Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Bandwidth VS Ably

Compare Bandwidth VS Ably and see what are their differences

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Bandwidth logo Bandwidth

Bandwidth offers SIP trunking, Emergency communications, and Voice & Messaging APIs.

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.
  • Bandwidth Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-22
  • 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.

Bandwidth

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Release Date
-
Startup details
Country
United States

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

Bandwidth features and specs

  • Extensive API Offering
    Bandwidth provides a comprehensive set of APIs for voice, messaging, and emergency services which makes it easy for developers to integrate communication capabilities into their applications.
  • Carrier-Grade Network
    As an actual carrier, Bandwidth operates its own nationwide VoIP network which can lead to better quality and reliability compared to third-party service providers.
  • Cost-Effective Pricing
    Bandwidth offers competitive pricing models which can be particularly attractive for businesses that have high volumes of communication needs.
  • Regulatory Support
    Provides robust support for regulatory requirements like STIR/SHAKEN compliance for call authentication, making it easier for businesses to stay compliant with industry regulations.
  • 24/7 Customer Support
    Bandwidth offers round-the-clock customer support which is crucial for businesses that need rapid issue resolution and reliable service.
  • Flexible Scalability
    The platform supports businesses of all sizes and can easily scale as your needs grow, making it suitable for startups as well as large enterprises.

Possible disadvantages of Bandwidth

  • Complex Setup and Integration
    The initial setup and integration process can be complex and may require significant technical expertise, making it less ideal for businesses with limited technical resources.
  • Learning Curve
    The extensive features and APIs come with a steep learning curve which can delay time-to-market for businesses that need to quickly set up communication capabilities.
  • Limited Global Reach
    Bandwidth primarily focuses on the U.S. market, which can be a limitation for businesses looking to operate on a global scale.
  • Additional Costs for Advanced Features
    Certain advanced features and services may come at an additional cost, which can add up for businesses requiring specialized functionalities.
  • Network Dependence
    As with any service relying on a network, any outages or maintenance on Bandwidthโ€™s network can affect your service reliability.

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.

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

Bandwidth videos

Bandwidth by Greg Wilson - Murphy's Magic - Trick Review

More videos:

  • Review - Bandwidth Review 2020: Stripe for Cell Phones
  • Review - REVIEW #23: Bandwidth by Gregory Wilson

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Bandwidth and Ably)
Communication
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Messaging
100 100%
0% 0
Realtime Backend / API
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Bandwidth and Ably. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

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

Bandwidth Reviews

Textverified Alternatives โ€“ Nonvoipusapp.com & 6 more
Bandwidth offers a range of communication APIs, including SMS and voice services. With its verification APIs, businesses can implement phone number verification and two-factor authentication with ease. Bandwidthโ€™s emphasis on delivering excellent call quality and messaging reliability positions it as a reliable alternative for online verification needs.
15 Best Twilio Alternatives 2022
This way, you get to optimize your messaging for business purposes. Still, you can also keep testing various strategies as Bandwidth doesnโ€™t have a limit on the messages you can send through their API or platform.
Top 10 Best Twilio Alternative Free In 2022
In this manner, you get to enhance your messaging for company purposes. Still, you can also keep screening various techniques as Bandwidth does not have a limitation on the transmissions you can transmit through their API and platform.

Ably Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Bandwidth should be more popular than Ably. It has been mentiond 73 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.

Bandwidth mentions (73)

  • Tried and Failed to Find Mystery Wine Lady
    I know this was a scam, but I spooked them (or broke the bot?) before I heard their plan. I did a reverse image search, and I found nothing. I looked at the metadata on the image, but I saw nothing useful. I looked up the number and found out it was a virtual number from bandwidth.com. I didn't know what to do after that, so I just reported the number to bandwidth. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Recommendations on SIP providers that also offer hosted Direct Routing
    I wanted to add a secondary provider though with Direct Routing for fail over but was looking for recommendations. I'm in Canada so prefer someone with a Canadian POP but not mandatory. I also prefer self-signup when possible, similar to Telnyx, Flowroute etc. I was checking bandwidth.com as I see they do this but it doesn't let you sign up and wants you to contact sales. That's fine and I was planning on... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Troubleshooting Porting Errors
    You can pop your area code and prefix in the link below and see what providers do have a presence. Obviously, Sprint/T-Mobile will be one of them but if you don't see bandwidth.com then you're out of luck and there are no workarounds. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Understanding E911 and dispatchable location.
    Your provider should be able to provide a short code (e.g. '933' if using bandwidth.com) that will read out the e911 information for the number calling. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Idk if im being scammed or im just stupid plz help
    While I think you have your answer, another way to validate a number is to use https://freecarrierlookup.com/ and check the phone number. From that you can often tell if it is a "web only" number that a scammer outside the US would use. For example, it might belong to bandwidth.com or google voice. If it does belong to Bandwidth.com you can report it to them, and they are really fast at cancelling scammers. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

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

What are some alternatives?

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

Twilio - Brings voice and messaging to your web and mobile applications.

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

Plivo - Plivo simplifies your customer engagement.

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

Nexmo - Nexmo is a simple two way SMS API with global reach and wholesale rates

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.