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CometChat alternatives: 7 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll in-app chat and video APIs

Top picks

  • Stream logo

    Best overall

    Stream

    Starting price: $399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start)

  • Firebase logo

    Best free option

    Firebase

    Free plan + paid

  • LiveKit logo

    Best open source

    LiveKit

    Free plan: $0/month Build plan

Common reasons people leave CometChat: free Build plan is for development only, capped at 100 users, and MAU and concurrent connection overages on Basic and Advanced plans. We ranked 7 alternatives by how directly each one replaces CometChat, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Stream currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Stream logoStreamFree plan + paid$399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start)NoWeb, iOS, Android5 of 568.8
2Firebase logoFirebaseFree plan + paid—NoWeb, iOS, Android8 of 866.2
3Sendbird logoSendbirdPaid$349/month billed annuallyNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 464.8
4Ably logoAblyFree plan + paid$29 a month for 1K MAUs, billed annually (Pro)NoWeb5 of 554.4
5Twilio logoTwilioPaidFrom $0.0083 per messageNoWeb7 of 752.6
6Agora logoAgoraFree plan + paid$0.59 per 1,000 RTC minutesNoWeb, Windows, macOS +26 of 652.6
7LiveKit logoLiveKitOpen sourceFrom $50/monthYesWeb, iOS, Android +14 of 451.2
  1. Stream logo

    1. StreamTop pick

    Best for: App teams adding chat, video or feeds who want ready-made UI kits for many frameworks

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from CometChat

    Free production tier for small apps and extra products like activity feeds.

    Pros

    • Chat, video, feeds and moderation from one vendor
    • UI kits for most mobile, web and game frameworks
    • Free tier for small apps and a Maker programme for small companies

    Cons

    • Paid chat plans start in the hundreds of dollars per month
    • Separate overage meters for users, connections, API calls and storage
    • Not self-hostable
    Visit Stream Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Stream a good CometChat alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, Build plan with 10K MAU
    Checked Nov 8, 2026getstream.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026getstream.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Products
    Chat, video, feeds, moderation
    Checked Nov 8, 2026getstream.io(opens source in a new tab)
    MAU overage
    $0.09 per user
    Checked Nov 8, 2026getstream.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Elevate plan
    $599 a month billed annually, or $675 monthly
    Checked Nov 8, 2026getstream.io(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Firebase logo

    2. Firebase

    Best for: Mobile and web teams who want realtime sync, auth and push messaging from one vendor

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    66.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from CometChat

    Build your own chat on Firestore's realtime listeners and Firebase Auth, trading ready-made UI kits for full control and usage pricing.

    Pros

    • Mature SDKs for Android, iOS, Flutter and web
    • Realtime sync and offline support built into the client libraries
    • Wide set of mobile services such as crash reporting and push messaging

    Cons

    • Ties your app closely to Google Cloud
    • NoSQL query limits often force data duplication
    • Pay-as-you-go bills can spike with heavy reads
    Visit Firebase Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.341
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Firebase a good CometChat alternative?

    Verified facts

    8 of 8 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, Spark plan
    Checked Nov 8, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid plan
    Blaze, pay as you go
    Checked Nov 8, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Database
    Firestore, a NoSQL document database
    Checked Nov 8, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    SQL option
    PostgreSQL via Firebase SQL Connect
    Checked Nov 8, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Blaze plan
    Pay as you go, with Spark free usage included
    Checked Nov 8, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud Functions
    Free up to 2M invocations/month, then $0.40 per million
    Checked Nov 8, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud Storage
    Free up to 5 GB, then $0.026 per GB
    Checked Nov 8, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free credit
    $300 for eligible Blaze users
    Checked Nov 8, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Sendbird logo

    3. Sendbird

    Best for: Mid-size and enterprise apps that need mature in-app chat with moderation and support tooling

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from CometChat

    Established chat API with business messaging and a moderation dashboard.

    Pros

    • Mature chat feature set including moderation dashboard and translation
    • Voice and video calling and business messaging from the same vendor
    • Dedicated server option on enterprise plans

    Cons

    • No free production tier; paid plans start in the hundreds per month
    • Translation and image moderation require the Pro plan
    • Company focus has shifted toward AI customer service products
    Visit Sendbird Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Sendbird a good CometChat alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free trial
    Yes, up to 1,000 MAU
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sendbird.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $349/month billed annually
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sendbird.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    $499/month billed annually
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sendbird.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Voice and video
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sendbird.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Ably logo

    4. Ably

    Best for: Teams building chat, live collaboration or streaming features where delivery guarantees matter

    Free plan + paidWeb

    54.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from CometChat

    Realtime messaging infrastructure with a Chat SDK, good when you want strong delivery guarantees and to build more of the UI yourself.

    Pros

    • Guaranteed ordering and message history
    • Generous free package with 6M messages a month
    • Dedicated chat and database-sync products

    Cons

    • Usage-based billing is harder to predict than flat tiers
    • Uptime SLAs are limited to higher plans
    • Cloud only
    Visit Ably Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.352
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Ably a good CometChat alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, up to 500 MAUs
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ably.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $29 a month for 1K MAUs, billed annually (Pro)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ably.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise SLA
    99.999% uptime
    Checked Nov 1, 2026ably.com(opens source in a new tab)
    JavaScript SDK license
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business plan
    From $349 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ably.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Twilio logo

    5. Twilio

    Best for: Developers adding SMS, calls, WhatsApp or 2FA codes to an app who want the widest set of features

    PaidWeb

    52.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from CometChat

    Twilio Conversations ties in-app chat to SMS and WhatsApp threads, useful if you already use Twilio for messaging.

