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APIs · head to head

PubNub vs Yodlee

PubNub logo

PubNub

APIs

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yodlee logo

Yodlee

APIs

Long-running financial data aggregation with deep transaction history

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.; Yodlee ownership has changed twice in two years, from Envestnet to Bain Capital control and then to STG in 2025, so the roadmap is now set by a financial sponsor and long term product direction is harder to rely on than it was.
  • They diverge on capability: PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Yodlee covers Account aggregation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PubNub and Yodlee actually diverge.

Attributes where PubNub and Yodlee differ
AttributePubNubYodlee
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, ios, android, apiAPI, Web

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 PubNub

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

Only in Yodlee

  • Account aggregation
  • Long transaction history
  • Investment and holdings data
  • Account verification
  • Transaction enrichment
  • Cash flow analytics
  • Document retrieval
  • International coverage

What people use each for

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

PubNub

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

Yodlee

  • A wealth platform that needs held-away brokerage holdings as well as bank balances to show a client their complete positionnot PubNub
  • A lender doing cash flow underwriting that needs several years of transaction history rather than the ninety days newer aggregators returnnot PubNub
  • A financial institution needing statement and tax document retrieval alongside transaction datanot PubNub
  • A firm operating in several countries that wants one aggregator rather than a US provider plus a European onenot 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.

Yodlee

  • Ownership has changed twice in two years, from Envestnet to Bain Capital control and then to STG in 2025, so the roadmap is now set by a financial sponsor and long term product direction is harder to rely on than it was.
  • Parts of the connection estate still depend on credential based access, which banks and regulators are phasing out in favour of FDX APIs, so coverage will shift as institutions withdraw the older method and the migration is not under your control.
  • The platform predates modern API design and developers consistently find the integration heavier and the data model more idiosyncratic than newer aggregators, which lengthens build time.
  • Pricing is enterprise shaped with annual commitments and nothing published, so small and mid sized buyers have no anchor and cannot start without a sales cycle.
  • Investment data, document retrieval and analytics are licensed on top of core aggregation, so the capabilities that justify choosing Yodlee over a cheaper rival are the ones that raise the price above it.

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

Yodlee

On request
  • Yodlee Data Platform$undefined/year
    • Priced by connected users, refresh frequency and data types
    • Investment and document retrieval licensed separately from core aggregation
    • Enterprise agreements with annual commitments

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 Yodlee if

  • You need account aggregation.
  • You work on API, Web.
  • You also want long transaction history.
Yodlee review

Questions people ask

Is PubNub or Yodlee better?
Neither clearly leads. PubNub starts at Free and Yodlee at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PubNub or Yodlee?
PubNub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for PubNub and On request for Yodlee.
Does PubNub or Yodlee run on more platforms?
PubNub runs on web, ios, android, api. Yodlee runs on API, Web.
Can I use PubNub for free?
Yes. PubNub has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yodlee 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 Yodlee is typically brought in for.
What can PubNub do that Yodlee cannot?
PubNub covers Pub/sub messaging, Presence tracking, Message persistence, Serverless Functions. Yodlee covers Account aggregation, Long transaction history, Investment and holdings data, Account verification.

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
Yodlee: Who owns Yodlee now?

Private equity firm STG, which acquired it from Envestnet in a deal closing in 2025. Envestnet, itself taken private by Bain Capital and Reverence Capital in 2024, retained access through a partnership.

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
Yodlee: Why choose Yodlee over Plaid?

Longer transaction history, deeper investment and held-away account coverage, and document retrieval. Those are wealth management and underwriting requirements rather than consumer fintech ones.

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
Yodlee: Does it still use screen scraping?

Parts of the estate rely on credential based connections, which the industry is phasing out in favour of regulated APIs. Ask for direct API coverage by institution before signing.

Yodlee: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted by connected users, refresh frequency and data types, with investment data and document retrieval priced separately.

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