What is SendBird and what are its top alternatives?
SendBird is a popular chat API and messaging SDK that enables developers to add real-time chat and messaging features to their applications. Key features of SendBird include real-time notifications, message threading, file sharing, and moderation tools. However, some limitations of SendBird include high pricing for larger usage volumes and limited customization options for the UI.
PubNub: PubNub offers a real-time communication platform with features such as chat, notifications, and data streaming. Pros include scalability and reliability, while cons include potentially higher costs for large-scale deployments.
Twilio: Twilio provides a communication platform with chat, voice, and video capabilities. Key features include scalability, global reach, and extensive documentation. A downside is the complexity of the platform for beginners.
Pusher: Pusher offers a real-time messaging platform with features like chat, notifications, and presence indicators. Pros include ease of integration and a generous free tier, while cons include limited customization options.
Stream Chat: Stream Chat provides a chat API and SDK with features like message threads, reactions, and typing indicators. Key features include robust documentation and ease of use, but cons may include higher pricing for larger usage volumes.
Firebase Realtime Database: Firebase Realtime Database is a NoSQL cloud database that supports real-time updates. Pros include seamless integration with other Firebase services, while cons include potential performance issues with large datasets.
Socket.IO: Socket.IO is a library that enables real-time, bidirectional event-based communication. Key features include cross-platform support and auto-reconnection, but cons may include a steeper learning curve for beginners.
Layer: Layer offers a messaging platform for building in-app messaging experiences. Pros include rich message features and customization options, while cons may include limited scalability for larger applications.
CometChat: CometChat is a chat API and SDK that supports text, voice, and video chat. Key features include in-app voice and video calling, but cons may include a less extensive feature set compared to other providers.
Applozic: Applozic provides a chat SDK with features like message search, group chat, and push notifications. Pros include a comprehensive feature set and robust customer support, while cons may include potential costs for advanced features.
Agora: Agora offers a real-time communication platform with voice and video chat capabilities. Key features include low-latency communication and global scalability, but cons may include complex pricing structures for different features.
Top Alternatives to SendBird
- PubNub
PubNub makes it easy for you to add real-time capabilities to your apps, without worrying about the infrastructure. Build apps that allow your users to engage in real-time across mobile, browser, desktop and server. ...
- Stream
Stream allows you to build scalable feeds, activity streams, and chat. Stream’s simple, yet powerful API’s and SDKs are used by some of the largest and most popular applications for feeds and chat. SDKs available for most popular languages. ...
- Firebase
Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications. Simply add the Firebase library to your application to gain access to a shared data structure; any changes you make to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds. ...
- QuickBlox
Add powerful communication features to your mobile app and data services for your backend<br> ...
- MessageBird
At MessageBird we believe that communicating with a business should feel as natural as communicating with a friend. That's why our SMS, Voice and Conversations APIs continue to revolutionize company-customer interactions. ...
- CometChat
CometChat offers a comprehensive in-app chat SDK platform that equips businesses with the tools to integrate real-time chat, voice, and video into their applications. ...
- Pusher
Pusher is the category leader in delightful APIs for app developers building communication and collaboration features. ...
- Twilio
Twilio offers developers a powerful API for phone services to make and receive phone calls, and send and receive text messages. Their product allows programmers to more easily integrate various communication methods into their software and programs. ...
SendBird alternatives & related posts
- Massively scalable & easy to use36
- Easy setup25
- Reliable20
- Great support19
- Flexible to integrate to custom applications14
- Sockets at Scale13
- 99.999% availability guarantees13
- High-Performance13
- High-Reliability12
- Multiplexing12
- Scalability7
- High-Availability5
- 70+ SDKs5
- Security4
- Azure Add-on4
- Heroku Add-on3
- Presence3
- Flexible3
- Easy to setup3
- Data Streams2
- Free Plan2
- Server-Side Cache2
- PhoneGap Plugin2
- AngularJS Adapter2
- Data Sync2
- Analytics2
- Support2
- Easy setup and very reliable1
- High cost, going up more in Summer '151
- Cool1
- Angular 2+ integration1
- Documentation, easy to use, great people/service1
- CTO stephen also is A++++++1
- Real time and easy to use.1
- Easy integration with iOS apps1
- Costly1
related PubNub posts
Which messaging service (Pusher vs. PubNub vs. Google Cloud Pub/Sub) to use for IoT?
