# MQTT Distributor

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/mqtt-distributor/112635>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [December 4, 2025, 11:21pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/mqtt-distributor/112635 "2025-12-04T23:21:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jpreese246](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@jpreese246](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jpreese246)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 11:21pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/mqtt-distributor/112635/1 "2025-12-04T23:21:05Z")

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I am trying to understand the limitations of the MQTT Distributor module. I understand it has a 50 device/client limit. What counts as a client/device? Would the Ignition server itself count as 1 device/client and then a separate MES system count as another device/client? Or is ot more complicated than that?

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**Author:** ![michael.flagler](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/michael.flagler/32/26272_2.png) [@michael.flagler](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/michael.flagler)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2025, 5:15am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/mqtt-distributor/112635/2 "2025-12-05T05:15:20Z")

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I believe every client counts. So the distributor itself running on the server without any other modules has 0 clients. Then when you install the MQTT engine, it will have a single client. Each MQTT transmission module either local or remote/edge will be another client. An MES system would probably have a single client also. If you need more than 50, they have a license that works with I believe 250 clients. Or if you're comfortable setting up your own MQTT server, there's plenty of free and open source brokers. I like EMQx, others use Mosquitto, and if you need one in the cloud, HiveMQ has a free version you can use for limited data/clients also.