# Eclipse Mosquitto vs PubNub

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** PubNub

| Attribute | Eclipse Mosquitto | PubNub |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 44.3 (15% (low)) | 80.7 (61% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 12 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 0 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 11,250 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"An open-source server that implements the MQTT protocol to enable message exchange between connected clients and devices using a publish-subscribe pattern. It is indexed under Realtime Messaging Infra.","source":"https://mosquitto.org","question":"What is Eclipse Mosquitto?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Eclipse Mosquitto is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://mosquitto.org","question":"Is Eclipse Mosquitto free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Eclipse Mosquitto supports Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://mosquitto.org","question":"What platforms does Eclipse Mosquitto support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Eclipse Mosquitto can be deployed on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://mosquitto.org","question":"Can Eclipse Mosquitto be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6}]` | `[{"answer":"Offers messaging infrastructure for application developers to add chat, presence tracking, and real-time collaboration features. Includes built-in message persistence, push notification delivery, access controls, and runs on a globally distributed network. It is indexed under Realtime Messaging Infra.","source":"https://www.pubnub.com/pricing/","question":"What is PubNub?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"PubNub offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $98 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.pubnub.com/pricing/","question":"Is PubNub free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"PubNub supports iOS and Android. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.pubnub.com/pricing/","question":"What platforms does PubNub support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for PubNub, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.pubnub.com/pricing/","question":"Can PubNub be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR for PubNub. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as PubNub not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.pubnub.com/pricing/","question":"What security certifications does PubNub have?","confidence":0.6}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | A message routing system that follows the MQTT standard, enabling publish-subscribe communication between networked applications, with support for multiple protocol versions and built-in client libraries | PubNub provides a cloud-based pub/sub messaging service with integrated presence tracking, message playback, access control, and serverless functions running on a global network with 11 points of presence. The platform consolidates multiple communication services into a single SDK and billing model, with options for regional data residency. |
| features.capabilities | `{"deployment":"self-host","mqtt_support":true,"pricing_model":"open-source-self-host","self_hostable":true}` | `{"presence":true,"auth_model":"token/JWT","deployment":"cloud-hosted","pricing_model":"MAU-metered","global_edge_network":true,"message_history_replay":true,"push_notification_bridge":true,"offline_reconnect_catchup":true}` |
| language.primary | C | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"ios":true,"android":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://mosquitto.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-19T18:21:59.744Z"}` | `{"type":"usage","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","features":["Presence tracking","Chat","Push notifications","Message history","Access control","File sharing"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Development and testing tier with basic features","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"MAU":"200","storage":"1GB for 7 days","function_calls":"1M/month","push_notifications":"1M/month"}},{"free":false,"name":"Starter","features":["User management","Insights","6-month chat history","Advanced analytics","99.999% SLA","Custom integrations","Standard support"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":98,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Production tier for live applications with core features and 6-month message history","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"MAU":"1000","chat_storage":"6 months"}},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","features":["Unlimited chat storage","Custom allowances","Volume discounts","Premium support options","All Starter features"],"components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"MAU","amount":0.04,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Enterprise tier with usage-based pricing. Tier 1 (up to 10K MAU): $130 base + $0.04/MAU capped at $550. Tier 2 (10K-50K): $500 base + $0.035/additional MAU. Tier 3 (50K+): custom pricing with volume discounts.","contactSales":true}],"summary":"Free tier with up to 200 MAU. Starter at $98/month for 1,000 MAU. Pro with tiered usage-based pricing starting around $370/month for 5,000 MAU.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.pubnub.com/pricing/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-05T21:13:29.281Z","startingPrice":{"amount":98,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | high |
| pricing.starting_price | - | `{"amount":98,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| reliability.sla_pct | - | 99.999 |
| reliability.status_page | - | yes |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"ISO 27001","status":"active"},{"name":"SOC 2 Type II","status":"active"},{"name":"SOC 3","status":"active"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.hipaa | - | yes |
| security.iso27001 | - | yes |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |
| security.trust_center | https://mosquitto.org/blog/2017/05/security-advisory-cve-2017-7650/ | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Feclipse-mosquitto%2Fmosquitto&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | - |

## Capabilities (Realtime Messaging Infra)

| Capability | Eclipse Mosquitto | PubNub |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Presence | - | ✓ |
| Message history replay | - | ✓ |
| Delivery guarantee | - | - |
| Global edge network | - | ✓ |
| Scaling model | - | - |
| Offline reconnect catchup | - | ✓ |
| Push notification bridge | - | ✓ |
| Auth model | - | Token/JWT |
| Self hostable | ✓ | - |
| Mqtt support | ✓ | - |
| Deployment | Self host | Cloud hosted |
| Pricing model | Open source self host | MAU metered |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:59:18.164Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*