Stream
APIs and SDKs for adding chat, video calling, activity feeds and moderation to apps.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Web, iOS, Android
Is Stream free?
Free plan, plus paid plans
- Starting price:
- $399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start)
- Free plan:
- Yes, Build plan with 10K MAU
Checked on Stream's site Nov 8, 2026
Full Stream pricing and plansSwitch from Stream to
All 8- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 8
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Stream
Stream (getstream.io) provides hosted building blocks for social and messaging features: in-app chat with threads, reactions and offline support, video and audio calling with livestreaming, activity feeds, and content moderation. Developers integrate through SDKs and UI kits for React, React Native, iOS, Android, Flutter, Angular, Unity and Unreal, so a working chat screen can be added without building the backend. It's used by marketplaces, dating, healthcare and gaming apps. Chat pricing is based on monthly active users and concurrent connections, with a free Build tier for small apps and a Maker programme with higher limits for small companies, then monthly plans with overage charges for users, storage and API calls. Costs can rise quickly as an app grows, and each product (chat, video, feeds, moderation) is priced separately.
Best for: App teams adding chat, video or feeds who want ready-made UI kits for many frameworks.
Stream pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from Stream's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, Build plan with 10K MAU | Nov 8, 2026 | getstream.io |
| Starting price | $399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start) | Nov 8, 2026 | getstream.io |
| MAU overage | $0.09 per user | Nov 8, 2026 | getstream.io |
| Elevate plan | $599 a month billed annually, or $675 monthly | Nov 8, 2026 | getstream.io |
Pros and cons
What works
- 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
Why people leave
- Paid chat plans start in the hundreds of dollars per month
- Separate overage meters for users, connections, API calls and storage
- Not self-hostable
Stream vs CometChat, Sendbird and Firebase
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | Stream | CometChat | Sendbird | Firebase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Paid | Paid | Free plan + paid |
| Verified price | $399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start) | $239/month billed annually | $349/month billed annually | — |
| Free plan | Yes, Build plan with 10K MAU | Development only, up to 100 users | No | Yes, Spark plan |
| Open source | No | No | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
Top Stream alternatives
See all 8- 1
CometChat79.8Lower starting price for paid chat plans, plus a no-code widget option.
- 2
Sendbird68.8Long-established chat API with business messaging and support-desk add-ons.
- 3
Firebase58.5Many teams build their own chat on Firestore's realtime listeners instead of paying per monthly active user for a chat API.
- 4
Twilio52.6Its Conversations API covers in-app chat plus SMS and WhatsApp in one thread, handy if you already send texts through Twilio.
- 5
Agora52.6Stronger choice if real-time video, voice and live streaming are the main need.
Why people left Stream
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Stream, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers
Write a review of Stream
Stream: common questions
What is Stream?
Stream: APIs and SDKs for adding chat, video calling, activity feeds and moderation to apps. Best for app teams adding chat, video or feeds who want ready-made UI kits for many frameworks. Available for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Stream free?
Stream has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Yes, Build plan with 10K MAU (checked on Stream's own site).
How much does Stream cost?
Stream is free with paid plans. Free plan: Yes, Build plan with 10K MAU; Starting price: $399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start); MAU overage: $0.09 per user; Elevate plan: $599 a month billed annually, or $675 monthly. Checked on Stream's own site, November 2026.
Is Stream open source?
No, Stream is not open source. Open-source alternatives include LiveKit.
What platforms does Stream run on?
Stream is available for Web, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Stream?
The highest-ranked Stream alternatives right now are CometChat, Sendbird and Firebase. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
Stream vs CometChat: what's the difference?
Stream is free with paid plans; CometChat is a paid product. Verified prices: Stream $399 a month billed annually, or $499 monthly (Chat Start), CometChat $239/month billed annually. Both run on Web, iOS and Android.