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Axon Server vs PGMQ

Axon Server: AxonIQ's event store and message router for Axon Framework CQRS and event-sourced apps. PGMQ: An SQS-style message queue implemented as a lightweight Postgres extension.

key differences

  • Axon Server is primarily an event store database; PGMQ is relational.
  • Licensing: Axon Server is proprietary (AxonIQ subscription terms (connectors Apache-2.0)); PGMQ is open source (permissive) (PostgreSQL License).
  • Axon Server is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than PGMQ (≤ 100 GB).
  • Horizontal scaling is native in Axon Server and none in PGMQ.
  • Transactions: Axon Server offers limited ACID; PGMQ offers full.
  • Only Axon Server has pub/sub, role-based access, streaming ingest.
  • Only PGMQ has json.

choose axon-server for

  • +CQRS and event-sourced Java microservices
  • +Replacing a broker plus event store in Axon-based systems

best at · Event sourcing, Pub/Sub, Queue

choose pgmq for

  • +Background job queues for Postgres-backed apps
  • +Outbox pattern without a separate broker
  • +Lightweight task queues on Supabase

best at · Queue

Axon ServerAxonIQ's event store and message router for Axon Framework CQRS and event-sourced apps.
PGMQAn SQS-style message queue implemented as a lightweight Postgres extension.
overview
Primary model
Event Store
Relational
Also supports
–
–
Type
Database engine
Extension
Status
Active
Active
Developer
AxonIQ
PGMQ community (originally Tembo)
First release
2018
2023
Latest version
2026.1.7 (Oct 15, 2026)
1.13.1 (Oct 20, 2026)
License
ProprietaryAxonIQ subscription terms (connectors Apache-2.0)
Open source (permissive)PostgreSQL License
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
7.5
21.1
Rank
#342
#145
GitHub stars
–
5.4K
Stack Overflow questions
621
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
Native
None
Multi-region
Read replicas
None
ACID
Limited
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Schemaless
Strict
Architecture
Single node, Distributed, Client server
Single node, Primary replica, Client server
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
✓
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
capabilities
Transactions
✓
✓
Joins
—
—
Secondary indexes
—
—
Full-text search
—
—
Vector search
—
—
Geospatial
—
—
JSON
—
✓
Change data capture
—
—
Triggers
—
—
Stored procedures
—
—
Materialized views
—
—
TTL / expiry
—
—
Pub/Sub
✓
—
Columnar storage
—
—
In-memory
—
—
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
—
—
Encryption at rest
—
—
Role-based access
✓
—
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
—
—
Streaming ingest
✓
—
Offline sync
—
—
Runs in WebAssembly
—
—
interfaces
Query languages
Axon Framework API, Axon Server query language (events)
SQL
Client languages
Java, Kotlin
Python, Rust, JavaScript, Go, Java, C#, Elixir
Best for
Event sourcing, Pub/Sub, Queue
Queue
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Axon Server vs PGMQ: FAQ

What is the difference between Axon Server and PGMQ?

Axon Server: AxonIQ's event store and message router for Axon Framework CQRS and event-sourced apps. PGMQ: An SQS-style message queue implemented as a lightweight Postgres extension. Axon Server is primarily an event store database; PGMQ is relational. Licensing: Axon Server is proprietary (AxonIQ subscription terms (connectors Apache-2.0)); PGMQ is open source (permissive) (PostgreSQL License). Axon Server is built for larger datasets (≤ 10 TB) than PGMQ (≤ 100 GB).

When should I choose Axon Server over PGMQ?

Choose Axon Server for CQRS and event-sourced Java microservices; and replacing a broker plus event store in Axon-based systems. Choose PGMQ for background job queues for Postgres-backed apps, outbox pattern without a separate broker and lightweight task queues on Supabase.

Is Axon Server or PGMQ more popular?

PGMQ ranks #145 on the WhichDB Score (21.1/100) and Axon Server ranks #342 (7.5/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Axon Server and PGMQ open source?

No. Axon Server is proprietary, closed-source software. License: AxonIQ subscription terms (connectors Apache-2.0). Yes. PGMQ is open source. License: PostgreSQL License.