How Much Does CometChat Cost?
The real price of the in-app chat API, plan by plan, with the overage lines spelled out.
Short answer: CometChat has a free Build plan (100 MAU, all features, no card), then paid plans from about $87/month annual on Basic, billed by monthly active users. The jump from free to paid is steep: you go from 100 free MAU straight to a ~1,000 MAU paid tier, with no cheap middle ground. Two lines drive the real bill: $0.10 per MAU above your tier, and the concurrent-connection allowance. We walk through every plan and what you actually pay.
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CometChat, the key numbers
What each CometChat plan costs
CometChat bills by monthly active users, not by message volume. Messages, storage and file sharing are unlimited on every paid plan. The price tracks your MAU tier, sold in blocks of roughly 1,000 users. Annual billing saves you 20% versus paying monthly. The Build plan stays free forever for development and testing.
Prices in USD, annual billing, per ~1,000 MAU tier. Checked June 2026.
Build
To develop and test for free
No credit card required
- 100 MAU included, all features unlocked
- Text, voice and video chat SDK
- Push notifications and basic moderation
- Global EDGE network and unlimited messages
- Built for dev and test, not production scale
Basic
For your first production chat
Around ~$109/month monthly · per ~1,000 MAU
- From ~1,000 MAU per tier
- Rich in-app chat, push and basic moderation
- Global EDGE network for low latency
- Unlimited messages, storage and file sharing
- 5% of MAU included as concurrent connections
Advanced
When you need AI and compliance
Per ~1,000 MAU · everything in Basic, plus AI
- Everything in Basic, plus AI rule-based moderation
- Email and SMS notifications, multi-tenancy
- AI smart replies, insights, advanced search
- Message translation built in
- HIPAA / BAA for regulated apps
Enterprise
Scale with zero overages
Around from ~$1,249/month for 10,000+ MAU
- Everything in Advanced, plus OpenAI-powered moderation
- SSO and white-label domain
- Zero MAU overages on your committed tier
- 10% of MAU included as concurrent connections
- OpenAI-powered insights and priority support
Prices checked June 2026 and cross-referenced across several sources. CometChat bills per MAU in tiers of roughly 1,000 users, so the price climbs as your tiers stack. The Advanced plan price varies more than the others by tier and region, listed here as a ~$359 to ~$449 range: verify the exact figure on the official page. The ~1,000 MAU per tier and per-plan numbers are approximate, so verify on the official page for your region before you commit.
CometChat, what drives the bill up
The plan price is only the starting line. CometChat adds a few metered lines on top, and the bill climbs faster than the sticker suggests. Here is what actually moves the number.
MAU overage at $0.10 each
Go over your tier and every extra monthly active user costs about $0.10. A few hundred over feels harmless. Ten thousand over your Basic tier adds roughly $1,000 to the month. This is the line that quietly grows with a successful launch, so size your tier with headroom.
Concurrent connections (the surprise line)
This is the one people miss. Basic and Advanced include concurrent connections equal to 5% of your MAU; Enterprise includes 10%. Go past that ceiling at peak and each extra concurrent connection runs about $1. An app with spiky live events can blow through 5% fast, and $1 per connection adds up quicker than the per-MAU line.
Voice and video per minute
Calls are metered separately. Voice runs about $0.001/minute, video about $0.003/minute, with around 10,000 free test minutes to start. Text-only apps never touch this. But a video-heavy product can see calls become a bigger line than the base subscription.
The steep free-to-paid jump
The free Build plan stops at 100 MAU. The first paid tier starts around 1,000 MAU at ~$87/month. There is no cheap 200 or 500 MAU middle tier. So the moment you cross 100 real users you jump straight to the Basic tier, even if you only have 150 active users that month.
- Text-only app? You skip the voice and video per-minute lines entirely.
- Expecting spikes? Watch the concurrent-connection ceiling, not just MAU.
- Growing fast? Budget $0.10 per MAU above your tier.
- Need HIPAA, AI moderation or translation? That is Advanced, not Basic.
- Want zero overages? Only Enterprise removes the metered MAU line.
How we size the real cost
CometChat's price depends on more than the plan you pick. To size the real cost we add four things people often forget: your MAU tier, the $0.10 per-MAU overage when you exceed it, the concurrent-connection allowance (5% or 10% of MAU), and per-minute voice or video if you use calls. We base every figure on annual billing, where the 20% discount applies.
