Is PubNub worth the price?
PubNub's pricing offers a generous free tier for initial exploration, but quickly scales up to a $98/month Starter plan.
The jump from free to nearly $100 for basic scaling might feel steep for small projects. It's best for developers and startups needing robust real-time infrastructure with predictable costs at scale.
Pricing Plans
Free TrialFree Plan
Free
- 200 MAU or 1M transactions Usage Allowance
- 1GB data storage (7 days)
- Community support
- Up to 1M transactions monthly
Starter Plan
$98/month
- 1,000 MAU included
- Includes add-on Bizops Workspace for user and channel management
- Up to 6 months data storage
- Standard support (24/5)
- Insights into your users, channels and messages
Pro Plan
Custom
- Custom MAU packages
- Significant volume discounts
- Unlimited data storage
- Dedicated support team
- Advanced analytics & monitoring
- 99.999% uptime SLA
- Custom integrations
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Overage fees for exceeding MAU/transaction limits
Potential for high costs on Pro plan
Add-ons for advanced features not in Starter
Data storage limits on lower tiers
Which Plan Do You Need?
Developers building real-time apps
Startups needing scalable messaging
Businesses with high transaction volumes
How PubNub Compares to Competitors
Compared to Ably, which offers a free tier up to 3M messages and then usage-based pricing starting around $15/month for basic plans, PubNub's $98/month Starter plan is significantly higher. Firebase Realtime Database offers a generous free tier and then scales based on usage, often appearing more cost-effective for smaller projects than PubNub's fixed Starter fee.
PubNub Pricing FAQ
How much does PubNub cost?
PubNub starts at $98/month on the Starter Plan plan. A free plan is also available with limited features.
Does PubNub have a free plan?
Yes. PubNub offers a free plan called "Free Plan". It includes: 200 MAU or 1M transactions Usage Allowance, 1GB data storage (7 days), Community support.
Does PubNub offer a free trial?
Yes, PubNub offers a free trial. No credit card is typically required to start the trial, though this may vary.
Is there a cheaper alternative to PubNub?
Yes. Popular alternatives to PubNub include Talkjs, Backendless. Free alternatives include Talkjs, Backendless. Compare them side-by-side on Toolradar.
Cheaper alternatives to PubNub
Direct competitors with similar features. Many offer free tiers or lower per-seat pricing.
