MQTT Explorer vs MQTT Explorer: Native Mac MQTT Without Electron
There are two tools called "MQTT Explorer." MQTT Explorer (the Electron app by Thomas Nordquist) is the free, cross-platform GUI everyone knows. MacTools MQTT Explorer is a native macOS app: a Rust binary built for Apple Silicon, with no bundled Chromium.
If you are on a Mac and spend more than a few hours a month on MQTT, the question is whether you want a second browser engine and an aging Intel build for a tool you keep open all day. Here is the comparison.
The Electron Problem
MQTT Explorer is built with Electron. That means every window is a Chromium instance. On macOS that translates to:
- A bundled Chromium runtime: a full browser engine for a tool that shows a topic tree.
- Apple Silicon only in beta: the last stable release (0.3.5, July 2019) ships an Intel build that runs under Rosetta; native arm64 DMGs exist only as 0.4.0 pre-releases (May 2024).
- No built-in broker: you install Mosquitto separately, configure it, then point the client at it.
Feature Comparison
| Capability | MacTools MQTT Explorer | MQTT Explorer (Electron) |
|---|---|---|
| Native macOS / Apple Silicon | Yes | Electron; arm64 only in beta |
| Runtime | Compiled Rust + system WebKit | Bundled Chromium + Node.js |
| Built-in broker | Yes, toggle on | Mosquitto required |
| Topic tree browser | Yes | Yes |
| JSON payload pretty-print | Yes | Yes |
| Retained message view | Yes | Yes |
| Connection profiles | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $24 one-time | Free |
So Why Pay $24?
If MQTT is a daily tool, you want a build that is native on your Mac and still maintained, rather than a 2019 Intel release or a beta. MacTools MQTT Explorer is a notarized Rust app built for Apple Silicon, for $24 one-time.
The other big win is the built-in broker. On a Mac without Homebrew, installing Mosquitto is a 15-minute exercise. With MacTools MQTT Explorer, you toggle the broker on and start testing immediately, perfect for IoT development on a laptop.
When to Use Which
Keep MQTT Explorer (Electron) if…
You are on Windows/Linux, need a free tool, and don't mind the Electron overhead. It is feature-complete for basic broker/client work.
Switch to MacTools MQTT Explorer if…
You are on a Mac and use MQTT daily. You want a native Apple Silicon build and a built-in broker, all without Homebrew or Mosquitto. One-time $24.
Get Native MQTT on Mac
MacTools MQTT Explorer. Native Apple Silicon broker + client. Built-in broker, MQTT 3.1.1, TLS. No Electron, no Mosquitto install. $24 one-time.
Get MQTT Explorer ($24)Frequently Asked Questions
Is MacTools MQTT Explorer a good MQTT Explorer alternative for Mac?
Yes: if you want a native macOS MQTT client without Electron overhead. MacTools MQTT Explorer is a native Apple Silicon build with no bundled Chromium, and includes a built-in broker so you can test end-to-end without Mosquitto installed.
Does MQTT Explorer work natively on macOS?
MQTT Explorer (by Thomas Nordquist) is built with Electron, so it runs on macOS but carries its own Chromium runtime. Its last stable release (0.3.5, July 2019) ships an Intel build; arm64 builds exist only as 0.4.0 pre-releases. MacTools MQTT Explorer is a native Rust app built for Apple Silicon and Intel.
What about using mosquitto_pub/sub as a free alternative?
mosquitto_pub and mosquitto_sub are CLI tools: free and powerful. But they offer no GUI, no topic tree browser, no payload inspection, no retained-message viewer, no connection management. For one-off publishes they work; for daily MQTT development, a GUI saves hours.
Can I run a local broker with MQTT Explorer?
MQTT Explorer (Electron) does not include a broker: you need to install Mosquitto separately. MacTools MQTT Explorer has a built-in broker. Toggle it on and start publishing, subscribing, and testing payloads without any external dependencies.
Why not just use the terminal?
The terminal works for simple tasks but you lose the topic tree browser, the retained message view, the payload format decoder (JSON/XML/base64), and the connection profile manager. If you connect to more than one broker or debug payloads regularly, the GUI is worth $24.
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