- MAU tierSold in blocks of ~1,000 active usersBase price
- MAU overagePer active user above your tier+$0.10
- Concurrent connectionsIncluded share, then ~$1 each extra5% / 10%
- Voice / video~$0.001 voice, ~$0.003 videoPer minute
Estimates per ~1,000 MAU tier. Adjust for your real active users, concurrency peaks and call minutes.
What you actually pay per month
The price hinges on your active users, your concurrency at peak, and whether you run calls. Four typical profiles on annual billing, assumptions stated.
Estimates in USD, annual. Overage and call minutes depend on your usage.
Free POC
Under 100 MAU, dev and demo
- Build plan covers it: 100 MAU, all features
- No credit card, full SDK to prototype
- Voice and video test minutes included
Startup chat
~1,000 MAU, text only
- Basic plan, one ~1,000 MAU tier
- 5% concurrent (~50) usually plenty at this size
- No call minutes if you stay text only
Growing app + AI
~1,000 MAU, moderation and AI
- Advanced plan for AI moderation and translation
- HIPAA and multi-tenancy if you need them
- Add $0.10 per MAU once you pass the tier
Scale
10,000+ MAU, zero overages
- Enterprise plan, committed tier, no MAU overage
- 10% concurrent connections included
- SSO, white-label domain, OpenAI moderation
Estimates with annual billing (June 2026). The base figures are per ~1,000 MAU tier; verify on the official page for your region. Real bills move with three things: MAU above your tier at $0.10 each, concurrent connections past your 5% or 10% allowance at around $1 each, and call minutes at ~$0.001 voice and ~$0.003 video. A text-only app at steady traffic stays close to the sticker; a spiky, call-heavy app does not.
CometChat's price versus the alternatives
At the entry point, CometChat is far cheaper than the two big managed-chat rivals. Here is how the starting prices line up against GetStream and Sendbird, the names you will compare it to most.
Entry prices checked June 2026. Different tier sizes and billing details.
CometChat
Billed per MAU
- Free Build plan: 100 MAU, all features
- Cheapest entry of the three by a wide margin
- Watch the concurrent-connection overage
GetStream
Billed per MAU
- Bigger included tier (10,000 MAU)
- Much higher entry price
- Strong SDKs, pricier to start small
Sendbird
Billed per MAU
- Concurrent overage steeper (~$5 each)
- Feature-rich, enterprise-leaning
- Higher floor than CometChat
Entry prices checked June 2026 on the official pages. CometChat's differentiator at the bottom of the market is price: it starts around $87/month where GetStream starts near $499 (for a larger 10,000 MAU tier) and Sendbird near $399. PubNub goes lower still (~$49/month Starter, free 200 MAU) but it is more a realtime building block than a turnkey chat product, so the comparison is not apples to apples. Tier sizes differ, so map your real MAU before deciding.
So, is CometChat worth it?
Our take after sizing it for several app profiles: for a small or mid-size chat that does not spike hard, CometChat is the cheapest credible way in. Here is when it pays off, and how to pay less.
Good value if…
You are launching a text-first chat at modest scale. At ~1,000 MAU you start around $87/month, well under the ~$399-$499 floor at Sendbird and GetStream. The free Build plan, with all features at 100 MAU, lets you ship a real prototype before you pay a cent. For a text-only app at steady traffic, the bill stays close to the sticker.
Less appealing if…
You spike hard or run heavy calling. The concurrent-connection allowance (5% of MAU on Basic and Advanced) is easy to blow past during live events, and each extra connection is about $1. Add $0.001/min voice and $0.003/min video, plus the $0.10 per-MAU overage, and a busy app climbs fast. If you need AI moderation or HIPAA, you are on Advanced at ~$359-$449, not Basic.
How to pay less
Start on the free Build plan to validate the SDK, then pay annually to save 20%. Size your MAU tier with headroom so you avoid the $0.10 overage, and watch your concurrency at peak more closely than your MAU. If you are crossing 10,000 MAU, price the Enterprise plan: its zero-overage commitment and 10% concurrent allowance can beat stacking metered tiers.
- Start on the free Build plan: 100 MAU, all features, no card.
- Pay annually: 20% off versus monthly billing.
- Size your MAU tier with headroom to dodge the $0.10 overage.
- Track concurrency at peak, not just monthly active users.
- Crossing 10,000 MAU? Price Enterprise for zero overages.
Frequently asked questions about CometChat pricing
How much does CometChat cost per month?
