API Management · head to head
Backendless vs Pusher
Backendless
API Management
Visual app development platform with REST APIs and cloud backend
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Pusher
API Management
Realtime messaging API for building live features into apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Backendless free tier limited to 50 API requests per minute and 20 database tables; Pusher the free Sandbox plan is capped at 100 concurrent connections, which is quickly outgrown by production apps.
- They diverge on capability: Backendless covers REST API, Pusher covers Pub/sub channels.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Backendless and Pusher actually diverge.
| Attribute | Backendless | Pusher |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Platforms | Cloud, Visual builder | web, ios, android, api |
| Founded | 2012 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).
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 Backendless
- REST API
- Real-time database
- Cloud code
- Custom integrations
- Cloud functions
- Cloud support
- Visual builder support
Only in Pusher
- Pub/sub channels
- Presence channels
- Client libraries
- 24/7 monitoring
- Priority support
Both cover
- Webhooks
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Backendless
- API Developmentnot Pusher
- API Gatewaynot Pusher
- API Testingnot Pusher
- API Documentationnot Pusher
- Microservicesnot Pusher
Pusher
- Adding live chat to a web or mobile appnot Backendless
- Showing realtime presence of online usersnot Backendless
- Pushing live notifications or dashboard updatesnot Backendless
- Building collaborative features without managing WebSocket serversnot Backendless
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Backendless
- Free tier limited to 50 API requests per minute and 20 database tables
- Smaller community and integration ecosystem compared to Firebase or AWS
- Customization beyond codeless tools requires developer expertise
- Limited documentation for advanced use cases and edge cases
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
Backendless
Free- FreeFree
- 50 API requests/minute
- 20 database tables
- 1 GB file storage
- Scale Variable$15/month
- Unlimited API requests/month
- 100 database tables
- 10 GB file storage
- Scale Fixed$15/month
- Same as Scale Variable
- Fixed monthly pricing
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 Backendless if
- You need rest api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud, Visual builder.
- You also want real-time database.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Backendless or Pusher better?
- Neither clearly leads. Backendless 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, Backendless or Pusher?
- Backendless starts at Free and Pusher at Free.
- Does Backendless or Pusher run on more platforms?
- Backendless runs on Cloud, Visual builder. Pusher runs on web, ios, android, api.
- Can I use Backendless for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Backendless best used for?
- Backendless is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Pusher is typically brought in for.
- What can Backendless do that Pusher cannot?
- Backendless covers REST API, Real-time database, Cloud code, Custom integrations. Pusher covers Pub/sub channels, Presence channels, Client libraries, 24/7 monitoring. Both handle Webhooks.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Backendless: Does Backendless have a free tier?
Backendless Free plan ($0/month) includes 50 API requests per minute, 20 database tables, 1 GB file storage, 1 visualization, 2 security roles, and basic cloud code capabilities.
SourcePusher: 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.
SourceBackendless: What features does the Scale plan include?
Scale plan ($15+/month) provides unlimited API requests per month, 100 database tables, 10 GB file storage, 5 visualizations, 10 custom API keys, daily backups, free SSL certificates, and 1,000 real-time connections.
SourcePusher: 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.
SourceBackendless: Can I add more storage or increase API limits?
Yes, Backendless offers Function Packs ranging from $5-$399/month to increase specific limits such as storage, API requests, or security features.
SourcePusher: 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.
SourceBackendless: Does Backendless support offline functionality?
Backendless supports real-time sync and offline capabilities for mobile apps, allowing data to sync when connectivity is restored.
SourceBackendless: Is Backendless Pro available for self-hosting?
Yes, Backendless Pro Community Edition is available under free licensing for core functionality. Managed Backendless is a paid option for self-hosted deployments with request-based pricing.
SourceBackendless: What are Backendless's integration limitations?
While Backendless supports many integrations, it has a smaller integration library compared to competitors. Finding solutions to edge cases or complex setups may require more development effort.
SourceRelated pages
More on Backendless
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