Version Overview
About
Apache ActiveMQ has evolved significantly over the years, offering multiple distributions that serve different architectural and performance requirements. This page provides a complete overview of ActiveMQ’s versions, their purpose, and guidance on choosing the right version for your needs.
ActiveMQ is available in two main distributions:
ActiveMQ “Classic” (also called ActiveMQ 5.x)
ActiveMQ Artemis (initially referred to as ActiveMQ 6, but now developed independently)
Both are maintained by the Apache Software Foundation, but they differ in architecture, performance capabilities, and intended use cases.
ActiveMQ Classic (5.x Series)
Overview
ActiveMQ Classic is the original implementation of ActiveMQ and has been widely adopted in production systems for over a decade. It is designed around the JMS 1.1 specification and provides rich enterprise-level features.
Key Features
Full support for JMS 1.1
Support for various protocols: OpenWire (native), STOMP, AMQP, MQTT, and WebSocket
Virtual Topics for combining queue and topic semantics
Master-Slave failover for high availability
Pluggable persistence using KahaDB, JDBC, LevelDB, etc.
Embedded broker support for lightweight deployments
Mature ecosystem, tools, and documentation
Use Cases
Java-based enterprise applications
Systems requiring JMS compliance
Legacy integrations and back-office automation
Limitations
Single-threaded persistence store can become a bottleneck under high load
Not built from the ground up for modern multi-core concurrency
More complex clustering setup compared to Artemis
ActiveMQ Artemis
Overview
ActiveMQ Artemis is the next-generation message broker, initially developed as part of the HornetQ project (from JBoss/Red Hat). It was donated to Apache and serves as the modern, high-performance successor to ActiveMQ Classic.
Key Features
Full support for JMS 2.0
Designed for high throughput and low latency
Asynchronous, non-blocking architecture
Core messaging API (in addition to JMS)
Support for advanced protocols: AMQP, STOMP, MQTT, OpenWire, and more
Advanced message routing with address-based routing
Built-in clustering, high availability, and replication
Pluggable storage engines and advanced journaling (via high-performance disk I/O)
Use Cases
Cloud-native and containerized applications
Real-time analytics pipelines
Systems requiring high throughput and minimal latency
Applications using JMS 2.0 or non-Java clients
Limitations
Smaller user base compared to Classic (though growing steadily)
Steeper learning curve if migrating from Classic
Some plugins and community extensions may not yet support Artemis
Comparison
JMS Version
1.1
2.0
Architecture
Thread-per-connection
Asynchronous, non-blocking
Performance
Moderate
High throughput, low latency
Persistence
KahaDB, JDBC
Advanced journal-based storage
Protocols
OpenWire, MQTT, AMQP, STOMP
Same as Classic + more efficient protocol stack
Clustering
Master-Slave, Network of Brokers
Built-in replication and clustering
Management
JMX, Web Console
JMX, CLI, Web Console
Maturity
Highly mature, widely adopted
Modern, actively developed
Version Lifecycle and Stability
ActiveMQ Classic is stable and still actively maintained, with regular bug fixes and minor enhancements.
ActiveMQ Artemis is under active development and receives frequent updates focused on performance improvements and new features.
Both distributions are maintained by the Apache ActiveMQ team, and no official end-of-life has been announced for either.
Choosing the Right Version
Use the following criteria to decide which version fits your needs:
Choose ActiveMQ Classic if:
We need a well-established JMS 1.1-compliant broker
Our system is already integrated with it
We need full support for Virtual Topics and legacy enterprise patterns
Choose ActiveMQ Artemis if:
We are building a new system or migrating to microservices
We require JMS 2.0 or higher performance
We are integrating with multiple non-Java clients
We need scalable, modern messaging with efficient clustering
Release Cycles
ActiveMQ Classic typically follows a slower release cycle with focus on stability.
ActiveMQ Artemis has a more frequent release cadence with a focus on new features and performance improvements.
We can track releases on their respective Apache project pages:
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