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APIs · head to head

Moov vs PubNub

Moov logo

Moov

APIs

Payments API with a published rate card covering card acceptance, ACH and instant payouts

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PubNub logo

PubNub

APIs

Realtime communication platform for chat, IoT, and live data apps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only PubNub has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Moov the 500 US dollar monthly minimum makes Moov unattractive below roughly 80,000 dollars a month of card volume, since the minimum rather than the rate becomes your effective price.; PubNub free plan storage history is limited to 7 days, which is short for apps needing longer message retention.
  • They diverge on capability: Moov covers Interchange-plus card acceptance, PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Moov and PubNub actually diverge.

Attributes where Moov and PubNub differ
AttributeMoovPubNub
Starting price$500/monthFree
Pricing modelPer transaction plus monthly minimumfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, API, iOS, Androidweb, ios, android, api

Identical on both: 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 Moov

  • Interchange-plus card acceptance
  • ACH transfers
  • Instant payments
  • Wallets
  • Payment links and invoices
  • Virtual cards
  • Account verification
  • Card account updater

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.

Moov

  • A vertical SaaS company embedding payments that needs published unit economics to price its own product before signing anythingnot PubNub
  • A marketplace paying contractors that wants same-day ACH and instant push-to-card in one API with the cost of each visiblenot PubNub
  • A platform that must hold balances for end users between collection and payout without becoming a money transmitternot PubNub
  • A software company moving off a legacy gateway that wants interchange-plus transparency instead of a blended rate that hides interchange increasesnot PubNub

PubNub

  • Building realtime chat applicationsnot Moov
  • Streaming live IoT sensor datanot Moov
  • Adding presence indicators to collaborative appsnot Moov
  • Running edge logic with serverless Functions on realtime eventsnot Moov

Where each one falls short

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

Moov

  • The 500 US dollar monthly minimum makes Moov unattractive below roughly 80,000 dollars a month of card volume, since the minimum rather than the rate becomes your effective price.
  • The 50 cent monthly charge per active wallet penalises platforms with many end users who transact rarely, and that cost grows with your user base rather than your revenue.
  • United States only, so any platform with international sellers or buyers needs a second provider and a second reconciliation process.
  • At very high volume the published interchange-plus markup is less competitive than a directly negotiated acquiring relationship, so success eventually creates a reason to leave.
  • The ecosystem of prebuilt integrations, plugins and third-party tooling is far smaller than Stripe's, so anything outside the core API, from tax handling to subscription logic, is work you build yourself.

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

Moov

$500/month
  • Standard$500/month
    • 500 USD monthly minimum, no setup fee
    • Card online at interchange plus 0.60% and 15c
    • Tap to pay at interchange plus 0.50% and 15c
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • Negotiated rates for high volume
    • Specialised business models
    • Dedicated 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 Moov if

  • You need interchange-plus card acceptance.
  • You work on Web, API, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ach transfers.
Moov review

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.
PubNub review

Questions people ask

Is Moov or PubNub better?
Neither clearly leads. Moov starts at $500/month and PubNub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Moov or PubNub?
PubNub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/month for Moov and Free for PubNub.
Does Moov or PubNub run on more platforms?
Moov runs on Web, API, iOS, Android. PubNub runs on web, ios, android, api.
Can I use PubNub for free?
Yes. PubNub has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Moov starts at $500/month.
What is Moov best used for?
Moov is most often used for a vertical saas company embedding payments that needs published unit economics to price its own product before signing anything, a marketplace paying contractors that wants same-day ach and instant push-to-card in one api with the cost of each visible, a platform that must hold balances for end users between collection and payout without becoming a money transmitter, a software company moving off a legacy gateway that wants interchange-plus transparency instead of a blended rate that hides interchange increases. Of those, a vertical saas company embedding payments that needs published unit economics to price its own product before signing anything and a marketplace paying contractors that wants same-day ach and instant push-to-card in one api with the cost of each visible are not what PubNub is typically brought in for.
What can Moov do that PubNub cannot?
Moov covers Interchange-plus card acceptance, ACH transfers, Instant payments, Wallets. PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence tracking, Message persistence, Serverless Functions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Moov: Does Moov publish its prices?

Yes, in unusual detail: interchange-plus card rates, per-transaction ACH and RTP charges, dispute and return fees, and the monthly minimum are all on the pricing page.

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.

Source
Moov: What is the monthly minimum?

500 US dollars, with no setup fee. Wallet charges and transaction fees count towards it.

PubNub: 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.

Source
Moov: Can I use Moov outside the United States?

No. Moov handles US payments only, though it accepts international cards at an extra 1.5 percent.

PubNub: 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.

Source
Moov: Is Moov a bank?

No. It is a payments platform working with partner financial institutions, so account and settlement arrangements depend on those partners.

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