Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ably VS Kosmi

Compare Ably VS Kosmi and see what are their differences

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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.

Kosmi logo Kosmi

Digital Hangouts Reinvented
  • 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. Ablyโ€™s Pub/Sub, Chat, and AI Transport products are unified by design, with developer-friendly APIs and SDKs that integrate across your stack.

  • Kosmi Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-30

Watch videos together, play games, or simply chat with friends or strangers all from within your browser! No installation or signup needed.

Ably

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

Kosmi

Website
kosmi.io
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
free
Platforms
Web
Release Date
2020 January

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 Ablyโ€™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, Ablyโ€™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.

Kosmi features and specs

  • Easy Accessibility
    Kosmi is browser-based, which means there is no need for downloads or installations. Users can easily join a room with a simple link, making it convenient for quick meetings or hangouts.
  • Versatile Media Sharing
    It allows users to share various types of media, including videos, games, and screens, making it a versatile platform for a wide range of activities.
  • Real-time Interaction
    Kosmi supports real-time video and voice chat, enabling users to interact live, which is ideal for social gatherings, watch parties, or collaborative work.
  • Privacy Focus
    The platform offers room-based privacy where users can create private rooms that are accessible only via invitation links, enhancing user control over who joins the session.
  • Free to Use
    Kosmi offers its core functionalities for free, making it accessible to anyone without the need for a subscription or premium account.

Possible disadvantages of Kosmi

  • Limited Feature Set
    Compared to dedicated applications like Zoom or Discord, Kosmi may lack some advanced features like detailed administrative controls, reaction emojis, or integration with third-party apps.
  • Browser Performance
    Being a browser-based platform, Kosmi's performance heavily relies on the user's browser and device capabilities, which might not be optimal for all users, especially on older devices.
  • Bandwidth Requirements
    Real-time features such as video and voice chat can be bandwidth-intensive, potentially causing issues for users with slower internet connections.
  • User Interface
    Some users may find the user interface less intuitive compared to other platforms, which could result in a steeper learning curve for newcomers.
  • Security Concerns
    As with any online platform focusing on real-time communication, there are potential security concerns like unauthorized access to rooms if the invitation links are shared publicly.

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

Analysis of Kosmi

Overall verdict

  • Kosmi is a good platform if you are looking for a straightforward and flexible way to connect with friends online without the need for complex setup or installations.

Why this product is good

  • Kosmi (kosmi.io) is an online platform that allows users to connect with friends in virtual spaces. It is appreciated for its ease of use, versatility, and no-download-required approach. Users can watch videos, play games, or simply hang out in a virtual space, making it great for casual online gatherings.

Recommended for

    Kosmi is recommended for people who enjoy casual online social interactions, want to watch videos together, play simple games, or chat and spend time with friends and family in a virtual environment.

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

Kosmi videos

Anniversary ke 2 kosmi dan sekaligus pengukuhan Kosmi ke Rumah Bonsai Indonesia (RUBI)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ably and Kosmi)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Communication
0 0%
100% 100
Realtime Backend / API
100 100%
0% 0
Group Chat & Notifications

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Ably and Kosmi

Ably Reviews

We have no reviews of Ably yet.
Be the first one to post

Kosmi Reviews

  1. Makaiya Williams

    There is this admin Foxiul, at first, he seemed like a pretty decent human being. But then all that changed. He got power-hungry. He started deleting messages, banning people from the lobby, destroying rooms, etc, etc. He banned my friend because she was sticking up for her younger sister, then banned me because he was in a bad mood when I simply said "Lol". He is turning Kosmi into a not-so-well-liked platform. many people are planning to leave Kosmi. I will be doing the same.

  2. 8 sites like rabbit alternatives

    kosmi is the best alternative to rabb.it without creating accout we can join chat rooms rooms


8 Best Sites Like Rabbit Alternatives 2020
You will get a virtual hangout with friends. we donโ€™t have to install or sign up with Kosmi. You will get the opportunity of creating a room. The room is applicable for chat or communication with webcam.
23 Alternatives to Rabbit | Websites like Rabb.it TV 2020
As a Rabbit alternative, Kosmi also allows you to watch synced Youtube and local video streaming services like Rabbit. You can play NES and SNES Emulator and play with friends or play a game of Quake 3, Texas Holdem Poker, etc. Anyone can join the room instantly with a URL. Even strangers can request to join your room.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ably should be more popular than Kosmi. It has been mentiond 26 times since March 2021. 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 Ablyโ€™s multi-region architecture held up
    During this weekโ€™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 40โ€“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 / 12 months ago
  • CometChat Alternatives โ€“ 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, weโ€™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

Kosmi mentions (14)

  • [NO SPOILERS] Invitation for Arcane online WATCH PARTY this weekend
    So if enough people comment here and are down to watch, I'm gonna be hosting the watch party on Kosmi. As I explained in the last post, Kosmi is a website to screenshare, so I'm gonna create the stream from there and we can all watch together. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • USA ... EU... Is there a TV / or method for watching together?
    Go on sl and buy a Kosmi TV. Or just use the webpage url on any prims media. https://kosmi.io/ It basically streams any browser wondow with w/e show on it. And it's real time. We have a Kosmi TV n watch any streaming service or movies together on it. Source: over 3 years ago
  • How do you watch movies long distance?
    Kosmi.io worked for us so far. But I'm planning to set-up our own instance of neko (https://github.com/m1k1o/neko) to give that a shot. Both are essentially browsers hosted in the cloud. So that has the advantage, that only one streaming account is required. Source: over 3 years ago
  • How can I stream PC games to a local TV for my wife to watch me play?
    True. I guess I was thinking that if maybe they were in the same room. And you could use the audio from the TV. People mentioned discord, but I feel like you could use the TV browser and just use https://kosmi.io/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • SURL/LM for a public location using the Kosmi TV?
    It's totally different from the other inworld TV's in that it's designed around kosmi.io for sharing streams and other things from one's local computer. You can use it, for example, to play a Netflix or HBO movie on the Kosmi TV so people inworld can also see it. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ably and Kosmi, 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.

Metastream - Watch streaming media with friends

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

Netflix Party - Netflix Party is an extension for watching Netflix remotely with friends and family for movies nights with that long-distance special someone.

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.

StreamParty - StreamParty is a watch communiry, that allows you to watch video streams in sync with the people you care about, on multiple services.