ActiveMQ and Apache Qpid are two popular open-source message brokers that provide reliable and scalable messaging solutions. While both systems are used to facilitate communication between distributed applications, there are significant differences between them. In this article, we will explore the key differences between ActiveMQ and Apache Qpid.

1. Language Support: One major difference between ActiveMQ and Apache Qpid is their language support. ActiveMQ primarily focuses on providing a Java-based messaging solution and has extensive support for Java-based clients. On the other hand, Apache Qpid offers language bindings for multiple programming languages including Java, C++, .NET, Python, Ruby, and others. This makes Apache Qpid a more versatile choice when developers need to work with languages other than Java.

2. Protocol Support: ActiveMQ primarily supports the Java Message Service (JMS) protocol, which is a standard messaging API for Java applications. In addition to JMS, ActiveMQ also provides support for other protocols such as AMQP, MQTT, and Stomp. On the other hand, Apache Qpid is designed to support the Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) standard. Apache Qpid is an implementation of the AMQP protocol and provides extensive support for its various versions such as AMQP 0-9, AMQP 1.0, and others.

3. Message Routing: One key difference between ActiveMQ and Apache Qpid lies in their approach to message routing. ActiveMQ uses a broker-based message routing model, where messages are sent to a central broker and then routed to the respective consumer. In contrast, Apache Qpid follows a decentralized messaging model, where messages are routed directly between producers and consumers without a central broker. This decentralized architecture of Apache Qpid can provide higher scalability and performance in certain use cases.

4. Persistence Mechanism: Another significant difference between the two message brokers is their persistence mechanism. ActiveMQ stores messages in disk-based persistence, allowing messages to be recovered in case of broker failure. Apache Qpid, on the other hand, offers a pluggable persistence mechanism that allows users to choose between disk-based persistence or in-memory persistence. This flexibility in persistence options can be beneficial in scenarios where different performance or durability requirements exist.

5. Message Filtering: ActiveMQ provides built-in support for message filtering based on various criteria such as message properties, headers, and content. It allows consumers to subscribe to specific messages based on predefined rules, reducing the amount of irrelevant messages delivered to consumers. On the other hand, Apache Qpid does not have built-in message filtering capabilities. Clients using Apache Qpid need to implement custom filtering logic at the application level.

6. Community and Development: Both ActiveMQ and Apache Qpid are open-source projects with active communities supporting their development. However, ActiveMQ has a larger and more established community, with extensive documentation, resources, and a wider range of community-driven plugins and extensions available. Apache Qpid has a smaller community but offers strong support and integration with the Apache Software Foundation.

In summary, ActiveMQ and Apache Qpid differ in language support, protocol support, message routing model, persistence mechanism, message filtering capabilities, and community engagement. These differences make each message broker suitable for different use cases and requirements.