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APIs · head to head

Microsoft Azure API Management vs Pusher

Microsoft Azure API Management logo

Microsoft Azure API Management

APIs

Hybrid, multi-cloud API management service on Azure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pusher logo

Pusher

APIs

Realtime messaging API for building live features into apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Azure API Management prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales; Pusher the free Sandbox plan is capped at 100 concurrent connections, which is quickly outgrown by production apps.
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Pusher covers Pub/sub channels.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Azure API Management and Pusher actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Azure API Management and Pusher differ
AttributeMicrosoft Azure API ManagementPusher
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsCloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloudweb, ios, android, api
Founded1975Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • API Policies
  • Azure services
  • AWS
  • Google Cloud
  • On-premises
  • Cloud support

Only in Pusher

  • Pub/sub channels
  • Presence channels
  • Client libraries
  • Webhooks
  • 24/7 monitoring
  • Priority support

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API gateway and lifecycle management on Azurenot Pusher
  • Throttling, keys and policies in front of backend servicesnot Pusher
  • Developer portal for internal and partner APIsnot Pusher
  • Hybrid deployments using self-hosted gatewaysnot Pusher

Pusher

  • Adding live chat to a web or mobile appnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Showing realtime presence of online usersnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Pushing live notifications or dashboard updatesnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Building collaborative features without managing WebSocket serversnot Microsoft Azure API Management

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • Prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales
  • Two parallel generations of tiers, classic and v2, so the choice is which lineage before which size
  • The Developer tier is explicitly not for production
  • Self-hosted gateways and workspace gateways are charged separately from the service

Pusher

  • The free Sandbox plan is capped at 100 concurrent connections, which is quickly outgrown by production apps.
  • Pricing jumps sharply between tiers (e.g. $49 to $99 to $299), leaving few options for teams with moderate but growing usage.
  • Priority support with faster response times costs an additional $3,000/month on top of plan pricing.

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft Azure API Management

Free
  • ConsumptionFree
    • 0-1 million API operations free monthly per subscription
  • Basic v2$undefined/mo
    • 10 million API requests included monthly
  • Standard v2$undefined/mo
    • 50 million API requests included monthly
  • Premium v2$undefined/mo
    • Unlimited included API requests

Pusher

Free
  • SandboxFree
    • 200k messages/day
    • 100 concurrent connections
    • Standard support
  • Startup$49/month
    • 1M messages/day
    • 500 concurrent connections
  • Pro$99/month
    • 4M messages/day
    • 2,000 concurrent connections
  • Business$299/month
    • 10M messages/day
    • 5,000 concurrent connections
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Azure API Management if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
  • You also want developer portal.
Microsoft Azure API Management review

Choose Pusher if

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

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Azure API Management or Pusher better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Azure API Management starts at Free and Pusher at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Azure API Management or Pusher?
Microsoft Azure API Management starts at Free and Pusher at Free.
Does Microsoft Azure API Management or Pusher run on more platforms?
Microsoft Azure API Management runs on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud. Pusher runs on web, ios, android, api.
Can I use Microsoft Azure API Management for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Microsoft Azure API Management best used for?
Microsoft Azure API Management is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management on azure, throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services, developer portal for internal and partner apis, hybrid deployments using self-hosted gateways. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management on azure and throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services are not what Pusher is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Azure API Management do that Pusher cannot?
Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Policies, Azure services. Pusher covers Pub/sub channels, Presence channels, Client libraries, Webhooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Azure API Management: Is Azure API Management free?

Azure API Management offers a Consumption tier with a free tier that includes 0-1 million API operations per subscription monthly at no cost, then charges per operation beyond that. Classic Consumption tier is pay-as-you-go billing.

Source
Pusher: What does Pusher cost?

Pusher Channels offers a free Sandbox plan (200k messages/day, 100 connections) and paid plans starting at $49/month for Startup, scaling up through Pro, Business, and several higher tiers up to $1,199/month, plus custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
Microsoft Azure API Management: What are the API request limits for Azure API Management's v2 tiers?

Basic v2 includes 10 million API requests monthly, Standard v2 includes 50 million monthly, and Premium v2 includes unlimited API requests. Additional requests beyond included amounts incur standard rates.

Source
Pusher: Can I change or cancel my plan?

Yes, customers can log into the dashboard and adjust their plan at any time, including upgrading, downgrading, or cancelling.

Source
Microsoft Azure API Management: What cache capacity does each Azure API Management tier provide?

Basic v2 provides 250 MB built-in cache, Standard v2 provides 1 GB cache, and Premium v2 provides 5 GB cache capacity for response caching.

Source
Pusher: How is usage metered?

Usage is measured by concurrent connections and messages per day; a message counts both the publish and each delivery, so publishing one message to 50 subscribers counts as 51 messages.

Source
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