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Home/Categories/Web Development/Soketi
icon of soketi

Soketi

Open source alternative to Pusher, Ably and PubNub

  • 5.6K stars
  • AGPL-3.0
  • Last commit 598 days ago

Last verified Oct 6, 2026

Run a self-hosted Pusher-compatible WebSocket server for pub/sub, private channels, and presence. AGPL-3.0 licensed. Node.js or Docker.

Visit websiteGitHub5.6K stars1-click deploy on Hostinger
image of soketi
TL;DR

Soketi is a self-hosted WebSocket server compatible with the Pusher Channels protocol. It replaces hosted real-time messaging services like Pusher for teams that want pub/sub, private channels, and presence without per-message vendor pricing.

Read the full breakdownHide the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs and the FAQ
who it's for

Who Soketi is for#

SaaS teams replacing Pusher Channels

Use Soketi when an app already uses Pusher-compatible clients and message volume makes hosted pricing unattractive.

Skip if:

You want a globally managed real-time network with vendor SLAs and no infrastructure ownership.

Developers adding real-time pub/sub

Use Soketi when private channels, presence, and WebSocket events are needed without inventing a custom protocol.

Skip if:

Your app only needs occasional server-sent updates that could be handled by polling or server-sent events.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Real-time app features can become expensive when every message and connection passes through a hosted WebSocket vendor. Live dashboards, notifications, chat, collaboration, and presence features all create steady traffic that grows with product usage.

Building custom WebSocket infrastructure from scratch is also risky. Teams need authentication, channels, horizontal scaling, and client SDK compatibility without spending months maintaining a bespoke messaging layer.

how Soketi solves it

How it solves it#

Pusher protocol compatibility

Soketi implements the Pusher Channels protocol, so existing Pusher-compatible clients can connect by changing configuration rather than rewriting the application messaging layer.

Private and presence channels

Support for authenticated private channels and presence channels lets teams build real-time collaboration and user-status features with familiar Pusher-style semantics.

Redis-backed horizontal scaling

Soketi can scale across instances with Redis, giving production teams a path beyond a single WebSocket process.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

  • Lower migration friction from PusherProtocol compatibility makes Soketi practical for teams already using Pusher clients and server APIs who want to move traffic onto their own infrastructure.
  • Real-time control without vendor message pricingSelf-hosting removes third-party per-message limits and gives teams direct control over capacity, networking, and data flow.

Trade-offs

  • -Infrastructure ownership is requiredSoketi replaces a managed service with software your team must operate. Scaling, Redis, TLS, deployment, monitoring, and incident response become internal responsibilities.
tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages
JavaScriptTypeScript
Frameworks
Express
Databases
MySQLPostgreSQL
Runtimes
Node.js
Infrastructure
AWSDocker
Messaging
NATSWebSocket
Cache
Redis
frequently asked

FAQ#

What is Soketi?

Soketi is a self-hosted WebSocket server that implements the Pusher Channels protocol for real-time pub/sub messaging.

Can Soketi replace Pusher?

Yes. Soketi can replace Pusher Channels for teams that want compatible real-time messaging on their own infrastructure.

Does Soketi scale horizontally?

Soketi documents Redis-backed scaling for multi-instance deployments, but teams must operate that infrastructure themselves.

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Hostinger

Run Soketi on your own server

Hostinger sets Soketi up as a one-click app on a VPS.

Deploy on Hostinger

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