Here's the deal
PubNub is like having a complete real-time infrastructure kitchen with everything built-in, while CometChat is like a specialized chat appliance that does messaging well. CometChat excels at drop-in chat UI components and has solid video calling features, but PubNub delivers a comprehensive real-time platform with edge compute, LiveOps toolkit, and proven global scale. For teams building beyond basic chat—live events, IoT, collaborative apps, or anything requiring real-time analytics and edge processing—PubNub is the superior choice.
Want the details? Keep reading...
The Bottom Line
Here's the deal: PubNub is like having a complete real-time infrastructure kitchen with everything built-in, while CometChat is like a specialized chat appliance that does messaging really well. CometChat excels at drop-in chat UI components and has solid video calling features, but PubNub delivers a comprehensive real-time platform with edge compute, LiveOps toolkit, and proven global scale. For teams building beyond basic chat—live events, IoT, collaborative apps, or anything requiring real-time analytics and edge processing—PubNub is the superior choice.
Want the details? Keep reading...
PubNub | CometChat | Why this matters | |
| PubNub vs CometChat | |||
| Key Differentiators | |||
Edge Compute No external dependencies for server-side logic - process data at the edge for lower latency | PUBNUB ✅ Built-in (PubNub Functions) | COMPETITOR ❌ Not available | |
LiveOps Toolkit Built-in LiveOps capabilities for real-time engagement and user behavior insights | PUBNUB ✅ Comprehensive (PubNub Illuminate) | COMPETITOR ❌ Not available | |
Real-time Analytics Comprehensive analytics vs basic monitoring - crucial for optimizing user engagement | PUBNUB ✅ Advanced (PubNub Insights) | COMPETITOR ⚠️ Limited (basic metrics only) | |
Pricing Model Predictable costs vs potential surprise overages as you scale | PUBNUB ✅ Transparent (per-MAU pricing) | COMPETITOR ✅ Usage-based (complex tiers) | |
Global Scale Proven performance at massive scale vs unverified capacity claims | PUBNUB ✅ Verified (3T+ msgs/month, 25.5M concurrent) | COMPETITOR ✅ Claimed (no public metrics) | |
AI Coding AI-assisted development with plug-and-play compatibility accelerates time-to-market | PUBNUB ✅ Available (MCP Server integration) | COMPETITOR ❌ Not available | |
Channel Groups Proven scalability for complex applications vs unclear capacity constraints | PUBNUB ✅ Advanced (up to 20K per socket) | COMPETITOR ⚠️ Limited (undocumented limits) | |
UI Components Both offer UI components, but CometChat specializes in chat-specific interfaces | PUBNUB ✅ Available (Chat Components) | COMPETITOR ✅ Comprehensive (Drop-in components) | |
Pricing & Transparency
Pricing Model
PubNub: Transparent per-MAU pricing with clear tiers and no hidden fees
CometChat: Usage-based pricing with multiple variables and custom quotes for enterprise
Free Tier
PubNub: Generous free tier with 1M transactions/month and full feature access
CometChat: Free plan available with basic features for testing and small projects
Billing Transparency
PubNub: No charges for presence, history storage, or basic features - pay only for messages
CometChat: Complex pricing structure with potential additional costs for advanced features
See PubNub in Action
See PubNub's edge compute, real-time analytics, and LiveOps toolkit in action - all built-in without external dependencies. Experience how comprehensive real-time infrastructure accelerates development beyond basic messaging.
