Software · head to head
Hasura vs Pusher

Hasura
Software
GraphQL engine that instantly creates production-ready GraphQL API from databases
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -

Pusher
Software
Realtime messaging API for building live features into apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hasura database support limited to PostgreSQL, MongoDB, ClickHouse, and MS SQL Server only; Pusher the free Sandbox plan is capped at 100 concurrent connections, which is quickly outgrown by production apps.
- They diverge on capability: Hasura covers GraphQL API, Pusher covers Pub/sub channels.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hasura and Pusher actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Hasura
- GraphQL API
- Real-time subscriptions
- Access control
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- REST APIs
- Cloud support
- Self-hosted 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.
Hasura
- Automatic GraphQL API generation from existing databasesnot Pusher
- Real-time data subscriptions for modern applicationsnot Pusher
- Backend infrastructure for web and mobile applicationsnot Pusher
- Event-triggered webhooks for database changesnot Pusher
Pusher
- Adding live chat to a web or mobile appnot Hasura
- Showing realtime presence of online usersnot Hasura
- Pushing live notifications or dashboard updatesnot Hasura
- Building collaborative features without managing WebSocket serversnot Hasura
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Hasura
- Database support limited to PostgreSQL, MongoDB, ClickHouse, and MS SQL Server only
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
Hasura
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Hasura review.
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 Hasura if
- You need graphql api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want real-time subscriptions.
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 Hasura or Pusher better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hasura 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, Hasura or Pusher?
- Hasura starts at Free and Pusher at Free.
- Does Hasura or Pusher run on more platforms?
- Hasura runs on Web. Pusher runs on web, ios, android, api.
- Can I use Hasura for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Hasura best used for?
- Hasura is most often used for automatic graphql api generation from existing databases, real-time data subscriptions for modern applications, backend infrastructure for web and mobile applications, event-triggered webhooks for database changes. Of those, automatic graphql api generation from existing databases and real-time data subscriptions for modern applications are not what Pusher is typically brought in for.
- What can Hasura do that Pusher cannot?
- Hasura covers GraphQL API, Real-time subscriptions, Access control, PostgreSQL. Pusher covers Pub/sub channels, Presence channels, Client libraries, 24/7 monitoring. Both handle Webhooks.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
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.
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.
SourceRelated pages
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