Building a chat application or integrating a chat feature into an existing app is a complex process. It involves a myriad of technicalities and intricate setup requirements. From managing real-time messaging to ensuring data security and providing a seamless user experience, the challenges can be daunting. This is why many developers choose to partner with communication infrastructure providers rather than taking on the burden themselves.
However, choosing the right solution to partner with can be tricky and overwhelming. There is a wide spectrum of solutions available, ranging from real-time infrastructure providers to chat-specific APIs and SDKs. Each comes with its own set of features, advantages, and potential drawbacks, making the decision-making process even more challenging.
In this blog, we will take a deep dive into two prominent solutions in this space: PubNub and Stream. Both offer robust platforms for building chat applications, but they approach the challenge from different angles. PubNub is known for its real-time infrastructure capabilities, while Stream is recognized for its specialized chat APIs and SDKs.
We will compare how PubNub and Stream perform across various criteria, including ease of integration, customization options, scalability, and overall user experience. By the end of this comparison, you'll have a clearer understanding of which solution is best suited for your needs, helping you make an informed decision and ensuring your chat application is built on a solid foundation.
PubNub : A quick overview
PubNub is a real-time infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) company that offers a cloud-based platform for developers to build, manage, and scale real-time applications. Its primary feature is a real-time pub/sub messaging API.
In the pub-sub model, messages are sent to specific 'channels' or 'topics' and received by subscribers to these channels, allowing for scalable and dynamic communication. This enables real-time updates, such as new chat messages or live game scores, to be pushed to users instantly.
Pros of using PubNub to build chat
PubNub utilizes a network of 15 data centers, automatically routing users to the nearest one.
PubNub offers unlimited channels and concurrency within their pricing plans.
PubNub prioritizes secure data transmission and provides a robust infrastructure to ensure your chat application remains reliable and protects user data.
Cons of using PubNub
PubNub's chat functionality feels more like an add-on, making integration and customization challenging. To address user complaints about the lack of a chat-specific SDK, PubNub recently launched a new chat SDK based on their JavaScript framework.
PubNub’s chat SDK is currently limited to JavaScript-based frameworks, making it less accessible and helpful for developers building apps with other frameworks. Additionally, as a newer release, it hasn't been extensively tested compared to more established solutions.
PubNub has limitations such as unreliable message ordering, potential message loss due to queue size limits, lack of message persistence for offline users, and no built-in user presence indicators.
Stream : A quick overview
GetStream initially gained recognition for its exceptional Activity Feeds API. Now, they offer StreamChat, enabling developers to integrate real-time chat features into their applications.
StreamChat provides extensive features, including a Messaging API, Chat SDKs, user management, message moderation, channel management, file sharing, and push notifications. Their primary focus remains on offering robust APIs for developers to build upon.
Pros of using Streamchat to build chat
Stream ensures low latency for users worldwide with its fast API response time via a global edge network.
They also provide dedicated SDKs and libraries for modern development frameworks, including Jetpack Compose (Android) and SwiftUI (iOS).
StreamChat includes features for user management, such as user authentication and permissions, which can be crucial in maintaining a secure and orderly chat environment.
Cons of using Streamchat to build chat
Missing native SMS and email notifications, which are essential for engagement.
Limited support for structured messages, affecting advanced functionalities.
Basic UI kits that offer very little scope for customizability.
Stability issues with voice and video capabilities.
Additional storage costs for image and file transfers
CometChat : A better alternative to PubNub and Stream
CometChat is a comprehensive chat infrastructure provider, offering robust APIs and SDKs that enable real-time communication in mobile apps and websites.
Beyond being a chat API provider, CometChat understands the critical role of chat in sectors such as telehealth, marketplaces, social communities, and dating. We deliver specially tailored chat components for these industries, ensuring a detailed and seamless integration into your core product experience.
