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ZeroMQ

ZeroMQ is a free, open-source asynchronous messaging library for developers building distributed or concurrent applications.

Place
#23 of 39
Score
6.2
ZeroMQ's website

What ZeroMQ is

ZeroMQ is a free, open-source asynchronous messaging library for developers building distributed or concurrent applications. A system using it can run without a dedicated message broker, and the library supports publish-subscribe, request-reply, and client-server patterns. Messages can travel over TCP, in-process, inter-process, multicast, and WebSocket transports. The project lists bindings and libraries for languages including C, C++, C#, Dart, Erlang, F#, Go, Haskell, Java, Node.js, Perl, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Zig. The libzmq library uses the MPL-2.0 license; the project says commercial applications do not need a separate commercial license and can be closed source. The project lists PLAIN and CURVE security mechanisms for libzmq and many bindings. Installation guidance is available for macOS, Linux distributions, and Windows. One documented constraint is that Go’s zmq4 wrapper requires ZeroMQ and development files to be installed and cannot be cross-compiled. The ZeroMQ Guide includes diagrams and examples, and the project provides a contribution process for core projects.

Good

  • Runs without a dedicated message broker
  • Supports several messaging patterns
  • Offers bindings for many languages
  • Commercial applications need no separate license
  • Provides installation guidance for major desktop platforms

Watch out

  • Go's zmq4 wrapper requires ZeroMQ and development files
  • Go's zmq4 wrapper cannot be cross-compiled

Who it suits

ZeroMQ suits developers building distributed or concurrent applications who want asynchronous messaging without a dedicated broker. It may also suit projects that need bindings across multiple programming languages.

Verdict

ZeroMQ provides brokerless messaging patterns and a broad set of language bindings under an open-source license. Go users should account for the zmq4 wrapper’s installation and cross-compilation constraints.

Plans and prices

From ZeroMQ's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.

All about pricing
PlanPriceWhat it gives you
ZeroMQFreeOpen-source messaging library · no dedicated broker required

The facts

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

What it does

Brokerless
A ZeroMQ system can run without a dedicated message broker.checked 4 Oct 2026
Commercial use
The site says ZeroMQ is safe to use in closed-source applications and that its share-alike terms do not apply to applications built on top of it.checked 4 Oct 2026
Community
The project describes itself as developed by a large community of contributors and provides a contribution process for core projects.checked 4 Oct 2026
Documentation
The ZeroMQ Guide covers use of ØMQ with more than 60 diagrams and 750 examples in 28 languages.checked 4 Oct 2026
Downloads
The download page provides installation guidance for macOS, Linux distributions, and Windows.checked 4 Oct 2026
Intended users
The site describes ZeroMQ as aimed at developers building distributed or concurrent applications.checked 4 Oct 2026
Language bindings
The project lists bindings and libraries for C, C++, C#, Dart, Erlang, F#, Go, Haskell, Java, Node.js, Perl, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Zig.checked 4 Oct 2026
License
The libzmq library is licensed under MPL-2.0, and the site says commercial applications do not need a separate commercial license.checked 4 Oct 2026
Messaging patterns
It supports patterns including publish-subscribe, request-reply, and client-server.checked 4 Oct 2026
Notable limitation
The site says Go's zmq4 wrapper requires ZeroMQ and development files to be installed and cannot be cross-compiled.checked 4 Oct 2026
Product
ZeroMQ is a high-performance asynchronous messaging library for distributed or concurrent applications.checked 4 Oct 2026
Security
The listed libzmq and many language bindings support PLAIN and CURVE mechanisms.checked 4 Oct 2026
Transports
It carries messages over transports including TCP, in-process, inter-process, multicast, and WebSocket.checked 4 Oct 2026

Where it runs

Windows install
The site documents installing CZMQ on Windows with vcpkg, including shared and static library options.checked 4 Oct 2026

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