Soketi vs Pusher(2026)
Soketi is better for teams that need free self-hosted. Pusher is the stronger choice if simple to integrate. Soketi is open-source and Pusher is freemium (from $49/month).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
By Bikram Nath
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Soketi
Soketi is an open source, Pusher protocol-compatible WebSocket server you can self-host for free.
Visit SoketiPusher
Pusher provides hosted realtime APIs (WebSockets) for adding live features to web and mobile apps.
Starting at $49/month
Visit PusherHow Do Soketi and Pusher Compare on Features?
| Feature | Soketi | Pusher |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | freemium |
| Starting price | Free | $49/month |
| Pusher-compatible protocol | ✓ | — |
| Self-hosted | ✓ | — |
| Horizontal scaling | ✓ | — |
| Redis adapter | ✓ | — |
| HTTP API | ✓ | — |
| Multiple apps | ✓ | — |
| WebSocket channels | — | ✓ |
| Presence channels | — | ✓ |
| Private channels | — | ✓ |
| Webhooks | — | ✓ |
| Client libraries | — | ✓ |
| Encrypted connections | — | ✓ |
Soketi Pros and Cons vs Pusher
Soketi
Pusher
Should You Use Soketi or Pusher?
For most teams, Soketi is the better default: it offers free self-hosted and is open-source. Choose Pusher instead if simple to integrate matters more than self-hosting overhead. There is no universal winner — the right pick depends on your budget, team size, and whether you value free self-hosted or simple to integrate more.
Choose Soketi if…
- •Free self-hosted
- •Pusher drop-in replacement
- •Low latency
Choose Pusher if…
- •Simple to integrate
- •Battle-tested reliability
- •Multiple language SDKs