Messaging Services Comparison
AWS offers three main messaging services, each designed for different use cases:
| Service | Type | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| EventBridge | Event bus | Routes events based on rules to multiple targets |
| SNS | Publish-subscribe | Pushes messages to multiple subscribers at once |
| SQS | Message queue | Stores messages until a receiver pulls and processes them |
When to Use Each Service
Use EventBridge when:
- You need to route events from multiple sources (AWS services, SaaS apps, custom apps)
- You want to filter and route events based on content
- You're building event-driven architectures
Use SNS when:
- You need to send one message to many subscribers
- You want to send notifications (email, SMS, mobile push)
- You need fan-out messaging to multiple endpoints
Use SQS when:
- You need reliable message delivery between two components
- You want to decouple sender and receiver
- Messages should be processed in order or only once
Working Together
These services often combine:
- SNS + SQS: Fan-out to multiple queues for parallel processing
- EventBridge + SNS: Route events to SNS for notifications
- EventBridge + SQS: Send events to queues for ordered processing
Best Practice: Use EventBridge as your central event router, SNS for fan-out notifications, and SQS for reliable point-to-point messaging.