Detailed Feature Comparison
PubNub | CometChat | Why this matters | |
| PubNub vs CometChat | |||
| Basic Pub/Sub Features | |||
Message Publishing Edge network reduces latency and improves user experience globally | PUBNUB Global edge network with sub-100ms latency | COMPETITOR Standard message delivery through APIs | |
Message Subscribing Advanced presence and multiplexing enable richer real-time experiences | PUBNUB Real-time with presence and multiplexing | COMPETITOR Real-time messaging with basic presence | |
Channel Management Unlimited scaling and advanced grouping support complex application architectures | PUBNUB Unlimited channels with advanced grouping | COMPETITOR Channel support with basic management | |
Message Delivery Guaranteed delivery ensures critical messages reach users reliably | PUBNUB Guaranteed delivery with message persistence | COMPETITOR Standard delivery with optional storage | |
| Advanced Pub/Sub Features | |||
Channel Groups Advanced grouping enables complex real-time applications with massive scale | PUBNUB Advanced grouping up to 20K channels per socket | COMPETITOR Basic channel organization | |
Server-side Filtering Built-in filtering reduces bandwidth and improves performance without external dependencies | PUBNUB Built-in with PubNub Functions | COMPETITOR Requires external implementation | |
Encryption Enterprise-grade encryption ensures data security without additional infrastructure | PUBNUB End-to-end encryption with key management | COMPETITOR Basic security features | |
Streaming Integrations Native integrations reduce development time and eliminate vendor lock-in | PUBNUB Native integrations with major platforms | COMPETITOR Limited third-party integrations | |
| Edge Compute & Event-Driven Architecture | |||
Edge Computing Built-in edge compute eliminates external dependencies and reduces latency | PUBNUB PubNub Functions - serverless compute at the edge | COMPETITOR ❌ Requires external services (AWS Lambda, etc.) | |
Event Triggers Automated event handling reduces development complexity and maintenance overhead | PUBNUB Comprehensive trigger system with Functions | COMPETITOR ❌ Manual webhook implementation required | |
In-Network Processing In-network processing reduces bandwidth and improves performance | PUBNUB Process data before delivery to clients | COMPETITOR ❌ Client-side processing only | |
External Integrations Extensive integration ecosystem accelerates development and reduces custom coding | PUBNUB 70+ pre-built integrations and connectors | COMPETITOR Limited CRM and analytics integrations | |
| Analytics & LiveOps | |||
Real-time Analytics Comprehensive analytics enable data-driven optimization vs basic monitoring | PUBNUB PubNub Insights with comprehensive metrics | COMPETITOR ⚠️ Basic analytics (limited metrics) | |
LiveOps Toolkit Built-in LiveOps capabilities enable real-time engagement optimization | PUBNUB PubNub Illuminate with user behavior insights | COMPETITOR ❌ Not available | |
Third-party Integration Native integrations provide seamless data flow without custom development | PUBNUB Native integration with major analytics platforms | COMPETITOR Basic third-party analytics support | |
Historical Analytics Complete historical data enables trend analysis and user behavior insights | PUBNUB Full message history with analytics | COMPETITOR Limited message history features | |
| Operations & Scaling | |||
Global Infrastructure Global edge network ensures consistent performance worldwide | PUBNUB 15+ data centers with edge network | COMPETITOR Cloud-based infrastructure | |
Proven Scale Proven performance at massive scale vs unverified capacity claims | PUBNUB 3T+ messages/month, 25.5M concurrent users | COMPETITOR Undocumented scale metrics | |
Uptime SLA Industry-leading SLA ensures reliable service for mission-critical applications | PUBNUB 99.999% uptime SLA with transparent monitoring | COMPETITOR Standard uptime commitments | |
Standards-Based Standards-based approach reduces vendor lock-in and ensures interoperability | PUBNUB Open protocols and standards compliance | COMPETITOR Proprietary APIs and SDKs | |
| Technical Specifications | |||
Developer Experience Broader platform support accelerates development across diverse tech stacks | PUBNUB Comprehensive SDKs for 70+ platforms | COMPETITOR Focused SDKs for major platforms | |
Documentation Comprehensive documentation reduces learning curve and development time | PUBNUB Extensive docs with interactive examples | COMPETITOR Good documentation with code samples | |
Compliance Comprehensive compliance reduces legal risk and audit overhead | PUBNUB SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR with transparent reporting | COMPETITOR HIPAA compliance available | |
Why Upgrade from CometChat to PubNub?
CometChat's chat-focused approach creates an opportunity for developers needing comprehensive real-time infrastructure beyond messaging.
CometChat's focus on chat-specific UI components can be limiting for teams building comprehensive real-time experiences. PubNub offers edge compute, LiveOps toolkit, and proven global scale that CometChat simply cannot match. For teams seeking to build beyond basic messaging—live events, IoT applications, collaborative tools, or any application requiring real-time analytics and edge processing—PubNub is the superior choice.
Migration Benefits
Escape AI Vendor Lock-in
Eliminate external serverless dependencies with built-in PubNub Functions
Gain True Pub/Sub Capabilities
Gain real-time user behavior insights and engagement optimization tools
Built-in Edge Computing
Access proven infrastructure handling 3T+ messages/month with 99.999% uptime
Transparent Pricing
Move from basic metrics to advanced real-time analytics and insights
Migration Ease
Moderate - Both platforms use similar pub/sub concepts, but PubNub's additional features like Functions and Illuminate require learning new capabilities. Migration involves updating SDKs and potentially restructuring to take advantage of edge compute capabilities.
Get Started Now
If you want to test out PubNub you can start building now for free. Alternatively, reach out to our sales team for a quick demo of the platform.
Get Started Now
If you want to test out PubNub you can start building now for free. Alternatively, reach out to our sales team for a quick demo of the platform.