What distinguishes CometChat is its extensive range of standout features and unique differentiators like
1. Top-notch UI kits
CometChat offers seamless integration with out-of-the-box features similar to WhatsApp, ensuring a quicker and simpler setup. With a familiar and intuitive user interface, you can achieve faster time to market. Our chat UI kits are designed for popular front-end frameworks such as React, React Native, Flutter, and Android.
2. Unified communication solution
Everything you need is available in one place. With CometChat, you won't have to deal with multiple vendors or manage different dashboards—our solution covers all your real-time communication requirements in a single, unified platform.
3. Best in class support
White-glove implementation assistance and global support coverage guarantee a smooth onboarding and ongoing success.
4. Expand beyond basic chat functionalities
Interactive messages enhance user engagement and streamline business operations. Schedule consultations, gather leads, conduct surveys, and more—all within the chat interface. Transform chat from a simple communication tool into a powerful business asset.
5. Purpose-built for chat
Unlike general solutions like PubNub and Stream, CometChat is designed specifically for developers looking to integrate chat functionality. Our SDKs, pre-built UI components, and extensive documentation—complete with sample apps—greatly simplify and accelerate the process of building a chat application."
6. Expand beyond basic chat functionalities
Interactive messages enhance user engagement and streamline business operations. Schedule consultations, gather leads, conduct surveys, and more—all within the chat interface. Transform chat from a simple communication tool into a powerful business asset.
CometChat is trusted by thousands of customers globally, from small startups to big enterprises, due to its ease of use, robust features, and reliability.
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| Features | Pubnub | Stream | Cometchat |
|---|---|---|---|
Development effort
| PubNub requires high development effort as it lacks UI kits and relies solely on SDKs. It does not support popular frameworks like Flutter, Vue.js, or Angular, necessitating the development of chat UIs from scratch or the use of third-party libraries. This can lead to additional work for developers using these SDKs.
| They provide UI kits for certain technologies, including React, Android, and iOS. However, these kits are not fully modular, which can make customization challenging. Stream's approach is 'SDK first,' with UI kits being secondary to their core SDK offerings.
| Low effort to integrate any chat feature with SDKs and UI kits. Abstracts away most of the backend complexity.
|
Core chat features
| Requires significant time to build chat features like search, user presence, etc.
| ||
Moderation
| Offers basic moderation tools like user blocking and keyword filtering.
| Stream offers basic moderation tools, including image moderation, regex pattern matching, and profanity filters. Their new moderation platform focuses on semantic filtering, which is less effective than CometChat's AI-powered approach that evaluates context and intent.
| CometChat excels with AI-Powered moderation to detect and address inappropriate content like hate speech and bullying, scalability and ease of use to simplify workflows and comprehensive features like text and image analysis, profile monitoring.
|
Notifications
| Provides basic push notifications using platform integrations (Firebase Cloud Messaging for Android, Apple Push Notification service for iOS).
| Stream does not offer notifications natively. In order to build it, it will take significant development effort.
| Offers comprehensive notification solutions, supporting text, in-app, push, email, and SMS notifications.
|
Analytics and insights
| Has limited built in analytics and offers basic data on message volume, user activity, and channel usage.
| Stream does not provide any usage insights.
| Offers advanced analytics on chat usage, user activity and engagement.
|
Pricing
| Pricing can be high, especially as the application scales. Costs are based on the number of transactions and data usage, which can become expensive for high-traffic applications
| Stream offers separate plans for each of its services. They provide chat, voice, and video calling as distinct products, each requiring separate payment.
| Free build plan for up to 25 MAUs. Paid plans start at $119/month. Voice calling is charged at $0.001 /user minute Video calling is charged at $0.003 /user minute
|
AI features
| PubNub does not provide native AI features for chat functionalities but can be integrated with external AI services such as chatbots or sentiment analysis tools.
| Stream enables you to integrate AI chatbots into your applications using their SDKs.
| CometChat provides a comprehensive AI solution with user insights, funnel analysis, and entity insights. It includes conversational tools like starters, smart replies, summarization, and coaching capabilities, along with integrated moderation tools.
|
Aarathy Sundaresan
Content Marketer , CometChat