Ably Chat vs Sceyt

Ably Chat9.0Visit Sceyt8.4Visit

Higher score Ably Chat #4 in Chat APIs 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Ably Chat

vs

Sceyt #10 in Chat APIs 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Sceyt

• Ably Chat fits best

  Budget-conscious apps needing modern chat

• Sceyt fits best

  Standard in-app messaging with moderation

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Side by side

Feature	Ably Chat 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Sceyt 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.4
Ranking	#4 in Chat APIs	#10 in Chat APIs
Best for	Budget-conscious apps needing modern chat	Standard in-app messaging with moderation
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$29/mo (best)	$99/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Integrations	8 integrations	5 integrations
Features Ably Chat 4/4 · Sceyt 4/4
Presence support	✓	✓
Typing indicators	✓	✓
Push notifications	✓	✓
Moderation tools	✓	✓
Specs
SDK platforms	JavaScript, React, React Native, Kotlin (Android), Kotlin (JVM), Swift	web, ios, android
Delivery methods	WebSocket realtime streaming, REST API, push notifications via channels or direct delivery	real-time messaging, push notifications, offline messaging, REST API, webhooks
Message history	30 days	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes 6M monthly messages Presence, reactions, push, and moderation workflows included React UI Kit plus web, iOS, Android, and API support	Real-time, offline, and queued message delivery Channels, receipts, presence, search, and moderation tools REST API, webhooks, and push notification integrations
Cons	Standard and Pro plans add usage charges Default message history retention is 30 days Verified SDK coverage is narrower than leading alternatives	Free plan supports 100 MAU Starter and Growth plans list 1K MAU Message search and 25 GB storage start on Growth
Our verdict	Ably Chat is a developer-focused SDK and API for adding realtime messaging to applications. It supports 1:1 conversations, group chat rooms, livestream chat, presence, typing indicators, reactions, message editing and deletion, persistent… Read the review →	Sceyt is a communications platform for adding real-time in-app chat to websites and mobile applications. It targets developers building one-to-one conversations, group chats, broadcast channels, communities, and customer-communication… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Ably Chat — where it wins

  • Free plan includes 6M monthly messages
  • Presence, reactions, push, and moderation workflows included
  • React UI Kit plus web, iOS, Android, and API support

  Where it doesn't

  • Standard and Pro plans add usage charges
  • Default message history retention is 30 days
  • Verified SDK coverage is narrower than leading alternatives

• Sceyt — where it wins

  • Real-time, offline, and queued message delivery
  • Channels, receipts, presence, search, and moderation tools
  • REST API, webhooks, and push notification integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Free plan supports 100 MAU
  • Starter and Growth plans list 1K MAU
  • Message search and 25 GB storage start on Growth

• Ably Chat9.0/10 · Free plan

  A cost-conscious chat API with strong realtime features and a focused SDK footprint.

  Visit Ably ChatFull verdict →
• Sceyt8.4/10 · Free plan

  A focused chat API for teams needing messaging, moderation, and offline delivery.

  Visit SceytFull verdict →