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beanstalkd

Beanstalkd is a free, self-hosted work queue for running time-consuming tasks asynchronously.

Place
#17 of 37
Score
6.2
beanstalkd's website

What beanstalkd is

Beanstalkd is a free, self-hosted work queue for running time-consuming tasks asynchronously. It was originally intended to reduce page-view latency in high-volume web applications. Producers place jobs in a queue, and worker processes take jobs out and run them. Separate tubes let producers and consumers use distinct queues; workers can wait for a job with the reserve command or set a timeout. With the -b option enabled, the server records jobs in a binlog and can restore its contents after a restart. Jobs can also be buried, keeping them out of the ready queue until they are kicked. Clients can communicate with multiple beanstalkd servers, although each server is unaware of the others. The project lists client libraries for languages including C, C++, Clojure, Go, Java, JavaScript, Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and .NET/C#. It supports the Beanstalk protocol over TCP with ASCII encoding. The source release is MIT-licensed, and listed operating systems include Linux 2.6.17 or later, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, and Illumos.

Good

  • Free and MIT-licensed
  • Binlog can support recovery after restart
  • Supports separate tubes for independent queues
  • Client libraries cover many languages

Watch out

  • Each server does not know about other instances
  • Listed systems are Linux, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, and Illumos
  • Bug reports go to the project's mailing list

Who it suits

Beanstalkd may suit developers who need a self-hosted queue to hand background jobs from producers to worker processes. Its listed client libraries cover a range of programming languages.

Verdict

Beanstalkd provides a focused queue model with tubes, worker reservation, and optional binlog persistence. Its server instances remain independent, so account for that when planning a distributed setup.

Plans and prices

From beanstalkd's own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2026.

All about pricing
PlanPriceWhat it gives you
BeanstalkFreeMIT-licensed source release · self-hosted software

The facts

Each one read from beanstalkd's own pages, with the date it was checked.

What it does

Administration
The FAQ points to administration and monitoring tools on the project tools page.checked 11 Oct 2026
Architecture
Producers put jobs into the queue and worker processes take jobs out and run them.checked 11 Oct 2026
Blocking jobs
The reserve command blocks until a job is available, and reserve-with-timeout is also supported.checked 11 Oct 2026
Client integrations
The project lists client libraries for languages including C, C++, Clojure, Go, Java, JavaScript, Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and .NET/C#.checked 11 Oct 2026
Compatibility
The client library page says the 1.x protocol remains compatible until beanstalkd 2.0.checked 11 Oct 2026
Distributed setup
Clients can handle multiple beanstalkd servers, but each server does not know about other instances.checked 11 Oct 2026
Job handling
Jobs can be buried so they remain out of the ready queue until kicked, which the FAQ says can prevent a timed-out task from being rerun.checked 11 Oct 2026
Notable limit
The README lists Linux 2.6.17 or later, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, and Illumos as required operating systems.checked 11 Oct 2026
Persistence
With the -b option, beanstalkd writes jobs to a binlog and can recover its contents after restart.checked 11 Oct 2026
Purpose
Beanstalk is a simple, fast work queue for running time-consuming tasks asynchronously.checked 11 Oct 2026
Queue organization
Tubes are separate job queues that let producers and consumers work independently.checked 11 Oct 2026
Security
The project’s download page identifies the source release as MIT-licensed; the opened official pages make no security or compliance claims.checked 11 Oct 2026
Support
The site directs bug reports to its mailing list.checked 11 Oct 2026
Use case
The site describes reducing page-view latency in high-volume web applications as the queue’s original purpose.checked 11 Oct 2026

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