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Pusher alternatives: 2 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 1, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Pusher: free plan allows only 100 concurrent connections, and fixed tiers jump in price as connections grow. We ranked 2 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Pusher, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Firebase currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Firebase logoFirebaseFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android8 of 866.2
  1. Firebase logo

    1. FirebaseTop pick

    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 Pusher

    Realtime Database and Firestore listeners push live updates to clients alongside auth and hosting.

    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 Pusher alternative?

    Verified facts

    8 of 8 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, Spark plan
    Checked Nov 1, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid plan
    Blaze, pay as you go
    Checked Oct 29, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Database
    Firestore, a NoSQL document database
    Checked Oct 29, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    SQL option
    PostgreSQL via Firebase SQL Connect
    Checked Oct 29, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Blaze plan
    Pay as you go, with Spark free usage included
    Checked Nov 1, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud Functions
    Free up to 2M invocations/month, then $0.40 per million
    Checked Nov 1, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud Storage
    Free up to 5 GB, then $0.026 per GB
    Checked Nov 1, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free credit
    $300 for eligible Blaze users
    Checked Nov 1, 2026firebase.google.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Pusher alternative for…

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

Firebase logo

Best Pusher alternative for most people

Firebase

Realtime Database and Firestore listeners push live updates to clients alongside auth and hosting.

Supabase logo

Best Pusher alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Supabase

Its Realtime feature broadcasts database changes and presence if you also want a hosted Postgres backend.

Supabase logo

Best Pusher alternative for open source

Supabase

Its Realtime feature broadcasts database changes and presence if you also want a hosted Postgres backend.

Supabase logo

Best Pusher alternative for self-hosting

Supabase

Its Realtime feature broadcasts database changes and presence if you also want a hosted Postgres backend.

Firebase logo

Best Pusher alternative for iPhone and Android

Firebase

Realtime Database and Firestore listeners push live updates to clients alongside auth and hosting.

Firebase logo

Best Pusher alternative for working in the browser

Firebase

Realtime Database and Firestore listeners push live updates to clients alongside auth and hosting.

Pusher alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Pusher?

Firebase ranks first right now. Realtime Database and Firestore listeners push live updates to clients alongside auth and hosting.

Is there a free alternative to Pusher?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to Pusher?

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

Why do people switch from Pusher?

The complaints we hear most: free plan allows only 100 concurrent connections; fixed tiers jump in price as connections grow; no message history or delivery guarantees like Ably's.

How is this list ranked?

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