    Pros

    • Covers SMS, voice, WhatsApp, RCS, verification and email in one account
    • Pay as you go with no contract
    • Free trial with no credit card
    • Mature docs and SDKs for most languages

    Cons

    • Per-message rates are higher than some carrier-owned rivals
    • Carrier fees and US 10DLC registration add cost and setup work
    • The product range is large and can be hard to navigate
    Visit Twilio Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.346
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Twilio a good CometChat alternative?

    Verified facts

    7 of 7 verified
    Pricing
    Pay as you go
    Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    Yes, no credit card required
    Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    SMS price
    From $0.0083 per message
    Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    WhatsApp
    From $0.005 per message
    Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    WhatsApp price
    From $0.005 per message
    Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Voice price
    From $0.014/min to make a call, $0.0085/min to receive
    Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Email price
    From $0.0013 per email
    Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
  6. Agora logo

    6. Agora

    Best for: Consumer apps that need voice, video or live streaming at very large scale across regions

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    52.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from CometChat

    Pay-per-use video, voice and chat with a large free monthly allowance.

    Pros

    • Large free monthly allowance of RTC minutes
    • Proven at very high concurrency
    • Separate products for signaling, chat and voice AI

    Cons

    • Proprietary network with no self-hosted option
    • Many products and SKUs make costs hard to estimate
    • Larger deals require talking to sales
    Visit Agora Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.346
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Agora a good CometChat alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Free allowance
    10,000 RTC minutes a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026agora.io(opens source in a new tab)
    RTC price
    From $0.59 per 1,000 minutes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026agora.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Conversational AI
    From $0.10 per minute, first 300 minutes free
    Checked Nov 8, 2026agora.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Latency
    Under 200 ms globally
    Checked Nov 8, 2026agora.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $0.59 per 1,000 RTC minutes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026agora.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Chat
    From $0.05 per monthly active user
    Checked Nov 8, 2026agora.io(opens source in a new tab)
  7. LiveKit logo

    7. LiveKit

    Best for: Teams building voice AI agents or video apps who want an open-source stack with an optional managed cloud

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    51.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from CometChat

    Open-source real-time media stack you can self-host for calls.

    Pros

    • Apache-2.0 server you can self-host
    • Agents framework with turn detection and telephony
    • SDKs for most web, mobile and game platforms
    • Free cloud tier with no credit card

    Cons

    • Product focus has moved strongly towards voice AI agents
    • Self-hosting at scale means running your own WebRTC infrastructure
    • Cloud costs stack several per-minute charges per session
    Visit LiveKit Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.341
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is LiveKit a good CometChat alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Nov 8, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    $0/month Build plan
    Checked Nov 8, 2026livekit.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid plans
    From $50/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026livekit.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud regions
    19+
    Checked Nov 8, 2026livekit.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best CometChat alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Stream logo

Best CometChat alternative for most people

Stream

Free production tier for small apps and extra products like activity feeds.

LiveKit logo

Best CometChat alternative for a free option

LiveKit

Open-source real-time media stack you can self-host for calls.

Firebase logo

Best CometChat alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Firebase

Build your own chat on Firestore's realtime listeners and Firebase Auth, trading ready-made UI kits for full control and usage pricing.

LiveKit logo

Best CometChat alternative for open source

LiveKit

Open-source real-time media stack you can self-host for calls.

LiveKit logo

Best CometChat alternative for self-hosting

LiveKit

Open-source real-time media stack you can self-host for calls.

Agora logo

Best CometChat alternative for Mac

Agora

Pay-per-use video, voice and chat with a large free monthly allowance.

Agora logo

Best CometChat alternative for Windows

Agora

Pay-per-use video, voice and chat with a large free monthly allowance.

Sendbird logo

Best CometChat alternative for iPhone and Android

Sendbird

Established chat API with business messaging and a moderation dashboard.

Ably logo

Best CometChat alternative for working in the browser

Ably

Realtime messaging infrastructure with a Chat SDK, good when you want strong delivery guarantees and to build more of the UI yourself.

CometChat alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to CometChat?

Stream ranks first right now. Free production tier for small apps and extra products like activity feeds. Firebase and Sendbird follow it in our ranking.

CometChat vs Stream: what's the difference?

CometChat is a paid product; Stream is free with paid plans. Verified prices: CometChat $239/month billed annually, Stream $399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start). Both run on Web, iOS and Android.

Is CometChat free?

CometChat is a paid product. Free plan: Development only, up to 100 users; Starting price: $239/month billed annually; MAU overage: $0.10 per MAU. Checked on CometChat's own site, November 2026.

How much do CometChat alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked CometChat alternatives: Stream, $399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start); Sendbird, $349/month billed annually; Ably, $29 a month for 1K MAUs, billed annually (Pro); Twilio, From $0.0083 per message; Agora, $0.59 per 1,000 RTC minutes. Each price was checked on the app's own site; see each card below for the date and source.

Is there a free alternative to CometChat?

Yes. Stream (free plan + paid), Firebase (free plan + paid), Ably (free plan + paid) and Agora (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to CometChat?

Yes: LiveKit. LiveKit can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from CometChat?

The complaints we hear most: free Build plan is for development only, capped at 100 users; MAU and concurrent connection overages on Basic and Advanced plans; email and SMS notification fallbacks need the Advanced plan.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces CometChat, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.