CometChat vs PrivChat

CometChat9.1Visit PrivChat8.9Visit

Higher score CometChat #3 in Chat APIs 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit CometChat

vs

PrivChat #5 in Chat APIs 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit PrivChat

• CometChat fits best

  Teams wanting a complete chat platform

• PrivChat fits best

  Open-source teams needing full chat control

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Side by side

Feature	CometChat 9.1/10 Visit ↗	PrivChat 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.9
Ranking	#3 in Chat APIs	#5 in Chat APIs
Best for	Teams wanting a complete chat platform	Open-source teams needing full chat control
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux
Integrations	12 integrations	10 integrations
Features CometChat 4/4 · PrivChat 4/4
Presence support	✓	✓
Typing indicators	✓	✓
Push notifications	✓	✓
Moderation tools	✓	✓
Specs
SDK platforms	JavaScript, React Native, iOS, Android, Flutter, Ionic/Capacitor	Web, Android, iOS, desktop, Cocos/game engines
Delivery methods	push, email, SMS, custom provider	QUIC, TCP, WebSocket, APNs, FCM, Huawei HMS, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, Honor
Message history	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free Build plan includes all features for up to 100 users Supports chat, calling, notifications, moderation, and AI features SDKs, APIs, UI Kits, webhooks, and broad framework coverage	Free Open Source plan with no feature gates Broad messaging, sync, media, moderation, and device features SDKs and transports support web, mobile, desktop, and games
Cons	Build is limited to up to 100 users Higher concurrency is reserved for Enterprise The broad feature set may exceed basic chat needs	Self-hosting adds deployment and operational responsibility Platform & Enterprise pricing is custom per engagement Commercial modules and white-label clients require the paid tier
Our verdict	CometChat provides communication infrastructure for developers adding real-time messaging and calling to websites, web apps, and mobile applications. Its capabilities cover one-to-one and group chat, media sharing, presence, typing… Read the review →	PrivChat is open-source, self-hosted realtime chat infrastructure for developers adding messaging to apps, games, and AI-agent products. It combines a Rust server with Rust, TypeScript, and Kotlin SDKs, while supporting web, desktop,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• CometChat — where it wins

  • Free Build plan includes all features for up to 100 users
  • Supports chat, calling, notifications, moderation, and AI features
  • SDKs, APIs, UI Kits, webhooks, and broad framework coverage

  Where it doesn't

  • Build is limited to up to 100 users
  • Higher concurrency is reserved for Enterprise
  • The broad feature set may exceed basic chat needs

• PrivChat — where it wins

  • Free Open Source plan with no feature gates
  • Broad messaging, sync, media, moderation, and device features
  • SDKs and transports support web, mobile, desktop, and games

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosting adds deployment and operational responsibility
  • Platform & Enterprise pricing is custom per engagement
  • Commercial modules and white-label clients require the paid tier

• CometChat9.1/10 · Free plan

  A complete chat platform with a free tier and broad SDK coverage.

  Visit CometChatFull verdict →
• PrivChat8.9/10 · Free plan

  A broad, self-hosted chat stack for teams that want control over messaging infrastructure.

  Visit PrivChatFull verdict →