PubNub
A cloud-based real-time messaging platform that unifies pub/sub messaging with presence, message history, and serverless functions on a global network
- Also known as
- pubnub
Available worldwide
What is PubNub?
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.
PubNub pricing
Plans, per-tier features and add-ons, dated and linked to live pricing. Pricing changes often; always verify at source before you rely on it.
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.
Free
FreeDevelopment and testing tier with basic features
- MAU
- 200
- storage
- 1GB for 7 days
- function_calls
- 1M/month
- push_notifications
- 1M/month
- Presence tracking
- Chat
- Push notifications
- Message history
- Access control
- File sharing
Starter
Production tier for live applications with core features and 6-month message history
- MAU
- 1000
- chat_storage
- 6 months
- User management
- Insights
- 6-month chat history
- Advanced analytics
- 99.999% SLA
- Custom integrations
- Standard support
Pro
Contact salesEnterprise 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.
- Unlimited chat storage
- Custom allowances
- Volume discounts
- Premium support options
- All Starter features
What PubNub does
The capabilities that matter for realtime messaging infra, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- 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
- Cloud hosted
- Pricing model
- MAU metered
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- iOS
- Android
- Cloud / SaaS
Security & compliance
Independently observed- ISO 27001active
- SOC 2 Type IIactive
- SOC 3active
PubNub FAQ
Common questions about PubNub, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is PubNub?
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/
Is PubNub free?
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/
What platforms does PubNub support?
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/
Can PubNub be self-hosted?
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/
What security certifications does PubNub have?
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/
PubNub alternatives
Other realtime messaging infra we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- AblyManaged realtime infrastructure for interactive applicationsmedium · 73%
- EMQXmedium · 74%
- Supabase RealtimeReal-time database change notifications via WebSocketslow · 32%
- HiveMQAn enterprise MQTT platform that streams industrial data reliably across cloud, edge, and on-premises infrastructure to enable real-time operational intelligenchigh · 75%
- Pusher ChannelsAPIs for real-time messaging and collaborative features between applicationsmedium · 61%
- ASP.NET Core SignalRA library that enables real-time bidirectional communication between servers and connected clients in ASP.NET Core applicationslow · 26%
Compare PubNub
Side by side against other realtime messaging infra, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for PubNub, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliability | 100 | 0.16 | 15.7 | ✓ |
| Security posture | 80 | 0.12 | 9.2 | ✓ |
| Pricing transparency | 100 | 0.06 | 6.3 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 75 | 0.05 | 3.8 | ✓ |
| Price level | 25 | 0.04 | 1.1 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 0 | 0.05 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 5 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 60% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Presence: Yes · Auth model: token/JWT · Deployment: cloud-hosted · Pricing model: MAU-metered · Global edge network: Yes · Message history replay: Yes | mediumsource · 2026-09-28 · 60% |
Market
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | PrimaryMarkets: … · AvailabilityScope: global · AvailableCountries: … · NotAvailableCountries: … | mediumsource · 2026-09-05 · 50% |
Pricing
Reliability
Security
Is PubNub the right choice for you?
Tell us the job, the constraints and what you weigh most, and we will rank PubNub against the rest of the realtime messaging infra we index, using the same dated evidence weighted your way.
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