What are alternatives to ConcurrentLinkedQueue and how do they compare?

When it comes to concurrent data structures in Java, ConcurrentLinkedQueue is a popular choice due to its non-blocking features. However, there are several alternatives that can be considered depending on specific use cases. Here are a few alternatives with comparisons:

  • ArrayBlockingQueue: A classic bounded blocking queue backed by an array. It is suitable for scenarios where you want a fixed-size queue and need to block threads when the queue is full.
  • LinkedBlockingQueue: This queue is unbounded or has a fixed capacity and allows for concurrent access while supporting blocking operations. It is ideal for producer-consumer scenarios.
  • PriorityBlockingQueue: This is a blocking queue that uses priority ordering. It can be preferable when you need elements to be processed based on priority rather than order of insertion.
  • SynchronousQueue: A special kind of queue that does not store elements. Instead, it requires a thread to wait until another thread is ready to exchange a value, making it suitable for handoff designs.
  • BlockingDeque: An interface that provides blocking operations for dequeues, allowing for concurrent operations on both ends of the queue. This can be particularly useful for LIFO and FIFO processing.

Each of these alternatives has its strengths and weaknesses. For instance, while ConcurrentLinkedQueue offers high throughput and low latency, it lacks internal capacity constraints like ArrayBlockingQueue and LinkedBlockingQueue. Therefore, the choice of which queue to use depends significantly on the specific requirements of your application.


ConcurrentLinkedQueue Java Collections Concurrent Data Structures BlockingQueue Thread Safety Multi-threading