Is Apinator a drop-in replacement for Pusher?

Yes. Apinator uses the same channel model, event structure, and auth flow as Pusher. The client SDK (@apinator/client) mirrors the pusher-js API so your existing channel names, event bindings, and presence logic work without changes. You only replace the import and set your host.

Does Apinator support all Pusher channel types?

Yes — public, private, and presence channels are all supported. Private channels use HMAC-SHA256 auth on your backend. Presence channels track who is online across tabs and devices, just like Pusher.

Why is Apinator cheaper than Pusher at scale?

Pusher bills per message and concurrent connection. At 1M messages/month or 100+ concurrent connections, costs add up fast. Apinator runs on your own servers — you pay for a VPS or cloud instance, not per-unit usage. A $20/month server can handle millions of messages.

Can I migrate without rewriting my backend?

Yes. The server SDK (@apinator/server) uses the same trigger() API as the Pusher server library. Replace the import and credentials — the REST call to publish events is identical in structure.

What if I want managed hosting instead of self-hosting?

Apinator offers a managed cloud option. You get the same features and APIs with Apinator handling the infrastructure. You can start self-hosted and move to managed later with no code changes.

Pusher-Compatible API

The Free Pusher Alternative

All the WebSocket channels, presence, and event broadcasting you rely on — without per-message billing.

Apinator is API-compatible with Pusher. Migrate your existing client code in minutes, keep the same channel names and event structure, and deploy on your own infrastructure — or let us run it for you. Fixed costs, no surprises.

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Pusher-Compatible API

Same channel types, auth flow, and event model as Pusher. Swap the client library — nothing else changes.

No Per-Message Billing

Pusher charges per message and connection. Apinator runs on your infrastructure at a fixed cost that scales with your servers, not your traffic.

Self-Hosted or Managed

Full control over your data and infrastructure. Deploy on any server, cloud provider, or use our managed cloud.

Multi-Region

Run data planes in EU, US, or any region your users are in. Low-latency delivery without a single-region bottleneck.

Full Feature Parity

Public, private, and presence channels. Client events. Webhooks. Everything you get from Pusher, self-hosted.

No Vendor Lock-In

Your infrastructure, your data. Switch providers or move to self-hosted at any time — no proprietary tie-in.

Apinator vs Pusher

Feature	Apinator	Pusher
Pricing model	Fixed infrastructure	Per-message / per-connection
Self-hosted
Free to use
Private channels
Presence channels
Client events
Webhooks
Multi-region
Data sovereignty

Drop-In Migration

Replace pusher-js with @apinator/client — the channel and event API is identical. One import, done.

migration.js
// Before — pusher-js
import Pusher from 'pusher-js'
const pusher = new Pusher('APP_KEY', { cluster: 'us2' })
const ch = pusher.subscribe('orders')
ch.bind('update', (data) => renderOrder(data))

// After — @apinator/client (identical API, your infrastructure)
import { RealtimeClient } from '@apinator/client'
const client = new RealtimeClient('APP_KEY', { host: 'wss://rt.example.com' })
const ch = client.subscribe('orders')
ch.bind('update', (data) => renderOrder(data))

Frequently Asked Questions

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The Free Pusher Alternative

Pusher-Compatible API

No Per-Message Billing

Self-Hosted or Managed

Multi-Region

Full Feature Parity

No Vendor Lock-In

Apinator vs Pusher

Drop-In Migration

Frequently Asked Questions

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