An extensible pub/sub messaging server for edge applications
hi there! i’ve been working on a project called Narwhal, and I wanted to share it with the community to get some valuable feedback. what is it? Narwhal is a lightweight Pub/Sub server and protocol designed specifically for edge applications. while there are great tools out there like NATS or MQTT, i wanted to build something that prioritizes customization and extensibility. my goal was to create a system where developers can easily adapt the routing logic or message handling pipeline to fit specific edge use cases, without fighting the server's defaults. why Rust? i chose Rust because i…
In plain words
Narwhal is a lightweight pub/sub messaging server built in Rust for edge applications like Raspberry Pis and small gateways. It handles basic pub/sub messaging patterns with a focus on customization and extensibility, allowing developers to adapt routing logic and message handling without fighting server defaults. The project prioritizes low memory footprint and is currently in alpha development.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
hi there! i’ve been working on a project called Narwhal, and I wanted to share it with the community to get some valuable feedback. what is it? Narwhal is a lightweight Pub/Sub server and protocol designed specifically for edge applications. while there are great tools out there like NATS or MQTT, i wanted to build something that prioritizes customization and extensibility. my goal was to create a system where developers can easily adapt the routing logic or message handling pipeline to fit specific edge use cases, without fighting the server's defaults. why Rust? i chose Rust because i needed a low memory footprint to run efficiently on edge devices (like Raspberry Pis or small gateways), and also because I have a personal vendetta against Garbage Collection pauses. :) current status: it is currently in Alpha. it works for basic pub/sub patterns, but I’d like to start working on persistence support soon (so messages survive restarts or network partitions). i’d love for you to take a look at the code! i’m particularly interested in all kind of feedback regarding any improvements i may have overlooked.
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