Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ably VS Batch

Compare Ably VS Batch and see what are their differences

Ably logo Ably

The realtime platform that just works. We power more WebSocket connections than any other pub/sub platform, serving over 2 billion devices monthly.

Batch logo Batch

Batch is an intelligent push notifications platform for mobile apps.
  • Ably Ably homepage
    Ably homepage //
    2024-08-05

We help teams deliver resilient AI UX and high-performance live experiences that stay fast and in sync worldwide. We provide the global realtime layer for AI agents, chat, notifications, live dashboards, and collaboration - engineered to handle peak demand without self-managed infrastructure.

Teams like HubSpot and Intercom use Ably to avoid the cost and complexity of building and operating realtime systems, while still getting predictable performance at serious scale, handling 2T+ API operations per month. Ably’s Pub/Sub, Chat, and AI Transport products are unified by design, with developer-friendly APIs and SDKs that integrate across your stack.

  • Batch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-09

Ably

Website
ably.com
$ Details
freemium
Release Date
2016 January
Startup details
Country
United Kingdom
Founder(s)
Matthew O'Riordan, Dr. Paddy Byers
Employees
50 - 99

Ably features and specs

  • Scalability
    Ably is designed to handle a massive number of concurrent connections and messages, making it scalable for both small and large applications.
  • Real-time Messaging
    Ably provides robust real-time messaging capabilities with low latency, supporting use-cases like live chat, gaming, and real-time data streaming.
  • Global Presence
    Ably has a globally distributed network, ensuring low latency and high availability for users around the world.
  • Advanced Features
    It offers advanced features such as message history, presence, and push notifications, which can enhance the functionality of real-time applications.
  • Security
    Ably includes built-in security features such as TLS encryption, token-based authentication, and private channels to ensure secure communication.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The service provides extensive and well-organized documentation, making it easier for developers to integrate and utilize its features.
  • SDKs and Libraries
    Ably offers a wide range of SDKs and libraries for different programming languages and platforms, easing the development process.
  • Reliable Delivery
    It ensures reliable message delivery with features like message queuing and message de-duplication.

Possible disadvantages of Ably

  • Complexity
    Due to its wide range of advanced features, the initial learning curve can be steep for new users.
  • Cost
    For large-scale applications or extensive use of advanced features, the costs can add up, making it potentially expensive.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Relying heavily on Ably’s platform-specific features may result in vendor lock-in, making it challenging to switch to other services in the future.
  • Dependence on Internet Connection
    As a cloud-based service, Ably’s performance is highly dependent on the quality and reliability of the internet connection.
  • Third-party Integration
    While Ably offers various integration options, integrating certain third-party services may require additional custom development or may not be as seamless.

Batch features and specs

  • Comprehensive Messaging Solutions
    Batch provides a wide range of messaging solutions, including push notifications, in-app messaging, and email. This allows businesses to reach their audience through multiple channels.
  • Rich Media Support
    The platform supports rich media in notifications, such as images and videos, helping to create engaging and visually appealing messages.
  • Advanced Segmentation
    Batch offers advanced segmentation capabilities, enabling businesses to target their audience more effectively based on various criteria and behaviors.
  • A/B Testing
    The platform offers A/B testing features for campaigns, allowing users to experiment with different message variants to optimize engagement and conversion rates.
  • Analytics and Reporting
    Batch provides robust analytics and reporting tools that offer insights into user behavior, campaign performance, and engagement metrics.

Possible disadvantages of Batch

  • Pricing Complexity
    Batch's pricing model can be complex and may not be straightforward for all users, particularly smaller businesses looking for a simple solution.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might face a learning curve due to the platform's extensive features and tools, which may require time and resources to master.
  • Integration Requirements
    While Batch supports integration with various platforms, some businesses may find the process challenging or require technical assistance to fully integrate with their existing systems.
  • Feature Overload
    For businesses that only need basic messaging capabilities, Batch's extensive feature set might be overwhelming, leading to underutilization of some advanced features.

