CometChat vs PubNub Chat

CometChat9.1Visit PubNub Chat8.8Visit

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

vs

PubNub Chat #6 in Chat APIs 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit PubNub

• CometChat fits best

  Teams wanting a complete chat platform

• PubNub Chat fits best

  Teams needing polished real-time chat features

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Side by side

Feature	CometChat 9.1/10 Visit ↗	PubNub Chat 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.8
Ranking	#3 in Chat APIs	#6 in Chat APIs
Best for	Teams wanting a complete chat platform	Teams needing polished real-time chat features
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$98/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile, Desktop
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
Integrations	12 integrations	8 integrations
Features CometChat 4/4 · PubNub Chat 4/4
Presence support	✓	✓
Typing indicators	✓	✓
Push notifications	✓	✓
Moderation tools	✓	✓
Specs
SDK platforms	JavaScript, React Native, iOS, Android, Flutter, Ionic/Capacitor	JavaScript, Kotlin, Swift, Unity, Unreal
Delivery methods	push, email, SMS, custom provider	publish/subscribe, signals, mobile push notifications
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	Supports threads, reactions, history, presence, typing indicators, and moderation Works across web, mobile, desktop, and API-based applications Free plan includes up to 200 MAU or 1M transactions
Cons	Build is limited to up to 100 users Higher concurrency is reserved for Enterprise The broad feature set may exceed basic chat needs	Paid access starts at $98/month on the Starter plan Pro pricing uses custom MAU packages rather than a listed fixed price Advanced capabilities and custom integrations are reserved for Pro
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 →	PubNub Chat is a developer SDK for adding real-time messaging to mobile apps, games, browsers, and other applications. It supports direct, group, and public conversations, with features including presence, typing indicators, read receipts,… 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

• PubNub Chat — where it wins

  • Supports threads, reactions, history, presence, typing indicators, and moderation
  • Works across web, mobile, desktop, and API-based applications
  • Free plan includes up to 200 MAU or 1M transactions

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid access starts at $98/month on the Starter plan
  • Pro pricing uses custom MAU packages rather than a listed fixed price
  • Advanced capabilities and custom integrations are reserved for Pro

• CometChat9.1/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit CometChatFull verdict →
• PubNub Chat8.8/10 · Free plan

  A feature-rich chat SDK with a free entry plan and paid growth tiers.

  Visit PubNubFull verdict →