MQTT vs AMQP: Key Differences, Use Cases, and Tools

 

Introduction

We need to transfer data from one system to other in the form of events, messages for various reasons. The data can be the real time data, time series data, configuration information etc. Looking into the system requirement we often choose many different ways to deal with this data transformation i.e. REST API based approach, Web socket, MQTT, AMQP etc. In this article we will focus on MQTT vs AMQP. How these two approaches are widely used serving different purposes. What is the basic differences, when to choose which one, and tools available from each type. Let’s get started …

What Is MQTT

MQTT stands for Message Queuing Telemetry Transport is a lightweight, publisher subscriber messaging protocol designed for efficient communication between devices, especially in scenarios where network bandwidth is limited or devices are resource constrained.

We talked about network bandwidth is limited and resource constrained device. It means situations where data speed, reliability, or cost is a problem.

Examples:

A remote weather station sensor in a village uploads temperature data over a weak mobile signal.

Networks that have frequent drops or delays (satellite, ship-to-shore communications, mining sites).

What is AMQP

AMQP stands for Advanced Message Queuing Protocol. It is a powerful messaging protocol used for reliable and secure communication between applications. Unlike MQTT, which is mainly used in lightweight IoT systems, AMQP offers advanced features like message queuing, routing, guaranteed delivery, and transaction support. This makes it a good choice for complex systems such as banking, financial services, and enterprise applications where every message must be delivered safely and in order.

Difference between MQTT & AMQP

Features	MQTT	AMQP
Primary use cases	IoT, sensors, mobile apps	Enterprise systems, financial services, business applications
Architecture	Publisher - Subscriber	Message queuing
Message Size	Light weight message	Large complex message
Reliability	Basic reliability (QoS 0, 1, 2)	Strong reliability (transactions, acknowledgments, guaranteed delivery)
Overhead	Low overhead due to minimal packet size	Higher overhead due to advanced features
Security	TLS/SSL	Strong built-in security with authentication, encryption, and authorization

MQTT Use cases

1.   Use MQTT when devices are resource oriented (Low CPU, memory, battery)

2.   While dealing with low bandwidth or unstable network (Mobile, satellite or remote IoT)

3.   While the requirement is real-time telemetry data (sensor reading, GPS update)

4.   When the system requirement is simple publisher / subscriber pattern

In sort use MQTT when we need fast and lightweight communication with minimal overhead.

AMQP Use cases

1.   When we need guaranteed message delivery, no data loss allowed.

2.   When the system required complex routing (one message can be routed into multiple queues)

3.   While building enterprise grade system with multiple integrations

4.   Transactions and reliable acknowledgement (Banking & Financial transaction)  

   In sort use AMQP while security, interoperability and enterprise compliance are    priorities.

MQTT tools

Tool / Library	Type	License	Notes
Eclipse Mosquitto	Broker	Eclipse Public License 2.0	Lightweight, widely used in IoT.
HiveMQ (Community Edition)	Broker	Apache License 2.0 (Community)	Free for small-scale; Enterprise version is commercial.
EMQX	Broker	Apache License 2.0 (Open-Source Core)	Enterprise version available (commercial).
VerneMQ	Broker	Apache License 2.0	Focus on scalability & clustering.
Eclipse Paho	Client Library	Eclipse Public License 2.0	Official client libraries for multiple languages.
MQTT.js	Client Library	MIT License	Popular Node.js MQTT client.
paho-mqtt (Python)	Client Library	Eclipse Public License 2.0	Python client for MQTT.
M2Mqtt (.NET)	Client Library	Apache License 2.0	Widely used in .NET IoT projects.

AMQP Tools

Tool / Library	Type	License	Notes
RabbitMQ	Broker	Mozilla Public License 2.0	Most popular AMQP broker.
Apache Qpid	Broker	Apache License 2.0	Apache’s AMQP implementation.
ActiveMQ Artemis	Broker	Apache License 2.0	Enterprise messaging, supports AMQP + other protocols.
Azure Service Bus	Cloud Service	Commercial (Microsoft)	Fully managed cloud service.
AMQP.Net Lite	Client Library	Apache License 2.0	Lightweight AMQP client for .NET.
Qpid Proton	Client Library	Apache License 2.0	Multi-language AMQP client.
rhea (Node.js)	Client Library	Apache License 2.0	Node.js client for AMQP.
Apache NMS (for .NET)	Client API	Apache License 2.0	Messaging client for AMQP & JMS-like APIs.

If you want to know more about different types of software licenses (like Apache 2.0, MIT, or MPL), check out my Software Licenses: Open Source vs Proprietary where I explained them in detail.

Conclusion

Both MQTT and AMQP are powerful messaging protocols, but they serve different purposes.

• MQTT is lightweight, simple, and highly efficient, making it the go-to choice for IoT devices, sensors, and real-time telemetry where bandwidth and resources are limited.
• AMQP is heavier but far more feature-rich, making it suitable for enterprise systems, financial services, and applications where reliability, guaranteed delivery, and complex routing are critical.

When choosing between the two, always look at your system requirements, if your focus is on speed and efficiency for small devices, go with MQTT. If your priority is robustness, reliability, and enterprise-grade workflows, then AMQP is the better fit.

In short:
 Use MQTT when you need lightweight IoT communication.
 Use AMQP when you need enterprise-level reliability and advanced messaging patterns.