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Soketi vs WSO2 API Manager

Soketi logo

Soketi

Developer Tools

Self-hosted, Pusher-compatible WebSockets server with a stalled maintenance record

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WSO2 API Manager logo

WSO2 API Manager

APIs

Complete API management platform for designing and managing APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Soketi maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.; WSO2 API Manager the free open source distribution does not include a subscription to the WSO2 Update service, so continuous improvements and security patches require a paid subscription
  • They diverge on capability: Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility, WSO2 API Manager covers API Gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Soketi and WSO2 API Manager actually diverge.

Attributes where Soketi and WSO2 API Manager differ
AttributeSoketiWSO2 API Manager
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeopen-source
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WindowsJava, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes
CategoryDeveloper ToolsAPIs
FoundedUnknown2005

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Soketi

  • Pusher protocol compatibility
  • Presence and private channels
  • Horizontal scaling
  • App management backends
  • Webhooks
  • Prometheus metrics

Only in WSO2 API Manager

  • API Gateway
  • API Designer
  • Developer Portal
  • LDAP
  • Okta
  • Keycloak
  • Microservices
  • Java support

What people use each for

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

Soketi

  • A Laravel application that already uses Echo and wants to stop paying a hosted realtime providernot WSO2 API Manager
  • Realtime notifications or presence indicators where data must not leave your own infrastructure for compliance reasonsnot WSO2 API Manager
  • A local or CI environment that needs a Pusher-compatible server without hitting a paid accountnot WSO2 API Manager
  • A high-connection-count application where hosted per-connection pricing has become the largest line in the infrastructure billnot WSO2 API Manager

WSO2 API Manager

  • Publishing, securing and rate limiting APIs behind a gatewaynot Soketi
  • Running an API developer portal with subscription key managementnot Soketi
  • Self hosting an open source API management layer on premisesnot Soketi

Where each one falls short

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

Soketi

  • Maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.
  • Dependency drift on Node and uWebSockets.js will eventually force you to fork or migrate, and that cost is unbudgeted at the point you adopt it.
  • There is no commercial support to buy, so a production incident at three in the morning is entirely your problem with no escalation path.
  • Scaling beyond a single node needs Redis and careful configuration, and getting presence channels correct across nodes is a genuine source of subtle bugs.
  • It implements the Pusher protocol rather than tracking it, so any protocol feature Pusher adds later will not appear, and the compatibility guarantee slowly decays.

WSO2 API Manager

  • The free open source distribution does not include a subscription to the WSO2 Update service, so continuous improvements and security patches require a paid subscription
  • A commercial production licence is not part of the free download and comes only with a subscription
  • No subscription price is published; Basic Support and Enterprise Support both require contacting sales for a quote
  • 24x7x365 coverage requires Enterprise Support; the general query SLA is one business day
  • A Customer Success Manager is a paid optional add on covering business hours only
  • Consulting services and WSO2 Private Cloud hosting are quoted separately

Pricing, plan by plan

Soketi

Free
  • SoketiFree
    • MIT licensed
    • Unlimited connections subject to your own hardware
    • No vendor billing

WSO2 API Manager

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Core API management
    • Community support
  • Commercial$undefined/monthly
    • Enterprise features
    • Technical support
    • SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Soketi if

  • You need pusher protocol compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want presence and private channels.
Soketi review

Choose WSO2 API Manager if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Java, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want api designer.
WSO2 API Manager review

Questions people ask

Is Soketi or WSO2 API Manager better?
Neither clearly leads. Soketi starts at Free and WSO2 API Manager at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Soketi or WSO2 API Manager?
Soketi starts at Free and WSO2 API Manager at Free.
Does Soketi or WSO2 API Manager run on more platforms?
Soketi runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. WSO2 API Manager runs on Java, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
Can I use Soketi for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Soketi best used for?
Soketi is most often used for a laravel application that already uses echo and wants to stop paying a hosted realtime provider, realtime notifications or presence indicators where data must not leave your own infrastructure for compliance reasons, a local or ci environment that needs a pusher-compatible server without hitting a paid account, a high-connection-count application where hosted per-connection pricing has become the largest line in the infrastructure bill. Of those, a laravel application that already uses echo and wants to stop paying a hosted realtime provider and realtime notifications or presence indicators where data must not leave your own infrastructure for compliance reasons are not what WSO2 API Manager is typically brought in for.
What can Soketi do that WSO2 API Manager cannot?
Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility, Presence and private channels, Horizontal scaling, App management backends. WSO2 API Manager covers API Gateway, API Designer, Developer Portal, LDAP.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Soketi: Is Soketi still maintained?

Barely. The maintainer has stated that available time is very limited and releases have been sparse; treat it as community-maintained.

WSO2 API Manager: How is WSO2 API Manager priced?

WSO2 API Manager pricing is not published on their website. As an enterprise API management platform, pricing is custom-quoted based on deployment model and organizational requirements.

Source
Soketi: Do I need to change my client code?

No. Pusher client SDKs and Laravel Echo work by changing the host, port and credentials.

WSO2 API Manager: Does WSO2 API Manager offer different pricing for on-premises versus cloud deployments?

WSO2 API Manager supports multiple deployment options including on-premises and cloud, but pricing structures for different deployment models are not publicly disclosed.

Source
Soketi: What does it cost?

Nothing in licence fees. It is MIT licensed; you pay for the server it runs on.

WSO2 API Manager: What deployment flexibility does WSO2 API Manager provide?

WSO2 API Manager enables flexible deployment on-premises or in cloud environments, but specific pricing tiers for each deployment model require contacting WSO2 sales.

Source
Soketi: What are people moving to?

Laravel Reverb for Laravel applications, and Sockudo, a Rust reimplementation, for others.

WSO2 API Manager: How would I request a WSO2 API Manager pricing quote?

Organizations can request pricing quotes by contacting WSO2 sales through their website. Custom quotes depend on API volume, deployment model, and feature requirements.

Source
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