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APIs · head to head

PubNub vs Redocly

PubNub logo

PubNub

APIs

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Redocly logo

Redocly

Documentation

API documentation and OpenAPI governance platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only PubNub has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: PubNub free plan storage history is limited to 7 days, which is short for apps needing longer message retention.; Redocly only as useful as your commitment to OpenAPI; teams without a maintained spec get little from it
  • They diverge on capability: PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Redocly covers OpenAPI reference docs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PubNub and Redocly actually diverge.

Attributes where PubNub and Redocly differ
AttributePubNubRedocly
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumFree open-source CLI and Redoc renderer; paid plans for the portal, published on the vendor site
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, ios, android, apiWeb, Cloud, Self-hosted
CategoryAPIsDocumentation

Identical on both: 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 PubNub

  • Pub/sub messaging
  • Presence tracking
  • Message persistence
  • Serverless Functions
  • File sharing
  • Encryption and access controls

Only in Redocly

  • OpenAPI reference docs
  • Spec linting
  • Developer portal
  • Versioning
  • Try it
  • Git workflow

What people use each for

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

PubNub

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

Redocly

  • API teams whose reference docs are thin because the spec is thinnot PubNub
  • Organisations enforcing API style rules across many teamsnot PubNub
  • Developer portals combining guides with generated referencenot PubNub

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Redocly

  • Only as useful as your commitment to OpenAPI; teams without a maintained spec get little from it
  • The portal and governance features are paid, while the open-source renderer covers only reference rendering
  • Linting rules are another thing to configure and argue about before value appears
  • Narrower than a general documentation platform, by design

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Redocly

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Redocly review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Redocly if

  • You need openapi reference docs.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want spec linting.
Redocly review

Questions people ask

Is PubNub or Redocly better?
Neither clearly leads. PubNub starts at Free and Redocly at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PubNub or Redocly?
PubNub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for PubNub and On request for Redocly.
Does PubNub or Redocly run on more platforms?
PubNub runs on web, ios, android, api. Redocly runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
Can I use PubNub for free?
Yes. PubNub has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Redocly starts at On request.
What is PubNub best used for?
PubNub is most often used for building realtime chat applications, streaming live iot sensor data, adding presence indicators to collaborative apps, running edge logic with serverless functions on realtime events. Of those, building realtime chat applications and streaming live iot sensor data are not what Redocly is typically brought in for.
What can PubNub do that Redocly cannot?
PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence tracking, Message persistence, Serverless Functions. Redocly covers OpenAPI reference docs, Spec linting, Developer portal, Versioning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Redocly: Is Redocly free?

The Redoc renderer and CLI are open source and free. The developer portal and governance features are paid, with pricing published on the vendor site.

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
Redocly: What does the linter do?

It enforces rules on the OpenAPI spec itself in CI — missing descriptions, naming, examples — so a poor spec fails the build rather than becoming poor documentation.

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
Redocly: Do I need OpenAPI to use it?

Effectively yes. Without a maintained specification there is little for it to work with.

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