Azure Event Grid MQTT broker vs HiveMQ MQTT Broker

AEAzure Event Grid MQTT broker9.2Visit HiveMQ MQTT Broker8.8Visit

Higher score AE Azure Event Grid MQTT broker #2 in MQTT Broker Software 9.2/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Microsoft

vs

HiveMQ MQTT Broker #6 in MQTT Broker Software 8.8/10 Free plan · 15-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 2 features Visit HiveMQ

• Azure Event Grid MQTT broker fits best

  Azure-centric managed IoT deployments

• HiveMQ MQTT Broker fits best

  Teams needing managed or self-managed MQTT with QoS 2

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Side by side

Feature	AEAzure Event Grid MQTT broker 9.2/10 Visit ↗	HiveMQ MQTT Broker 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.8
Ranking	#2 in MQTT Broker Software	#6 in MQTT Broker Software
Best for	Azure-centric managed IoT deployments	Teams needing managed or self-managed MQTT with QoS 2
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	—
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	15 days
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Windows, Linux
Support	Docs	Community, Docs
Integrations	5 integrations	13 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Azure Event Grid MQTT broker 1/2 · HiveMQ MQTT Broker 0/2
Retained messages	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Clustering	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment model	Managed	Not checked yet
MQTT versions	MQTT 3.1.1, MQTT 3.1.1 over WebSocket, MQTT 5, MQTT 5 over WebSocket	Not checked yet
Connection limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Authentication methods	CA-signed or self-signed certificates; Microsoft Entra ID JWT; third-party OAuth 2.0 JWT; custom webhook (can validate SAS tokens, username/password, or certificate revocation)	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports MQTT 3.1.1 and MQTT 5, including WebSocket transport Routes MQTT messages to Azure services and webhooks Offers certificate, Entra ID, OAuth JWT, and webhook authentication	Supports MQTT 3.1, 3.1.1, and 5 with all three QoS levels Offers managed and self-managed deployment options Connects with data platforms including Kafka, Kinesis, and Snowflake
Cons	Paid Event Grid Standard Tier is required Pricing varies with throughput units and operations MQTT connection capacity depends on configured throughput units	Self-managed Lab and Launch plans are limited to one broker deployment Listed monthly self-managed plans start at $299 Several enterprise plan prices depend on custom capacity
Our verdict	Azure Event Grid MQTT broker provides managed MQTT messaging in an Event Grid namespace, for teams connecting IoT devices and applications to Azure services. It supports MQTT 3.1.1 and MQTT 5, including WebSocket transport, and covers core… Read the review →	HiveMQ MQTT Broker connects devices, applications, and enterprise systems through MQTT messaging. It supports MQTT 3.1, 3.1.1, and 5, with QoS 0, 1, and 2, persistent sessions, message queuing, clustering, and security controls. Managed… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Azure Event Grid MQTT broker — where it wins

  • Supports MQTT 3.1.1 and MQTT 5, including WebSocket transport
  • Routes MQTT messages to Azure services and webhooks
  • Offers certificate, Entra ID, OAuth JWT, and webhook authentication

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid Event Grid Standard Tier is required
  • Pricing varies with throughput units and operations
  • MQTT connection capacity depends on configured throughput units

• HiveMQ MQTT Broker — where it wins

  • Supports MQTT 3.1, 3.1.1, and 5 with all three QoS levels
  • Offers managed and self-managed deployment options
  • Connects with data platforms including Kafka, Kinesis, and Snowflake

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-managed Lab and Launch plans are limited to one broker deployment
  • Listed monthly self-managed plans start at $299
  • Several enterprise plan prices depend on custom capacity

• AEAzure Event Grid MQTT broker9.2/10 · Paid

  A managed MQTT broker with Azure routing, flexible authentication, and usage-based pricing.

  Visit MicrosoftFull verdict →
• HiveMQ MQTT Broker8.8/10 · Free plan · 15-day trial

  Flexible managed or self-managed MQTT with QoS 2, clustering, and broad integrations.

  Visit HiveMQFull verdict →