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APIs · head to head

Portkey vs PubNub

Portkey logo

Portkey

APIs

Observe, govern, and secure every AI interaction across your enterprise

From
On request
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: Portkey the free Developer tier records only 10,000 logs per month with 3 day log retention; the $49 per month Production tier raises that to 100,000 logs with $9 per additional 100,000 requests, as of August 2026.; PubNub free plan storage history is limited to 7 days, which is short for apps needing longer message retention.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Portkey and PubNub actually diverge.

Attributes where Portkey and PubNub differ
AttributePortkeyPubNub
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebweb, 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 Portkey

Nothing recorded that PubNub does not also cover.

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.

Portkey

  • Accessing 1,600+ language models through unified API gatewaynot PubNub
  • Monitoring and observing LLM behavior in production environmentsnot PubNub
  • Managing costs and setting budget limits for AI spendingnot PubNub
  • Implementing guardrails and PII redaction for secure AI interactionsnot PubNub

PubNub

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

Where each one falls short

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

Portkey

  • The free Developer tier records only 10,000 logs per month with 3 day log retention; the $49 per month Production tier raises that to 100,000 logs with $9 per additional 100,000 requests, as of August 2026.

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

Portkey

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Portkey review.

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 Portkey if

Nothing in the data separates Portkey from PubNub on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Portkey 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 Portkey or PubNub better?
Neither clearly leads. Portkey starts at On request and PubNub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Portkey or PubNub?
PubNub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Portkey and Free for PubNub.
Does Portkey or PubNub run on more platforms?
Portkey runs on Web. 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. Portkey starts at On request.
What is Portkey best used for?
Portkey is most often used for accessing 1,600+ language models through unified api gateway, monitoring and observing llm behavior in production environments, managing costs and setting budget limits for ai spending, implementing guardrails and pii redaction for secure ai interactions. Of those, accessing 1,600+ language models through unified api gateway and monitoring and observing llm behavior in production environments are not what PubNub is typically brought in for.
What can Portkey do that PubNub cannot?
PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence tracking, Message persistence, Serverless Functions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Portkey: What happens if I exceed my Portkey plan's request limit?

Production tier ($49/month) charges $9 per additional 100,000 requests beyond the included 100,000. Enterprise customers have custom limits determined through their service agreement. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

Source
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
Portkey: Can I self-host Portkey to avoid per-request billing?

Yes. Portkey offers an Open Source self-hosted version with unlimited requests at no cost, including universal API, routing, guardrails, and load balancing features. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

Source
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
Portkey: How long does Portkey retain my logs and metrics?

Free Developer tier retains logs 3 days and metrics 30 days. Production tier retains logs 30 days and metrics 90 days. Enterprise tier offers custom retention periods. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

Source
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
Portkey: What compliance features are included in the Enterprise plan?

Enterprise tier includes SOC2 Type 2 certification, GDPR compliance, HIPAA compliance, VPC hosting, SSO, advanced guardrails, and dedicated support. Custom pricing required. Source: https://portkey.ai/pricing

Source
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