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APIs · head to head

Ably vs Vodeno

Ably logo

Ably

APIs

Realtime data delivery platform for pub/sub messaging at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vodeno logo

Vodeno

APIs

Banking-as-a-service platform running on a partner bank licence, backing NatWest's UK BaaS venture

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.; Vodeno its actual regulatory backing differs by geography, Aion Bank in continental Europe versus NatWest in the UK, so a customer must understand which entity and licence they are actually contracting under rather than assuming one uniform Vodeno product.
  • They diverge on capability: Ably covers Pub/sub messaging, Vodeno covers Core banking infrastructure.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ably and Vodeno actually diverge.

Attributes where Ably and Vodeno differ
AttributeAblyVodeno
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, ios, android, apiWeb, API

Identical on both: 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 Vodeno

  • Core banking infrastructure
  • Card issuance via Mastercard
  • Lending and BNPL modules
  • White-label mobile apps
  • Digital onboarding and compliance
  • UK entity backed by NatWest

What people use each for

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

Ably

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

Vodeno

  • A European retailer or e-commerce business wanting to embed savings, lending or BNPL products under its own brandnot Ably
  • A UK business wanting banking-as-a-service backed specifically by NatWest's banking technology and licencenot Ably
  • A fintech wanting white-label mobile banking app infrastructure rather than building its own from scratchnot Ably
  • A company comparing banking-as-a-service providers that want to understand which underlying bank licence actually backs the product in their marketnot 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.

Vodeno

  • Its actual regulatory backing differs by geography, Aion Bank in continental Europe versus NatWest in the UK, so a customer must understand which entity and licence they are actually contracting under rather than assuming one uniform Vodeno product.
  • Pricing is entirely unpublished across both the European and UK businesses.
  • The scale of NatWest's investment (up to roughly £120 million) signals a business still working toward profitability, with NatWest itself targeting breakeven within five years of the venture launching, which is a meaningful timeline risk for a customer building long-term infrastructure dependency on it.
  • As banking-as-a-service infrastructure, any customer remains dependent on Vodeno's underlying bank partner maintaining its own licence and risk appetite, which is a layer of dependency beyond Vodeno's own commercial terms.
  • Product scope, such as lending and BNPL availability, may differ between the UK and European entities, so a company operating in both markets should not assume identical capability across the two.

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

Vodeno

On request
  • Vodeno$undefined/year
    • Platform licensing fee, not published
    • Terms differ between the European (Aion Bank) and UK (NatWest) entities

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 Vodeno if

  • You need core banking infrastructure.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want card issuance via mastercard.
Vodeno review

Questions people ask

Is Ably or Vodeno better?
Neither clearly leads. Ably starts at Free and Vodeno at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ably or Vodeno?
Ably has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ably and On request for Vodeno.
Does Ably or Vodeno run on more platforms?
Ably runs on web, ios, android, api. Vodeno runs on Web, API.
Can I use Ably for free?
Yes. Ably has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Vodeno 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 Vodeno is typically brought in for.
What can Ably do that Vodeno cannot?
Ably covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence, Message persistence, Multi-protocol support. Vodeno covers Core banking infrastructure, Card issuance via Mastercard, Lending and BNPL modules, White-label mobile apps.

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
Vodeno: Does Vodeno hold its own banking licence?

No, it operates through partner banks, Aion Bank in continental Europe and NatWest in the UK.

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
Vodeno: Is the UK business the same as the European business?

They are related but distinct entities backed by different bank partners, with different investment structures.

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
Vodeno: How much has NatWest invested?

A capped commitment of up to roughly £120 million into the UK entity, plus a separate roughly €58 million investment in Vodeno Group for an 18% stake.

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