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Mobile Development · head to head

Kotlin Multiplatform vs Soketi

Kotlin Multiplatform logo

Kotlin Multiplatform

Mobile Development

JetBrains-funded technology for sharing Kotlin business logic across iOS, Android, web, desktop and server

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: Kotlin Multiplatform it shares logic, not UI, by default, so a team expecting a Flutter-style single UI codebase has to also adopt Compose Multiplatform, which is newer and less proven on iOS than on Android.; 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: Kotlin Multiplatform covers Shared Kotlin logic, Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kotlin Multiplatform and Soketi actually diverge.

Attributes where Kotlin Multiplatform and Soketi differ
AttributeKotlin MultiplatformSoketi
PlatformsiOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, WebLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryMobile DevelopmentDeveloper 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 Kotlin Multiplatform

  • Shared Kotlin logic
  • Native UI retained
  • Compose Multiplatform (optional)
  • IDE tooling
  • Gradle-based builds
  • Incremental adoption

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.

Kotlin Multiplatform

  • A company with existing separate native iOS and Android codebases wanting to stop duplicating business logic and networking codenot Soketi
  • A team that wants shared logic but is not willing to compromise on fully native UI per platformnot Soketi
  • An organisation already using Kotlin on the backend that wants to reuse the same models and validation on mobile clientsnot Soketi
  • A team evaluating Compose Multiplatform for UI sharing but wanting the option to fall back to native UI per screennot Soketi

Soketi

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

Where each one falls short

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

Kotlin Multiplatform

  • It shares logic, not UI, by default, so a team expecting a Flutter-style single UI codebase has to also adopt Compose Multiplatform, which is newer and less proven on iOS than on Android.
  • iOS interop relies on Kotlin/Native compiling to a framework consumed from Swift, and debugging across that boundary is more friction than debugging pure Swift or pure Kotlin.
  • Because logic-sharing is the whole premise, teams still need genuine iOS and Android UI expertise on staff; it does not reduce the native skills bar the way a full cross-platform UI framework aims to.
  • Build times and tooling maturity for multiplatform Gradle projects lag behind single-platform Kotlin or Swift projects, and multiplatform-specific build errors are less well documented.
  • JetBrains funds it as part of the broader Kotlin investment, so its roadmap priority competes internally with IntelliJ, Android Studio and other JetBrains commitments rather than having dedicated headcount the way Flutter has at Google.

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

Kotlin Multiplatform

Free
  • Kotlin MultiplatformFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed, unlimited apps
    • IDE tooling in the free Android Studio and free-tier IntelliJ IDEA Community
    • No paid Kotlin Multiplatform edition exists

Soketi

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Kotlin Multiplatform if

  • You need shared kotlin logic.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
  • You also want native ui retained.
Kotlin Multiplatform 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 Kotlin Multiplatform or Soketi better?
Neither clearly leads. Kotlin Multiplatform 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, Kotlin Multiplatform or Soketi?
Kotlin Multiplatform starts at Free and Soketi at Free.
Does Kotlin Multiplatform or Soketi run on more platforms?
Kotlin Multiplatform runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web. Soketi runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Kotlin Multiplatform for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Kotlin Multiplatform best used for?
Kotlin Multiplatform is most often used for a company with existing separate native ios and android codebases wanting to stop duplicating business logic and networking code, a team that wants shared logic but is not willing to compromise on fully native ui per platform, an organisation already using kotlin on the backend that wants to reuse the same models and validation on mobile clients, a team evaluating compose multiplatform for ui sharing but wanting the option to fall back to native ui per screen. Of those, a company with existing separate native ios and android codebases wanting to stop duplicating business logic and networking code and a team that wants shared logic but is not willing to compromise on fully native ui per platform are not what Soketi is typically brought in for.
What can Kotlin Multiplatform do that Soketi cannot?
Kotlin Multiplatform covers Shared Kotlin logic, Native UI retained, Compose Multiplatform (optional), IDE tooling. Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility, Presence and private channels, Horizontal scaling, App management backends.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kotlin Multiplatform: Does Kotlin Multiplatform replace my native UI code?

Not by default. It shares business logic and data layers; UI stays native per platform unless you separately adopt Compose Multiplatform.

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.

Kotlin Multiplatform: Is there a paid version?

No. It is Apache 2.0 licensed and free, funded by JetBrains as part of the Kotlin project.

Soketi: Do I need to change my client code?

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

Kotlin Multiplatform: Do I need Compose Multiplatform to use it?

No, they are separate. You can share only logic and keep fully native UI on each platform indefinitely.

Soketi: What does it cost?

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

Soketi: What are people moving to?

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

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