Best PubNub Chat Alternatives in 2026
The top PubNub Chat alternatives are Tencent Cloud Chat, Stream Chat and CometChat: 15 chat APIs our editors would look at instead of PubNub Chat, in our ranking order.
PubNub Chat: A feature-rich chat SDK with a free entry plan and paid growth tiers. Where it falls short: paid access starts at $98/month on the starter plan.
Switching from PubNub Chat? For most chat apis buyers the best PubNub Chat alternative is Tencent Cloud Chat, built for multiplatform chat with deep message features. On a budget, Ably Chat starts at $29/mo, against $98/mo for PubNub Chat. Ably Chat offers the most message history (30 days).
Why People Look for a PubNub Chat Alternative
- 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
- Paid from $98/mo — Ably Chat is $29/mo
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallTencent Cloud Chat9.3
Multiplatform chat with deep message features
Visit Tencent Cloud Chat - Lowest priceAbly Chat9.0
Paid plans from $29/mo
Visit Ably Chat - Best free optionTencent Cloud Chat9.3
Has a free plan
Visit Tencent Cloud Chat - Most message historyAbly Chat9.0
30 days
Visit Ably Chat
All 15 PubNub Chat Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
-
Best forMultiplatform chat with deep message features
- Better than PubNub Chat:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 8.8
A feature-rich chat backend for teams building messaging across multiple platforms.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Tencent Cloud -
Best forFeature-rich apps needing broad SDK coverage
- Better than PubNub Chat:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.8
A broad chat toolkit for feature-rich apps, with a high paid entry price.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Stream Chat -
Best forTeams wanting a complete chat platform
- Better than PubNub Chat:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.8
A complete chat platform with a free tier and broad SDK coverage.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
9.1/10★★★★★Visit CometChat -
Best forBudget-conscious apps needing modern chat
- Better than PubNub Chat:
- Paid from: $29/mo vs $98/mo
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.8
A cost-conscious chat API with strong realtime features and a focused SDK footprint.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Ably Chat -
Best forOpen-source teams needing full chat control
- Better than PubNub Chat:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.8
A broad, self-hosted chat stack for teams that want control over messaging infrastructure.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit PrivChat -
Best forSelf-hosted large-scale group chat
A self-hosted chat stack for large groups, synchronized messaging, and developer control.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit OpenIM -
Best forChat apps needing calls and self-hosting
- Better than PubNub Chat:
- Paid from: $49/mo vs $98/mo
A broad real-time communications API for teams that need calls and self-hosting.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit mesibo -
Best forMultichannel customer conversations
A developer-focused API for customer conversations across chat and major messaging channels.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Twilio -
Best forStandard in-app messaging with moderation
A focused chat API for teams needing messaging, moderation, and offline delivery.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Sceyt -
Best forChat with translation and analytics
A flexible chat API with translation, moderation, analytics, and a free tier.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Agora Chat -
Best forBroad-platform chat with free access
A broad-platform chat API with free access and scalable messaging features.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Easemob -
Best forBusiness chat with search and compliance options
A broad chat API with search, moderation, offline delivery, and compliance-focused hosting.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit QuickBlox -
Best forOpen-source teams building hosted chat
A flexible open-source chat stack with self-hosting, moderation, and hosted deployment options.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Tinode -
Best forEstablished teams needing enterprise chat controls
A paid chat API suite for teams that need moderation, analytics, and export controls.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Sendbird -
Best forSelf-hosted scalable XMPP deployments
A self-hosted XMPP backend for scalable, multi-tenant chat infrastructure.
- Typing indicators
- Moderation tools
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit MongooseIM
PubNub Chat Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to PubNub Chat?
Tencent Cloud Chat: #1 in our Chat APIs ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. A feature-rich chat backend for teams building messaging across multiple platforms.
Is there a free alternative to PubNub Chat?
Yes. Tencent Cloud Chat, Stream Chat, CometChat, Ably Chat and PrivChat have a free plan or a free tier (14 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to PubNub Chat?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Ably Chat starts lowest, at $29/mo.
Why do people look for PubNub Chat alternatives?
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.
Which PubNub Chat alternative has the most message history?
Ably Chat, with 30 days.
How do I switch from PubNub Chat?
Export your data from PubNub Chat (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel PubNub Chat.
How to Switch from PubNub Chat
- Export your data from PubNub Chat (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel PubNub Chat.
PubNub Chat vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Presence support | Typing indicators | Push notifications | SDK platforms | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | PubNub Chat | Yes | $98/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | JavaScript, Kotlin, Swift, Unity, Unreal | 8.8 |
| 1 | Tencent Cloud Chat | Yes | $399/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Web, Flutter, Electron, Unity, React Native, C, C++ | 9.3 |
| 2 | Stream Chat | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | React, iOS (Swift), Android, Flutter, React Native, JavaScript, Unity, Unreal, Angular, Node, Python, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Go, REST | 9.2 | |
| 3 | CometChat | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | JavaScript, React Native, iOS, Android, Flutter, Ionic/Capacitor | 9.1 | |
| 4 | Ably Chat | Yes | $29/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | JavaScript, React, React Native, Kotlin (Android), Kotlin (JVM), Swift | 9.0 |
| 5 | PrivChat | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Web, Android, iOS, desktop, Cocos/game engines | 8.9 |
| 6 | OpenIM | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Web, iOS, Android, Flutter, React Native, uni-app, Electron, C/C++, Unity | 8.7 |
| 7 | mesibo | Yes | $49/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android, iOS, Flutter, JavaScript, Python, C++, Linux, macOS, Windows, Raspberry Pi, ARM64 | 8.6 |
| 8 | Twilio Conversations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | web, iOS, Android | 8.5 | |
| 9 | Sceyt | Yes | $99/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | web, ios, android | 8.4 |
| 10 | Agora Chat | Yes | $349/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android, iOS, Web, Windows, Flutter, React Native, Unity | 8.3 |
| 11 | Easemob IM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android, iOS, Web, HarmonyOS, Windows, Linux, Unity, Flutter, React Native, mini-programs, uni-app, Electron | 8.2 | |
| 12 | QuickBlox Chat API | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android, iOS, Flutter, React Native, JavaScript/web | 8.1 | |
| 13 | Tinode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | JavaScript, Java | 8.0 | |
| 14 | Sendbird Chat | No | $349/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android, JavaScript, Flutter, Unity, Unreal, .NET | 7.9 |
| 15 | MongooseIM | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android, Web | 7.8 |
Head-to-Head
- PubNub Chat vs Tencent Cloud Chat
- PubNub Chat vs Stream Chat
- PubNub Chat vs CometChat
- PubNub Chat vs Ably Chat
- PubNub Chat vs PrivChat
- PubNub Chat vs OpenIM
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update