What is an MQTT broker?

An MQTT broker receives messages published to topics and routes them to matching subscribers. Devices and applications connect to the broker instead of directly to each other.

Why use EMQX for IoT?

EMQX combines clustered MQTT messaging, access controls, message processing, and data integration. Use it to connect devices and deliver their data to the applications that need it.

What is the difference between MQTT 3.1.1 and MQTT 5.0?

MQTT 5.0 adds features such as message expiry, user properties, more detailed reason codes, and enhanced authentication. EMQX supports both versions so you can connect existing clients and adopt newer features where needed.

Can devices send data and receive commands over MQTT?

Yes. Devices can publish telemetry to data topics and subscribe to command topics. Applications send commands by publishing to those topics. Use EMQX topic permissions to control which clients can publish or subscribe.

How can I get started with EMQX?

Evaluate EMQX Cloud for a managed deployment, or talk to our team about self-managed EMQX Enterprise. Start with a representative set of devices, message rates, and integrations.

INTERNET OF THINGS

MQTT for IoT data streaming

Connect, process, and stream your IoT data in real-time from edge to cloud with EMQX.

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Global customers: 1,500+
Docker pulls: 50M+
Clusters deployed: 500K+
Connected devices: 500M+

Trusted by industry leaders worldwide

Overview

Why MQTT is the de facto standard for IoT messaging

MQTT has become the dominant lightweight publish-subscribe protocol for IoT. It moves data reliably and efficiently between devices and the cloud.

Lightweight messaging

Keep messaging overhead low for devices with limited bandwidth, memory, or power.

Reliable Delivery

Choose MQTT QoS 0, 1, or 2 to balance delivery requirements, bandwidth, and message overhead.

Bidirectional messaging

Publish telemetry and subscribe to commands using the same topic-based messaging model.

Architecture

Unified MQTT platform from edge to cloud

EMQX provides a unified data backbone for IoT, moving data between devices, edge gateways, and cloud services.

Sensors

Home

Vehicles

Robots

Wearables

EMQX Enterprise

Real-Time MQTT

Rule Engine

Data Integration

IoT applications

Device Mgmt

Mobile App

Monitoring

AI agents

OpenAI

Gemini

Anthropic

Data analytics

Apache Kafka

Time Series DB

BI Dashboard

Connect at the edge

Use EMQX Neuron for industrial protocol conversion and EMQX Edge for local MQTT messaging and cloud bridging.

Bring sites together

Use EMQX Enterprise as a central MQTT broker to route messages between distributed sites and applications.

Connect your data systems

Forward selected messages to Kafka, databases, and cloud services for storage and analysis.

Capabilities

Why EMQX is the most trusted MQTT platform

Scale device connectivity, control access, and integrate data across your deployment.

Massive scalability

Proven to support 100M+ concurrent MQTT connections in a single cluster, making it ideal for the largest deployments.

100M benchmark report

High availability

Deploy a broker cluster to reduce the impact of individual node failures and support planned maintenance.

Cluster setup guide

Enterprise security

Use TLS, client certificate authentication, and topic permissions to protect device connections and data access.

Security guide

Full MQTT 5.0 support

Connect MQTT 3.1, 3.1.1, and 5.0 clients, with support for MQTT 5.0 features such as message expiry and user properties.

MQTT 5.0 features

Data integration

Configure rules and supported connectors to send MQTT data to Kafka, databases, and cloud services.

Integration guide

Flexible deployment

Run EMQX on Kubernetes, on-premises infrastructure, or supported public cloud environments.

Deployment guide

High throughput

Build capacity for demanding message volumes by sizing and scaling your cluster for the workload.

Performance reference

Responsive messaging

Move telemetry and commands through a low-latency broker, with performance tuned to your network and workload.

Performance tuning

Across IoT applications

Support connected vehicles, manufacturing, smart cities, and energy applications on a shared MQTT platform.

IoT solution examples

Customer story

SAIC Volkswagen

Powering the new generation of connected vehicles with a reliable, scalable, and secure data infrastructure for millions of users, improving data processing and user experience.

Vehicles by 2026: 2M+
Messages/Sec: 100k

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A globally leading EV automaker

Driving intelligent manufacturing with a fully automated "Lights-out Factory" that integrates 5G, AI, digital twins, and flexible manufacturing powered by EMQX's Industrial IoT solutions.

End-to-End Latency: <200ms
Devices Connected: 7,900+
Production Lines: 87