Best HiveMQ Community Edition Alternatives in 2026
The top HiveMQ Community Edition alternatives are AWS IoT Core, Azure Event Grid MQTT broker and Apache BifroMQ: 15 MQTT broker software our editors would look at instead of HiveMQ Community Edition, in our ranking order.
HiveMQ Community Edition: A free, self-hosted choice for Java projects that need a flexible MQTT broker. Where it falls short: self-hosted deployment requires you to run the broker.
Switching from HiveMQ Community Edition? For most mqtt broker software buyers the best HiveMQ Community Edition alternative is AWS IoT Core, built for aWS-centric managed IoT deployments. On a budget, Ably MQTT Broker starts at $29/mo. Apache BifroMQ has a free plan. Ably MQTT Broker offers the most connection limit (10000 connections).
Why People Look for a HiveMQ Community Edition Alternative
- Self-hosted deployment requires you to run the broker
- Support is through the community
- Its feature set offers less operational and scaling depth
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallAWS IoT Core9.4
AWS-centric managed IoT deployments
Visit AWS IoT Core - Lowest priceAbly MQTT Broker7.6
Paid plans from $29/mo
Visit Ably MQTT Broker - Best free optionApache BifroMQ9.1
Has a free plan
Visit Apache BifroMQ - Most connection limitAbly MQTT Broker7.6
10000 connections
Visit Ably MQTT Broker
All 15 HiveMQ Community Edition Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forAWS-centric managed IoT deployments
- Better than HiveMQ Community Edition:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.5
A managed MQTT broker with device tools and message routing for AWS-centric IoT systems.
- Retained messages
9.4/10★★★★★Visit AWS IoT Core -
Best forAzure-centric managed IoT deployments
- Better than HiveMQ Community Edition:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.5
A managed MQTT broker with Azure routing, flexible authentication, and usage-based pricing.
- Retained messages
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Microsoft -
Best forTeams building self-hosted, clustered MQTT systems
- Better than HiveMQ Community Edition:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.5
A self-hosted broker with clustering, distributed storage, and support for MQTT 3.1 through 5.0.
- Clustering
- Retained messages
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Apache BifroMQ -
Best forTeams needing MQTT alongside JMS messaging
- Better than HiveMQ Community Edition:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.5
An open-source broker combining MQTT delivery options with JMS and extensible protocols.
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Eclipse Amlen -
Best forTeams needing MQTT with broad protocol connectivity
- Better than HiveMQ Community Edition:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.5
A flexible MQTT platform with protocol gateways, durable queues, and cloud or self-hosted options.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit EMQX -
Best forTeams needing managed or self-managed MQTT with QoS 2
- Better than HiveMQ Community Edition:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.5
Flexible managed or self-managed MQTT with QoS 2, clustering, and broad integrations.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit HiveMQ -
Best forA straightforward free self-hosted MQTT broker
- Better than HiveMQ Community Edition:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.5
A free, self-hosted MQTT broker with core messaging, security, and bridging features.
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Mosquitto -
Best forTeams managing Mosquitto across production deployments
- Better than HiveMQ Community Edition:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 8.5
Managed Mosquitto adds clustering, persistent queues and centralized administration.
- Clustering
- Retained messages
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Cedalo -
Best forTeams needing MQTT alongside AMQP
A self-hosted broker for teams that need MQTT alongside broader messaging support.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Apache Artemis -
Best forTeams already using RabbitMQ messaging
An established general-purpose broker that adds MQTT to a broader messaging stack.
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit RabbitMQ -
Best forExisting ActiveMQ deployments adding MQTT
A free, self-hosted multi-protocol broker for teams adding MQTT to ActiveMQ messaging.
8.2/10★★★★☆Try Apache ActiveMQ -
Best forTeams needing low-cost MQTT clustering
A flexible MQTT core with a free self-hosted edition and paid managed options.
- Clustering
- Retained messages
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit TBMQ -
Best forTeams running self-hosted MQTT 5 with clustering
A self-hosted MQTT broker with clustering, persistence, bridges, and plugin options.
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit VerneMQ -
Best forEvent-mesh deployments that also need MQTT
A multi-protocol event broker for event meshes that also need MQTT.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Solace -
Best forManaged MQTT clients needing cloud-function integrations
A managed MQTT adapter for clients that need Ably channels and cloud-function integrations.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Ably
HiveMQ Community Edition Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to HiveMQ Community Edition?
AWS IoT Core: #1 in our MQTT Broker Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A managed MQTT broker with device tools and message routing for AWS-centric IoT systems.
Is there a free alternative to HiveMQ Community Edition?
Yes. Apache BifroMQ, Eclipse Amlen, EMQX, HiveMQ MQTT Broker and Eclipse Mosquitto have a free plan or a free tier (12 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to HiveMQ Community Edition?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Ably MQTT Broker starts lowest, at $29/mo.
Why do people look for HiveMQ Community Edition alternatives?
Self-hosted deployment requires you to run the broker; Support is through the community; Its feature set offers less operational and scaling depth.
Which HiveMQ Community Edition alternative has the most connection limit?
Ably MQTT Broker, with 10000 connections.
How do I switch from HiveMQ Community Edition?
Export your data from HiveMQ Community Edition (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel HiveMQ Community Edition.
How to Switch from HiveMQ Community Edition
- Export your data from HiveMQ Community Edition (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel HiveMQ Community Edition.
HiveMQ Community Edition vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | HiveMQ Community Edition | Yes | Free | 8.5 |
| 1 | AWS IoT Core | No | 9.4 | |
| 2 | Azure Event Grid MQTT broker | No | 9.2 | |
| 3 | Apache BifroMQ | Yes | Free | 9.1 |
| 4 | Eclipse Amlen | Yes | Free | 9.0 |
| 5 | EMQX | Yes | $234/mo | 8.9 |
| 6 | HiveMQ MQTT Broker | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 7 | Eclipse Mosquitto | Yes | Free | 8.7 |
| 8 | Cedalo Pro Mosquitto | No | €39/mo | 8.6 |
| 9 | Apache Artemis | Yes | Free | 8.4 |
| 10 | RabbitMQ | Yes | Free | 8.3 |
| 11 | Apache ActiveMQ | Yes | Free | 8.2 |
| 12 | TBMQ | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 13 | VerneMQ | No | Free | 7.8 |
| 14 | Solace PubSub+ Event Broker | Yes | 7.7 | |
| 15 | Ably MQTT Broker | Yes | $29/mo | 7.6 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
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