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APIs · head to head

Ably vs Toqio

Ably logo

Ably

APIs

Realtime data delivery platform for pub/sub messaging at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Toqio logo

Toqio

APIs

No code platform for building embedded finance products on your own providers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ably has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ably standard and Pro plans layer usage-based charges for messages, connection minutes, and data transfer on top of the base subscription, adding cost complexity.; Toqio toqio holds no licence and provides no sponsor bank, so you must find, contract and manage regulated providers yourself, which is the slowest part of any embedded finance launch.
  • They diverge on capability: Ably covers Pub/sub messaging, Toqio covers No code product builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ably and Toqio actually diverge.

Attributes where Ably and Toqio differ
AttributeAblyToqio
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (web, ios, android, api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ably

  • Pub/sub messaging
  • Presence
  • Message persistence
  • Multi-protocol support
  • Encryption
  • Datadog integration

Only in Toqio

  • No code product builder
  • Provider orchestration
  • Account and card modules
  • Embedded financing
  • Back office tooling
  • Multi entity and multi brand
  • White label mobile apps
  • Marketplace of providers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ably

  • Building realtime chat or collaborative appsnot Toqio
  • Delivering live data feeds like stock prices or sports scoresnot Toqio
  • Broadcasting notifications to many concurrent clientsnot Toqio
  • Running mission-critical realtime infrastructure with high uptime SLAsnot Toqio

Toqio

  • A manufacturer offering branded working capital finance to its dealer networknot Ably
  • A B2B marketplace launching accounts and cards for its sellers without becoming regulated itselfnot Ably
  • A corporate that wants to switch card issuer without rebuilding its customer facing productnot Ably
  • A group launching the same embedded finance product across several markets with different local providersnot Ably

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ably

  • Standard and Pro plans layer usage-based charges for messages, connection minutes, and data transfer on top of the base subscription, adding cost complexity.
  • The jump from Standard ($29/month) to Pro ($399/month) is steep for teams needing more than 10k connections but not full Pro capacity.
  • 24/7 mission-critical support and 99.999% uptime SLAs are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise tier.

Toqio

  • Toqio holds no licence and provides no sponsor bank, so you must find, contract and manage regulated providers yourself, which is the slowest part of any embedded finance launch.
  • Because it orchestrates rather than provides, the customer experience is only as good as the underlying bank or issuer, and Toqio cannot fix a partner's settlement delays or outages.
  • Pricing is quoted with no public rate card, so comparing it against building in house or against a bundled banking as a service provider requires a full sales process.
  • With around EUR 30 million raised in total it is a small supplier to underpin a financial product a large corporate expects to run for a decade, which raises real continuity questions in procurement.
  • No code configuration covers standard patterns well but bespoke customer journeys eventually require custom development, at which point the main advantage over building directly on provider APIs narrows.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ably

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 200 concurrent connections
    • 500 messages/second
    • 6M messages/month
  • Standard$29/month
    • 10k concurrent channels
    • 10k concurrent connections
    • 2.5k messages/second
  • Pro$399/month
    • 50k concurrent channels
    • 50k concurrent connections
    • 10k messages/second

Toqio

On request
  • Toqio platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per customer, typically setup plus recurring platform fee
    • Regulated provider fees are separate and contracted by you
    • Card interchange and lending economics belong to your provider agreements

Which should you pick?

Choose Ably if

  • You need pub/sub messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, ios, android, api.
  • You also want presence.
Ably review

Choose Toqio if

  • You need no code product builder.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want provider orchestration.
Toqio review

Questions people ask

Is Ably or Toqio better?
Neither clearly leads. Ably starts at Free and Toqio at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ably or Toqio?
Ably has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ably and On request for Toqio.
Does Ably or Toqio run on more platforms?
Ably runs on web, ios, android, api. Toqio runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Can I use Ably for free?
Yes. Ably has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Toqio starts at On request.
What is Ably best used for?
Ably is most often used for building realtime chat or collaborative apps, delivering live data feeds like stock prices or sports scores, broadcasting notifications to many concurrent clients, running mission-critical realtime infrastructure with high uptime slas. Of those, building realtime chat or collaborative apps and delivering live data feeds like stock prices or sports scores are not what Toqio is typically brought in for.
What can Ably do that Toqio cannot?
Ably covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence, Message persistence, Multi-protocol support. Toqio covers No code product builder, Provider orchestration, Account and card modules, Embedded financing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ably: What does Ably cost?

Ably offers a free plan with 200 concurrent connections, a Standard plan at $29/month plus usage, a Pro plan at $399/month plus usage, and custom Enterprise pricing with unlimited channels and connections.

Source
Toqio: Does Toqio provide the banking licence?

No, deliberately. You contract your own bank, issuer or lender, which is why you can replace them without rebuilding the product.

Ably: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes, the free plan includes 200 concurrent connections, 500 messages per second, and 6 million messages per month with community and best-effort email support.

Source
Toqio: Who is it aimed at?

Large corporates and B2B ecosystem operators embedding finance for suppliers, dealers or marketplace sellers, not consumer fintech startups.

Ably: How is usage metered?

Beyond plan limits, Ably charges usage-based rates of $2.50 per million messages, $1.00 per million connection minutes, $1.00 per million channel minutes, and $0.25 per GiB of data transfer, with volume discounts available.

Source
Toqio: How much does it cost?

Not published. Expect a setup fee plus a recurring platform fee, with all regulated provider costs on top and separately contracted.

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