Realtime · facts read November 7, 2026
Pusher Channels
Hosted pub/sub channels for live updates. Simple channels for live notifications, with long-standing SDKs.
- Free plan
- Sandbox (free): 200,000 messages per day, 100 concurrent connections.
- Paid from
- Startup: $49/month (1 million messages per day, 500 concurrent connections).
- Monthly cost at 1,000 users
- $49/month Sandbox allows 100 concurrent connections; Startup is $49/month for 500.
- Free plan allows commercial use
- Not stated
- Open source
- No
- Self-hostable
- No
Source: Pusher Channels pricing, read November 7, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor's page before you commit.
Best for
- Simple live notifications
- Teams that know the Pusher API
Watch out for
- The free Sandbox caps you at 100 concurrent connections.
How Cuely scores Pusher Channels
The published scores, from −3 to +3, that decide when Cuely picks it. Method
- +1realtime features. Pub/sub channels; presence and shared state are yours to build.
- −1keep costs as low as possible. 100 concurrent connections free, then $49/month.
- −3traffic comes in viral spikes. The free Sandbox allows 100 concurrent connections; Startup is $49/month for 500.