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APIs · head to head

Hoppscotch vs Pusher

Hoppscotch logo

Hoppscotch

APIs

Open-source API development ecosystem with web-based REST client

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: Hoppscotch open-source project with no published commercial support plans or pricing; Pusher the free Sandbox plan is capped at 100 concurrent connections, which is quickly outgrown by production apps.
  • They diverge on capability: Hoppscotch covers REST Client, Pusher covers Pub/sub channels.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hoppscotch and Pusher actually diverge.

Attributes where Hoppscotch and Pusher differ
AttributeHoppscotchPusher
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Self-hostedweb, ios, android, api
Founded2019Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Hoppscotch

  • REST Client
  • WebSocket
  • gRPC Client
  • GitHub
  • Documentation tools
  • CI/CD
  • Web support
  • Desktop 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.

Hoppscotch

  • API Developmentnot Pusher
  • API Gatewaynot Pusher
  • API Testingnot Pusher
  • API Documentationnot Pusher
  • Microservicesnot Pusher

Pusher

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

Where each one falls short

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

Hoppscotch

  • Open-source project with no published commercial support plans or pricing
  • No official enterprise tier or SLA information disclosed

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

Hoppscotch

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full REST client
    • WebSocket support
    • Community
  • Teams$8/monthly
    • Team collaboration
    • Cloud sync
    • Priority support

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 Hoppscotch if

  • You need rest client.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Self-hosted.
  • You also want websocket.
Hoppscotch 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 Hoppscotch or Pusher better?
Neither clearly leads. Hoppscotch 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, Hoppscotch or Pusher?
Hoppscotch starts at Free and Pusher at Free.
Does Hoppscotch or Pusher run on more platforms?
Hoppscotch runs on Web, Desktop, Self-hosted. Pusher 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 Pusher is typically brought in for.
What can Hoppscotch do that Pusher cannot?
Hoppscotch covers REST Client, WebSocket, gRPC Client, GitHub. Pusher covers Pub/sub channels, Presence channels, Client libraries, Webhooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hoppscotch: Is Hoppscotch free to use for API development?

Yes, Hoppscotch is a completely free, open-source API development ecosystem. There are no subscription fees, license costs, or registration requirements to access the core platform.

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
Hoppscotch: Can I deploy Hoppscotch on my own infrastructure?

As an open-source project, Hoppscotch can be self-hosted and deployed on your own infrastructure. The source code is available for customization and deployment in private environments.

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
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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