API Management · head to head
PubNub vs Sanity
PubNub
API Management
Realtime communication platform for chat, IoT, and live data apps
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Sanity
API Management
Headless CMS with real-time collaborative editing and structured content APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: PubNub free plan storage history is limited to 7 days, which is short for apps needing longer message retention.; Sanity free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets
- They diverge on capability: PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Sanity covers Content API.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which PubNub and Sanity actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).
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 Sanity
- Content API
- Collaborative editing
- Structured content
- Webhooks
- Third-party services
- GROQ query language
- Cloud support
- JavaScript SDK support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
PubNub
- Building realtime chat applicationsnot Sanity
- Streaming live IoT sensor datanot Sanity
- Adding presence indicators to collaborative appsnot Sanity
- Running edge logic with serverless Functions on realtime eventsnot Sanity
Sanity
- Headless CMS for structured content managementnot PubNub
- Collaborative content editing with real-time multiplayer supportnot PubNub
- API-driven content delivery with GROQ query languagenot 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.
Sanity
- Free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets
- Free plan supports only public datasets
- Growth plan capped at 50 seats maximum
- Private datasets, scheduled drafts, and comments/tasks require paid plans
- Annual billing unavailable for Growth plan; Enterprise-only
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
Sanity
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Sanity 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.
Choose Sanity if
- You need content api.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want collaborative editing.
Questions people ask
- Is PubNub or Sanity better?
- Neither clearly leads. PubNub starts at Free and Sanity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, PubNub or Sanity?
- PubNub starts at Free and Sanity at Free.
- Does PubNub or Sanity run on more platforms?
- PubNub runs on web, ios, android, api. Sanity runs on Web.
- Can I use PubNub for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Sanity is typically brought in for.
- What can PubNub do that Sanity cannot?
- PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence tracking, Message persistence, Serverless Functions. Sanity covers Content API, Collaborative editing, Structured content, Webhooks.
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.
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.
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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