NATS vs Upstash QStash
| NATS | Upstash QStash | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Paid from | Free | $1/mo |
| Open source | No | No |
| Platforms | api, Linux, self-hosted | api, Web |
| Deployment model | hybrid | cloud |
| Delivery guarantees | configurable | at_least_once |
| Supported protocols | NATS, MQTT, WebSocket | HTTP |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Dead-letter queues | — | Yes |
| Ordering guarantees | — | per_queue |
| Maximum message size | — | 10 MB |
Both are listed in Best Message Broker Software. On Inferse, Upstash QStash scores higher on our published basis.