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PubNub vs SocketCluster: What are the differences?
- PubNub: PubNub is a global Data Stream Network (DSN) and Real-time Infrastructures-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform that enables developers to build real-time applications. It provides a set of APIs and SDKs that allow developers to send messages across various platforms in real-time.
SocketCluster: SocketCluster is a scalable real-time framework for building efficient and secure WebSocket applications. It provides a highly flexible and customizable platform for building real-time applications using the WebSocket protocol.
Scalability and Performance: PubNub is designed to handle large-scale real-time applications with millions of concurrent connections. It has a network of global data centers that ensure low-latency communication and high availability. SocketCluster, on the other hand, is built to scale horizontally and can handle thousands of concurrent connections efficiently.
Customization and Control: SocketCluster offers a high level of customization and control over the application's functionality. Developers can build custom middleware and plugins to extend the framework's capabilities. PubNub, while it provides a range of functionality out of the box, may have limited customization options.
Security: SocketCluster emphasizes security and provides features like access control, authentication, and encryption out of the box. It allows developers to secure their real-time applications using various mechanisms. PubNub also offers security features, but the level of control and customization may vary across different plans.
Development and Integration: PubNub provides a wide range of SDKs for various platforms and languages, making it easier for developers to integrate real-time functionality into their applications. SocketCluster also offers SDKs, but the availability may be limited compared to PubNub. It requires more manual configuration and setup.
In Summary, PubNub is a global Data Stream Network platform with extensive SDK support, while SocketCluster is a scalable real-time framework with high customization and security features.
I am building an IoT application that will utilize connected air quality sensors to provide real-time indoor air quality in offices. I want to be able to share this data with a few different databases, etc.
Wondering if anyone has any advice on which real-time streaming API would be best for this sort of application, or even how I should think about it?
For IoT, we support MQTT along with websockets and SSE. The pattern you're suggesting that involves harvesting data from devices and soaking into a database is easy to achieve with one of the Ably integrations (Serverless functions/webhook) . Here are some tutorials to do things like this: https://ably.com/tutorials/reactor-event-zapier#step2-mqtt-ably
We use Pusher at www.justlearn.com. It works fine. When you reach more users, Pusher gets expensive. We use Pusher for live chat between users. Their software is easy to use. We have had issues with auth on Pusher.
Pros of PubNub
- 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
Pros of SocketCluster
- Cluster mode is awesome12
- WebSockets8
- Scalability7
- Security4
- Real-time4
- JWT based Authentication4
- Pub-Sub API3
- Open source3
- Client Libraries2
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Cons of PubNub
- Costly1