1. Positioning & Strategic Goals
Apache Iggy
- Positioned as a high-performance, Kafka-style messaging and streaming platform focused on ultra-low latency and high throughput. Implemented in Rust, it achieves millions of messages per second with sub-millisecond P99 latency (iggy.apache.org).
- Uses a custom protocol and proprietary SDKs, suitable for embedded and self-managed deployments (robustmq.com, github.com).
RobustMQ
- Aims to build a cloud-native, multi-protocol unified messaging hub, fully compatible with mainstream protocols such as MQTT, Kafka, AMQP, and RocketMQ (robustmq.com, github.com).
- Focuses on solving challenges in elasticity, cost, and protocol fragmentation through architectural innovations such as compute–storage separation and pluggable storage backends (robustmq.com).
2. Architecture Comparison
| Dimension | Apache Iggy | RobustMQ |
|---|---|---|
| System Architecture | Monolithic (compute and storage tightly coupled) | Layered (three-tier separation: Broker, Journal, Metadata Service) (robustmq.com) |
| Protocol Support | Custom protocol + QUIC, TCP, HTTP | Multi-protocol: MQTT, Kafka, AMQP, RocketMQ (github.com) |
| Client SDKs | Proprietary SDKs, multi-language support (iggy.apache.org) | Compatible with community SDKs (MQTT/Kafka/AMQP) (robustmq.com) |
| Storage Layer | Local append-only log | Pluggable: file, S3, HDFS, MinIO (robustmq.com) |
| Ecosystem Compatibility | New ecosystem, migration required | High compatibility, low switching cost (robustmq.com) |
3. Features & Highlights
Apache Iggy
- Extreme performance: millions of messages per second, predictable sub-millisecond latency (iggy.apache.org)
- Zero-copy serialization: boosts efficiency and reduces memory usage
- Multi-protocol networking: supports QUIC, TCP, HTTP with TLS security (github.com)
- Enterprise-ready features: consumer groups, partitions, ACLs, multi-tenancy, Prometheus & OpenTelemetry integration
RobustMQ
- Multi-protocol integration: MQTT, Kafka, AMQP, RocketMQ in one platform (github.com)
- Distributed architecture: broker, journal, and metadata services separated, enabling elastic scaling (robustmq.com)
- Pluggable storage: supports multiple backends such as S3, HDFS, and MinIO (robustmq.com)
- Cloud-native friendly: serverless design, simple deployment, Kubernetes-ready, visual dashboard (robustmq.com)
4. Community & Development Stage
Apache Iggy
- Currently incubating at Apache, already has thousands of GitHub stars and multi-language SDK support.
RobustMQ
- Still in early development, aiming to release a stable production version in late 2025, with the long-term goal of becoming a top-tier Apache project.
5. Conclusion & Recommendation
If your primary need is extreme performance, stream processing, ultra-low latency, and high throughput, and you are willing to adopt a custom protocol with a new ecosystem, then Apache Iggy is the right fit.
If you require a multi-protocol unified platform, cloud-native extensibility, high compatibility, and easier migration, then RobustMQ is the stronger choice for diverse workloads and modern infrastructure needs.