Softwr

Testing · head to head

k6 vs Soketi

k6 logo

k6

Testing

Load testing tool with JavaScript tests on a Go runtime, now owned by Grafana Labs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Soketi logo

Soketi

Developer Tools

Self-hosted, Pusher-compatible WebSockets server with a stalled maintenance record

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: k6 tests run on a JavaScript engine embedded in Go rather than on Node.js, so npm packages, Node built-ins and existing shared test utilities generally do not work without being bundled to plain JavaScript, and often not even then.; Soketi maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.
  • They diverge on capability: k6 covers JavaScript test scripts, Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which k6 and Soketi actually diverge.

Attributes where k6 and Soketi differ
Attributek6Soketi
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, Docker, KubernetesLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryTestingDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 k6

  • JavaScript test scripts
  • Thresholds and checks
  • Protocol coverage
  • Browser module
  • Executors
  • xk6 extensions
  • Metrics output
  • Kubernetes operator

Only in Soketi

  • Pusher protocol compatibility
  • Presence and private channels
  • Horizontal scaling
  • App management backends
  • Webhooks
  • Prometheus metrics

What people use each for

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

k6

  • Gating a deployment pipeline on a threshold such as 95th percentile latency under a defined arrival ratenot Soketi
  • Generating tens of thousands of requests per second from a small number of machines without a load generator fleetnot Soketi
  • Testing gRPC and WebSocket services with the same tooling and thresholds used for HTTP endpointsnot Soketi
  • Correlating a load test against existing dashboards for an organisation already running Grafana and Prometheusnot Soketi

Soketi

  • A Laravel application that already uses Echo and wants to stop paying a hosted realtime providernot k6
  • Realtime notifications or presence indicators where data must not leave your own infrastructure for compliance reasonsnot k6
  • A local or CI environment that needs a Pusher-compatible server without hitting a paid accountnot k6
  • A high-connection-count application where hosted per-connection pricing has become the largest line in the infrastructure billnot k6

Where each one falls short

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

k6

  • Tests run on a JavaScript engine embedded in Go rather than on Node.js, so npm packages, Node built-ins and existing shared test utilities generally do not work without being bundled to plain JavaScript, and often not even then.
  • The open source binary runs on a single machine, so distributed load requires the Kubernetes operator or the cloud service, and the operator is infrastructure your team has to run and debug.
  • The AGPL-3.0 licence on the core requires legal review at any company that intends to embed k6 in a product it distributes or offers as a service, which is a slower path than a permissively licensed tool.
  • There is no result storage in the open source tool, so trend history means standing up Prometheus, InfluxDB or Grafana Cloud before load testing produces anything comparable over time.
  • Since the Grafana Labs acquisition the roadmap serves the Grafana observability stack, so a buyer choosing k6 as a standalone tool should expect the standalone experience to receive less investment than the cloud and dashboard integration.
  • Grafana Cloud billing is by virtual user hour, so a long soak test at modest concurrency costs far more than its peak load suggests, and cost planning has to be done in virtual user hours rather than in test runs.

Soketi

  • Maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.
  • Dependency drift on Node and uWebSockets.js will eventually force you to fork or migrate, and that cost is unbudgeted at the point you adopt it.
  • There is no commercial support to buy, so a production incident at three in the morning is entirely your problem with no escalation path.
  • Scaling beyond a single node needs Redis and careful configuration, and getting presence channels correct across nodes is a genuine source of subtle bugs.
  • It implements the Pusher protocol rather than tracking it, so any protocol feature Pusher adds later will not appear, and the compatibility guarantee slowly decays.

Pricing, plan by plan

k6

Free
  • k6 OSSFree
    • AGPL-3.0 licence
    • Full test engine, no virtual user limits
    • Runs on one machine unless distributed yourself
  • Grafana Cloud free tierFree
    • Includes a monthly allowance of virtual user hours
    • Hosted test results and dashboards
    • Shared with the rest of the Grafana Cloud free tier
  • Grafana Cloud k6$undefined/month
    • Billed by virtual user hours consumed
    • Load generation from multiple regions
    • Retained test history and comparison

Soketi

Free
  • SoketiFree
    • MIT licensed
    • Unlimited connections subject to your own hardware
    • No vendor billing

Which should you pick?

Choose k6 if

  • You need javascript test scripts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want thresholds and checks.
k6 review

Choose Soketi if

  • You need pusher protocol compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want presence and private channels.
Soketi review

Questions people ask

Is k6 or Soketi better?
Neither clearly leads. k6 starts at Free and Soketi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, k6 or Soketi?
k6 starts at Free and Soketi at Free.
Does k6 or Soketi run on more platforms?
k6 runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes. Soketi runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use k6 for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is k6 best used for?
k6 is most often used for gating a deployment pipeline on a threshold such as 95th percentile latency under a defined arrival rate, generating tens of thousands of requests per second from a small number of machines without a load generator fleet, testing grpc and websocket services with the same tooling and thresholds used for http endpoints, correlating a load test against existing dashboards for an organisation already running grafana and prometheus. Of those, gating a deployment pipeline on a threshold such as 95th percentile latency under a defined arrival rate and generating tens of thousands of requests per second from a small number of machines without a load generator fleet are not what Soketi is typically brought in for.
What can k6 do that Soketi cannot?
k6 covers JavaScript test scripts, Thresholds and checks, Protocol coverage, Browser module. Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility, Presence and private channels, Horizontal scaling, App management backends.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

k6: Can I use npm packages in a k6 test?

Usually not. Scripts run on a Go-embedded JavaScript engine with no Node.js runtime, so packages depending on Node built-ins fail and pure JavaScript libraries must be bundled first.

Soketi: Is Soketi still maintained?

Barely. The maintainer has stated that available time is very limited and releases have been sparse; treat it as community-maintained.

k6: Is k6 free?

The core tool is free under AGPL-3.0 with no virtual user limits. Grafana Cloud k6 is a paid service billed by virtual user hours, with a free monthly allowance.

Soketi: Do I need to change my client code?

No. Pusher client SDKs and Laravel Echo work by changing the host, port and credentials.

k6: Does the Grafana acquisition affect the open source tool?

The tool remains open source and maintained, but investment is directed at making it a data source for Grafana, so standalone use is supported rather than prioritised.

Soketi: What does it cost?

Nothing in licence fees. It is MIT licensed; you pay for the server it runs on.

k6: Can k6 replace a browser testing tool?

No. The browser module measures page-level metrics under load, but functional browser testing belongs in Playwright or a similar tool.

Soketi: What are people moving to?

Laravel Reverb for Laravel applications, and Sockudo, a Rust reimplementation, for others.

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