CometChat has a free Build plan that covers 100 monthly active users with every feature unlocked and no credit card. Paid plans start around $87/month on Basic with annual billing, or about $109/month if you pay monthly, for a tier of roughly 1,000 MAU. The Advanced plan, with AI moderation and compliance, runs about $359 to $449/month per tier. Enterprise is a custom quote, starting around $1,249/month for 10,000+ MAU. On top of the plan, expect $0.10 per MAU above your tier and a concurrent-connection allowance.Does CometChat have a free plan?
Yes. The Build plan is free forever and includes 100 monthly active users with all features unlocked, no credit card required. You get the full text, voice and video SDK, push notifications, basic moderation, the global EDGE network and unlimited messages. It also ships with around 10,000 free voice and video test minutes. The catch is scale: 100 MAU is meant for development, demos and testing, not a live production app. Cross 100 real users and you move straight to the paid Basic tier.What is a MAU on CometChat?
A MAU is a monthly active user, the unit CometChat bills on. It counts each unique user who connects to the chat in a given month, not the number of messages they send. Messages, storage and file sharing are unlimited on every paid plan, so volume does not change the price. Tiers are sold in blocks of roughly 1,000 MAU. Go over your tier and each extra active user costs about $0.10 for that month, which is the line that grows quietly as your app gains traction.Is CometChat cheaper than Sendbird or GetStream?
Yes, at the entry point, by a wide margin. CometChat Basic starts around $87/month for roughly 1,000 MAU. GetStream's Start plan begins near $499/month, though it includes a larger 10,000 MAU tier. Sendbird's Starter sits around $399/month for about 1,000 to 5,000 MAU, and its concurrent overage is steeper at around $5 each versus CometChat's $1. PubNub goes lower (around $49/month, free 200 MAU) but it is more a realtime building block than turnkey chat. For a small or mid-size chat, CometChat is the cheapest credible option.What drives up the CometChat bill?
Three lines beyond the plan price. First, MAU overage: every active user above your tier costs about $0.10, so a successful launch grows the bill quietly. Second, concurrent connections: Basic and Advanced include 5% of your MAU (Enterprise 10%), and each extra concurrent connection at peak runs about $1. This is the surprise line most teams miss. Third, calls: voice is about $0.001/minute and video about $0.003/minute. A spiky, call-heavy app climbs far above the sticker price, while a steady text-only app stays close to it.Are voice and video calls included?
Partly. Every paid plan includes the voice and video SDK, and you get around 10,000 free test minutes to start. Beyond that, calls are metered separately: voice runs about $0.001/minute and video about $0.003/minute. A text-only app never touches these lines and keeps its bill predictable. A video-heavy product, on the other hand, can see call minutes become a bigger cost than the base subscription, so estimate your minutes before you commit to a plan.Is there an annual discount?
Yes. Paying annually saves you 20% versus the monthly rate on CometChat's paid plans. For example, the Basic plan drops from about $109/month on monthly billing to about $87/month when you commit for the year. The discount applies across the paid tiers, so the bigger your plan, the more the annual commitment saves in absolute terms. If you are confident the app is staying, annual billing is the simplest lever to cut the cost without changing anything else.How much does CometChat cost for 10,000 users?
At 10,000+ MAU you are in Enterprise territory, a custom quote that starts around $1,249/month. That plan removes the per-MAU overage on your committed tier and includes concurrent connections equal to 10% of your MAU, double the 5% on Basic and Advanced. It also adds SSO, a white-label domain and OpenAI-powered moderation and insights. If you tried to reach 10,000 MAU by stacking Basic or Advanced tiers plus $0.10 overages, the math usually favors the Enterprise commitment instead.What is the difference between Basic and Advanced?
Basic covers the core chat: rich in-app messaging, push notifications, basic moderation, the global EDGE network and unlimited messages, storage and files, from about $87/month. Advanced adds the AI and compliance layer for about $359 to $449/month per tier: AI rule-based moderation, AI smart replies, email and SMS notifications, multi-tenancy, insights, advanced search, message translation and HIPAA with a BAA. If you only need a clean chat experience, Basic is enough. If you need moderation at scale, translation or regulated-industry compliance, you are on Advanced.Can I cancel CometChat easily?
Yes, the subscription is managed from your account and you can change tier or cancel as your needs shift. The thing to plan for is the annual commitment: paying yearly buys the 20% discount but locks you in for the term, so start on the free Build plan or monthly billing if you are still validating. Before you cancel, export anything you need, since chat history and user data live inside the platform. For a regulated app on Advanced, also confirm your data-handling obligations under the BAA before closing the account.
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