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PubNub vs Speakeasy

PubNub logo

PubNub

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Speakeasy logo

Speakeasy

Software

AI control plane for governing enterprise agents, MCP servers, and skills

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.; Speakeasy no self-serve pricing is published; every plan requires a sales conversation.
  • They diverge on capability: PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Speakeasy covers AI tool catalog.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PubNub and Speakeasy actually diverge.

Attributes where PubNub and Speakeasy differ
AttributePubNubSpeakeasy
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, ios, android, apiweb, api

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Speakeasy

  • AI tool catalog
  • Per-agent identity
  • Role-based access control
  • Real-time policy enforcement
  • Audit logging
  • MDM and SSO integration

What people use each for

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

PubNub

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

Speakeasy

  • Governing AI agents at enterprise scalenot PubNub
  • Preventing shadow AI tool sprawlnot PubNub
  • Enforcing least-privilege access for agentsnot PubNub
  • Auditing AI tool call activity for compliancenot 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.

Speakeasy

  • No self-serve pricing is published; every plan requires a sales conversation.
  • The product pivoted away from its original SDK-generation offering, so past documentation and customers built on that use case are no longer the focus.
  • Requires integration with an existing identity provider such as Okta or Entra ID to be useful, so it is not a standalone solution.
  • No published free tier or trial pricing was found.

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

Speakeasy

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom pricing
    • AI tool catalog and visibility
    • Per-agent identity and access control

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 Speakeasy if

  • You need ai tool catalog.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want per-agent identity.
Speakeasy review

Questions people ask

Is PubNub or Speakeasy better?
Neither clearly leads. PubNub starts at Free and Speakeasy at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PubNub or Speakeasy?
PubNub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for PubNub and On request for Speakeasy.
Does PubNub or Speakeasy run on more platforms?
PubNub runs on web, ios, android, api. Speakeasy runs on web, api.
Can I use PubNub for free?
Yes. PubNub has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Speakeasy 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 Speakeasy is typically brought in for.
What can PubNub do that Speakeasy cannot?
PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence tracking, Message persistence, Serverless Functions. Speakeasy covers AI tool catalog, Per-agent identity, Role-based access control, Real-time policy enforcement.

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
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
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
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