API Management · head to head
Hoppscotch vs PubNub
Hoppscotch
API Management
Open-source API development ecosystem with web-based REST client
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
PubNub
API Management
Realtime communication platform for chat, IoT, and live data apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hoppscotch hoppscotch's core client is MIT licensed, but hoppscotch.io/pricing (per prior and repeated fetch) renders no server-side pricing content, meaning any hosted Team/Enterprise tier pricing is not readable without a JavaScript-executing browser; PubNub free plan storage history is limited to 7 days, which is short for apps needing longer message retention.
- They diverge on capability: Hoppscotch covers REST Client, PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hoppscotch and PubNub actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hoppscotch | PubNub |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Desktop, Self-hosted | web, ios, android, api |
| Founded | 2019 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Hoppscotch
- REST Client
- WebSocket
- gRPC Client
- GitHub
- Documentation tools
- CI/CD
- Web support
- Desktop support
Only in PubNub
- Pub/sub messaging
- Presence tracking
- Message persistence
- Serverless Functions
- File sharing
- Encryption and access controls
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Hoppscotch
- API Developmentnot PubNub
- API Gatewaynot PubNub
- API Testingnot PubNub
- API Documentationnot PubNub
- Microservicesnot PubNub
PubNub
- Building realtime chat applicationsnot Hoppscotch
- Streaming live IoT sensor datanot Hoppscotch
- Adding presence indicators to collaborative appsnot Hoppscotch
- Running edge logic with serverless Functions on realtime eventsnot Hoppscotch
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Hoppscotch
- Hoppscotch's core client is MIT licensed, but hoppscotch.io/pricing (per prior and repeated fetch) renders no server-side pricing content, meaning any hosted Team/Enterprise tier pricing is not readable without a JavaScript-executing browser
PubNub
- Free plan storage history is limited to 7 days, which is short for apps needing longer message retention.
- MAU-based pricing means costs scale directly with user growth, which can be less predictable than flat message-based pricing.
- Pro-tier custom pricing above 50,000 MAU requires contacting sales rather than self-serve checkout.
Pricing, plan by plan
Hoppscotch
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full REST client
- WebSocket support
- Community
- Teams$8/monthly
- Team collaboration
- Cloud sync
- Priority support
PubNub
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 200 MAU or 1M transactions
- 1GB data storage (7 days)
- 5 test Serverless Functions
- Starter$98/month
- 1,000 MAU included
- User management
- Insights
- Pro$undefined/month
- Custom MAU packages
- Volume discounts
- Enterprise-scale configurations
Which should you pick?
Choose Hoppscotch if
- You need rest client.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Desktop, Self-hosted.
- You also want websocket.
Choose PubNub if
- You need pub/sub messaging.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on web, ios, android, api.
- You also want presence tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Hoppscotch or PubNub better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hoppscotch starts at Free and PubNub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hoppscotch or PubNub?
- Hoppscotch starts at Free and PubNub at Free.
- Does Hoppscotch or PubNub run on more platforms?
- Hoppscotch runs on Web, Desktop, Self-hosted. PubNub runs on web, ios, android, api.
- Can I use Hoppscotch for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Hoppscotch best used for?
- Hoppscotch is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what PubNub is typically brought in for.
- What can Hoppscotch do that PubNub cannot?
- Hoppscotch covers REST Client, WebSocket, gRPC Client, GitHub. PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence tracking, Message persistence, Serverless Functions.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
PubNub: What does PubNub cost?
PubNub offers a free plan for up to 200 MAU or 1 million transactions, a Starter plan at $98/month for 1,000 MAU, and custom Pro pricing for larger volumes, e.g. around $550/month for 10,000 MAU.
SourcePubNub: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?
Yes, the free plan supports up to 200 monthly active users or 1 million transactions, includes 1GB of data storage retained for 7 days, and requires no credit card.
SourcePubNub: How is usage metered?
PubNub bills primarily by Monthly Active Users, defined as a unique user who connects at least once in a billing cycle; messages are bundled into MAU pricing with no separate per-message fees, and overage is billed proportionally.
SourceRelated pages
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- PubNub vs Hasura
- PubNub vs PocketBase
- PubNub vs Sanity
- PubNub vs Apigee
- PubNub vs Ably
- PubNub vs Pusher
- PubNub vs Kong Gateway
- PubNub vs Treblle
- PubNub vs Apollo GraphQL
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- PubNub vs KeystoneJS
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- PubNub vs Parse Server
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- PubNub vs Stoplight
- PubNub vs Strapi
- PubNub vs Swagger/OpenAPI