Analysis of Ably

Overall verdict

  • Ably is a reliable and efficient real-time messaging platform, well-suited for applications requiring high performance and scalability. It is generally well-regarded within the developer community for its ease of use and robust feature set.

Why this product is good

  • Features
    Ably provides a comprehensive suite of features such as pub/sub messaging, presence, and history.
  • Security
    It implements robust security practices including TLS encryption, token-based authentication, and private channels.
  • Integration
    Supports numerous protocols and provides SDKs for various programming languages, making it easy to integrate with different systems.
  • Reliability
    Ably offers high availability and low latency, ensuring messages are delivered in real-time.
  • Scalability
    The platform can handle millions of active connections and is designed for horizontal scaling.

Recommended for

  • developers building real-time applications like chat apps, dashboards, or multiplayer games
  • businesses in need of a scalable solution for live updates and notifications
  • teams looking for a platform with strong security and compliance credentials
  • organizations requiring integration with existing development workflows and tools

Ably videos

How to build a collaborative environment around your product

More videos:

  • Demo - How to build an avatar stack with Ably Spaces
  • Demo - Ably 101: Serverless WebSockets at scale

Batch videos

Batch Record Review-What to Look For

More videos:

  • Review - Batch Bicycles Batch #707 Mountain Bike | First Look and Review
  • Review - Quality Assurance Specialist -Batch Review and Disposition

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ably and Batch)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Push Notifications
0 0%
100% 100
Realtime Backend / API
100 100%
0% 0
Mobile Push Messaging
79 79%
21% 21

User comments

Share your experience with using Ably and Batch. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ably seems to be a lot more popular than Batch. While we know about 26 links to Ably, we've tracked only 1 mention of Batch. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Ably mentions (26)

  • AWS us-east-1 outage: How Ably’s multi-region architecture held up
    During this week’s AWS us-east-1 outage, Ably maintained full service continuity with no customer impact. This was our multi-region architecture working exactly as designed; error rates were negligibly low and unchanged throughout. Any additional round trip latency was limited to 12ms, which is below the typical variance in any client-to-endpoint connection, and well below our 40–50ms global median; this is... - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Real-Time Sync Alternatives: Vaultrice vs. localStorage, DIY, Firebase, Pusher
    Services like Pusher and Ably are experts in real-time messaging. They provide robust APIs for pub/sub channels, allowing you to broadcast events to clients reliably. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • CometChat Alternatives – Comparing the Top 10 Competitors
    Ably is a real-time infrastructure platform that focuses on delivering low-latency, reliable messaging across global distributed systems. It's designed for developers building event-driven applications, including chat, but also supports broader use cases like live dashboards, GPS tracking, and collaborative tools. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Real-Time Authorization in a Chat Application with Permit.io and WebSockets
    For our web socket-based application, we’ll be using Next.js and Ably, a service that allows us to easily integrate and manage real-time capabilities in our apps powered by web socket. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Curiosity: Using Ably.io Realtime Messaging as a Lightweight Database
    Ably offers various solutions for developers, with their most popular being realtime messaging based on the pub/sub model. When you publish a message to a channel, all devices connected to that channel receive it instantly. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

Batch mentions (1)

  • What does this mean?
    It's an application on your phone using a framework called Batch. It's used for customer tracking https://batch.com/. Source: over 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ably and Batch, you can also consider the following products

Pusher - Pusher is a hosted API for quickly, easily and securely adding scalable realtime functionality via WebSockets to web and mobile apps.

OneSignal - Customer engagement platform used by over 1 million developers and marketers; the fastest and most reliable way to send mobile and web push notifications, in-app messages, emails, and SMS.

Socket.io - Realtime application framework (Node.JS server)

PushCrew - Push Notifications for Websites

PubNub - PubNub is a real-time messaging system for web and mobile apps that can handle API for all platforms and push messages to any device anywhere in the world in a fraction of a second without having to worry about proxies, firewalls or mobile drop-offs.

iZooto - Engage your mobile and desktop web users with intelligent web push notifications.