React Native NativeBase redux-saga Apollo GraphQL Node.js PostGraphile PostgreSQL PubNub . @PLAID Dwolla.js . Zube GitHub Yarn npm AWS Elastic Beanstalk
- Up and running in few minutes18
- Integrates via easy-to-use REST API18
- It's easy to setup with the minimum coding18
related Stream posts
- Realtime backend made easy371
- Fast and responsive270
- Easy setup242
- Real-time215
- JSON191
- Free134
- Backed by google128
- Angular adaptor83
- Reliable68
- Great customer support36
- Great documentation32
- Real-time synchronization25
- Mobile friendly21
- Rapid prototyping19
- Great security14
- Automatic scaling12
- Freakingly awesome11
- Super fast development8
- Angularfire is an amazing addition!8
- Chat8
- Firebase hosting6
- Built in user auth/oauth6
- Awesome next-gen backend6
- Ios adaptor6
- Speed of light4
- Very easy to use4
- Great3
- It's made development super fast3
- Brilliant for startups3
- Free hosting2
- Cloud functions2
- JS Offline and Sync suport2
- Low battery consumption2
- .net2
- The concurrent updates create a great experience2
- Push notification2
- I can quickly create static web apps with no backend2
- Great all-round functionality2
- Free authentication solution2
- Easy Reactjs integration1
- Google's support1
- Free SSL1
- CDN & cache out of the box1
- Easy to use1
- Large1
- Faster workflow1
- Serverless1
- Good Free Limits1
- Simple and easy1
- Can become expensive31
- No open source, you depend on external company16
- Scalability is not infinite15
- Not Flexible Enough9
- Cant filter queries7
- Very unstable server3
- No Relational Data3
- Too many errors2
- No offline sync2
related Firebase posts
Hi Otensia! I'd definitely recommend using the skills you've already got and building with JavaScript is a smart way to go these days. Most platform services have JavaScript/Node SDKs or NPM packages, many serverless platforms support Node in case you need to write any backend logic, and JavaScript is incredibly popular - meaning it will be easy to hire for, should you ever need to.
My advice would be "don't reinvent the wheel". If you already have a skill set that will work well to solve the problem at hand, and you don't need it for any other projects, don't spend the time jumping into a new language. If you're looking for an excuse to learn something new, it would be better to invest that time in learning a new platform/tool that compliments your knowledge of JavaScript. For this project, I might recommend using Netlify, Vercel, or Google Firebase to quickly and easily deploy your web app. If you need to add user authentication, there are great examples out there for Firebase Authentication, Auth0, or even Magic (a newcomer on the Auth scene, but very user friendly). All of these services work very well with a JavaScript-based application.
For inboxkitten.com, an opensource disposable email service;
We migrated our serverless workload from Cloud Functions for Firebase to CloudFlare workers, taking advantage of the lower cost and faster-performing edge computing of Cloudflare network. Made possible due to our extremely low CPU and RAM overhead of our serverless functions.
If I were to summarize the limitation of Cloudflare (as oppose to firebase/gcp functions), it would be ...
- <5ms CPU time limit
- Incompatible with express.js
- one script limitation per domain
Limitations our workload is able to conform with (YMMV)
For hosting of static files, we migrated from Firebase to CommonsHost
More details on the trade-off in between both serverless providers is in the article
- Flexibility7
related QuickBlox posts
- User friendly1
- Quality1
- Low Cost of entry1
- Powerful1
related MessageBird posts
related CometChat posts
I am considering which chat solution to choose between CometChat and SendBird, for our new app. The condition is, the app is going to run in a private network and has to connect with MSSQL. Any advice on other things I have to consider before choosing one, or is there another chat service you would recommend? Thank you!
- An easy way to give customers realtime features55
- Websockets40
- Simple34
- Easy to get started with27
- Free plan25
- Heroku Add-on12
- Easy and fast to configure and to understand11
- JSON9
- Happy6
- Azure Add-on6
- Support5
- Push notification4
- Costly11
related Pusher posts
Which messaging service (Pusher vs. PubNub vs. Google Cloud Pub/Sub) to use for IoT?
Recently we finished long research on chat tool for our students and mentors. In the end we picked Mattermost Team Edition as the cheapest and most feature complete option. We did consider building everything from scratch and use something like Pusher or Twilio on a backend, but then we would have to implement all the desktop and mobile clients and all the features oursevles. Mattermost gave us flexible API, lots of built in or easy to install integrations and future-proof feature set. We are still integrating it with our main platform but so far the team, existing mentors and students are very happy.
- Powerful, simple, and well documented api148
- RESTful API88
- Clear pricing66
- Great sms services61
- Low cost of entry58
- Global SMS Gateway29
- Good value14
- Cloud IVR12
- Simple11
- Extremely simple to integrate with rails11
- Great for startups6
- SMS5
- Great developer program3
- Hassle free3
- Text me the app pages2
- New Features constantly rolling out1
- Many deployment options, from build from scratch to buy1
- Easy integration1
- Two factor authentication1
- Predictable pricing4
- Expensive2
related Twilio posts
Hi, We are looking to implement 2FA - so that users would be sent a Verification code over their Email and SMS to their phone.
We faced some limitations with Amazon SNS where we could either send the verification code to email OR to the phone number, while we want to send it to both.
We also are looking to make the 2FA more flexible by adding any other options later on.
What are the best alternatives to SNS for this use case and purpose? Looked at Twilio but want to explore other options before making a decision.
Would be great to know what the experience with Twilio has been, especially the limitations/issues with Twilio...
Appreciate any input from users of Twilio and others who have had similar use cases.
Searching for options for SMS that integrates with SiteLink and will allow personalization of text and tracking of both incoming/outgoing messages with reporting (Time, date, call#, etc) Have been looking at Twilio, and seems most leaning toward this. Are there any other options known that integrate into SiteLink? Also looked at Clickatell.