APIs · head to head
Prisma vs PubNub
PubNub
APIs
Realtime communication platform for chat, IoT, and live data apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Prisma prisma Postgres is billed per operation, with the free tier at 100,000 operations and 500 MB of storage; PubNub free plan storage history is limited to 7 days, which is short for apps needing longer message retention.
- They diverge on capability: Prisma covers ORM, PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Prisma and PubNub actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Prisma
- ORM
- Query builder
- Auto-migrations
- Node.js
- TypeScript
- GraphQL
- REST APIs
- Node.js support
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.
Prisma
- Using a type safe ORM and query layer against a Postgres databasenot PubNub
- Adding a managed connection pool and edge cache in front of an existing databasenot PubNub
PubNub
- Building realtime chat applicationsnot Prisma
- Streaming live IoT sensor datanot Prisma
- Adding presence indicators to collaborative appsnot Prisma
- Running edge logic with serverless Functions on realtime eventsnot Prisma
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Prisma
- Prisma Postgres is billed per operation, with the free tier at 100,000 operations and 500 MB of storage
- Starter at $10 a month includes 1M operations then charges $0.0080 per 1,000
- Storage overage runs from $2.00 per GB on Starter down to $1.00 per GB on Business, so the unit cost depends on the plan
- Accelerate charges separately per operation and per GiB of query egress beyond the first 1 KiB
- Cache tag invalidations are not included below the Pro plan and are billed per thousand above it
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
Prisma
Free- FreeFree
- 1M requests/month
- 360 GB-hours memory
- 4 vCPU-hours
- Starter$10/month
- 5M requests/month
- 1M database operations ($8 per million overage)
- 10 GB storage ($2/GB overage)
- Pro$49/month
- 20M requests/month
- 10M operations ($2 per million overage)
- 50 GB storage ($1.50/GB overage)
- Business$129/month
- 100M requests/month
- 50M operations ($1 per million overage)
- 100 GB storage
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 Prisma if
- You need orm.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Node.js, TypeScript.
- You also want query builder.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Prisma or PubNub better?
- Neither clearly leads. Prisma starts at Free and PubNub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Prisma or PubNub?
- Prisma starts at Free and PubNub at Free.
- Does Prisma or PubNub run on more platforms?
- Prisma runs on Node.js, TypeScript. PubNub runs on web, ios, android, api.
- Can I use Prisma for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Prisma best used for?
- Prisma is most often used for using a type safe orm and query layer against a postgres database, adding a managed connection pool and edge cache in front of an existing database. Of those, using a type safe orm and query layer against a postgres database and adding a managed connection pool and edge cache in front of an existing database are not what PubNub is typically brought in for.
- What can Prisma do that PubNub cannot?
- Prisma covers ORM, Query builder, Auto-migrations, Node.js. PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence tracking, Message persistence, Serverless Functions.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Prisma: How much does Prisma cost?
Prisma is free to start with 1M requests/month. The Starter plan costs $10/month with 5M requests, the Pro plan $49/month with 20M requests, and the Business plan $129/month with 100M requests. All plans have usage-based overages.
SourcePubNub: 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.
SourcePrisma: What is Prisma's overage pricing?
Prisma charges $1 per million requests over the included amount (Starter), $2 per million database operations overage (Pro and Starter), and $1.50-$2 per GB for storage overages depending on the plan. All plans include a hard spend limit on by default.
SourcePubNub: 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.
SourcePrisma: Does Prisma include data transfer costs?
No, Prisma includes unlimited data transfer with no egress fees on all plans. Prisma ORM remains free across all tiers.
SourcePubNub: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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