Web Development · head to head
Rollup vs VerneMQ
VerneMQ
Databases
Erlang MQTT broker whose source is Apache 2.0 but whose official binaries need a paid subscription
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Rollup slower than the Go and Rust bundlers that followed it, since it is written in JavaScript; VerneMQ the official binaries and Docker images are not Apache 2.0 but sit under a EULA requiring a yearly commercial subscription, a distinction easy to miss and awkward to discover during a licence audit.
- They diverge on capability: Rollup covers Tree shaking, VerneMQ covers Erlang/OTP clustering.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Rollup and VerneMQ actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Rollup
- Tree shaking
- Clean output
- Multiple output formats
- Plugin API
Only in VerneMQ
- Erlang/OTP clustering
- MQTT 5.0 support
- Plugin system
- Backpressure handling
- Bridge support
- Metrics export
- MQTT over WebSockets
- Pluggable auth backends
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Rollup
- Publishing a JavaScript library in several module formatsnot VerneMQ
- Builds where output size and cleanliness matter more than build speednot VerneMQ
- Producing ES module output for consumers who will bundle it themselvesnot VerneMQ
VerneMQ
- An industrial operator that wants an MQTT broker with predictable memory behaviour and no data integration features it will not usenot Rollup
- A team building from source to stay strictly under Apache 2.0 terms with no vendor licence entanglementnot Rollup
- A deployment needing custom authentication logic implemented as a plugin in Lua or over a webhooknot Rollup
- An organisation that wants a broker maintained by a small European company rather than by a vendor that keeps changing licencesnot Rollup
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Rollup
- Slower than the Go and Rust bundlers that followed it, since it is written in JavaScript
- Application concerns like dev servers and hot reloading are not its job, so app builds need Vite on top
- Configuration for non-trivial applications gets verbose compared with tools that assume more
VerneMQ
- The official binaries and Docker images are not Apache 2.0 but sit under a EULA requiring a yearly commercial subscription, a distinction easy to miss and awkward to discover during a licence audit.
- Octavo Labs is a very small company, so support depth, response times and the bus factor on the codebase are materially thinner than at HiveMQ or EMQ.
- There is no data integration or rule engine layer, so routing messages into a database means writing and operating your own consumer service.
- Operating an Erlang cluster requires runtime knowledge that most teams do not have and will use for nothing else in their stack.
- There is no vendor-managed cloud offering, so every deployment is self-operated with the infrastructure and on-call cost that implies.
Pricing, plan by plan
Rollup
Free- RollupFree
- Full functionality
- Commercial use permitted
- Community support
VerneMQ
Free- Source buildFree
- Apache 2.0 licensed source from GitHub
- Full clustering and plugin capability
- You compile and package it yourself
- Binary packages and Docker images$undefined/year
- Covered by the VerneMQ EULA, not Apache 2.0
- Yearly usage subscription expected for commercial use
- Official builds and Docker images
- Commercial support$undefined/year
- Evaluation, customisation and operations assistance
- Custom development
- Long-term maintenance agreements
Which should you pick?
Choose Rollup if
- You need tree shaking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
- You also want clean output.
Choose VerneMQ if
- You need erlang/otp clustering.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Docker, macOS, Kubernetes.
- You also want mqtt 5.0 support.
Questions people ask
- Is Rollup or VerneMQ better?
- Neither clearly leads. Rollup starts at Free and VerneMQ at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Rollup or VerneMQ?
- Rollup starts at Free and VerneMQ at Free.
- Does Rollup or VerneMQ run on more platforms?
- Rollup runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. VerneMQ runs on Linux, Docker, macOS, Kubernetes.
- Can I use Rollup for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Rollup best used for?
- Rollup is most often used for publishing a javascript library in several module formats, builds where output size and cleanliness matter more than build speed, producing es module output for consumers who will bundle it themselves. Of those, publishing a javascript library in several module formats and builds where output size and cleanliness matter more than build speed are not what VerneMQ is typically brought in for.
- What can Rollup do that VerneMQ cannot?
- Rollup covers Tree shaking, Clean output, Multiple output formats, Plugin API. VerneMQ covers Erlang/OTP clustering, MQTT 5.0 support, Plugin system, Backpressure handling.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Rollup: Is Rollup free?
Yes, open source under the MIT licence.
VerneMQ: Is VerneMQ free?
The source is Apache 2.0 and free. The official binary packages and Docker images are covered by a separate EULA that expects a yearly fee for commercial use.
Rollup: Rollup or webpack?
Rollup is the usual choice for libraries thanks to cleaner output and better tree shaking. webpack remains stronger for complex applications with heavy asset handling.
VerneMQ: Is the project still maintained?
Yes. Octavo Labs AG in Zurich continues to publish 2.x releases, most recently in 2026.
Rollup: Do I need Rollup if I use Vite?
Not directly. Vite uses Rollup for production builds, so you already benefit from it.
VerneMQ: Does it have a managed cloud?
No. Every deployment is self-hosted, with commercial support available from Octavo Labs.
VerneMQ: How does it compare to EMQX?
Narrower in features and without a rule engine, but with a simpler licence story for source builds after EMQX moved to BSL.
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