Pusher is a developer platform for adding realtime communication features to web and mobile applications. It helps teams send live updates, notifications, chat messages, collaborative events, and interactive state changes without operating all realtime infrastructure themselves.
Who is Pusher for?
Pusher is useful for developers building apps with live dashboards, notifications, chat, collaboration, multiplayer-like interactions, or event-driven user interfaces. It fits teams that want a hosted realtime API rather than maintaining WebSocket infrastructure.
Key features
- Hosted realtime messaging channels.
- WebSocket-based updates for web and mobile apps.
- SDKs for popular frontend and backend stacks.
- Presence channels for user status and collaborative features.
- Notification and event delivery workflows.
- Scalable infrastructure for realtime communication.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fast way to add realtime features.
- Reduces operational complexity around WebSockets.
- Good documentation and SDK coverage.
- Useful for prototypes and production apps.
Cons
- Costs can grow with connection count and message volume.
- Vendor dependency for realtime infrastructure.
- Very custom realtime systems may need self-hosted architecture.
Pricing and costs
Pusher uses a freemium model with paid plans based on usage, connections, messages, and product features. Teams should estimate peak connection count and event volume before scaling.
FAQ
Does Pusher require running WebSocket servers?
No. Pusher provides hosted realtime infrastructure.
Can Pusher be used for chat?
Yes. Chat is one common use case, alongside notifications, dashboards, and collaboration.
Is Pusher only for JavaScript apps?
No. It offers SDKs and APIs for multiple frontend and backend environments.