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Paid plans start at $29/mo. There's also a free plan.
Ably’s Free plan costs $0 and includes up to 500 monthly active users (MAUs), access to all products and features, and best-effort community and email support. Pro starts at $29 per month for 1K MAUs, billed annually. Business is $349 per month for 1K MAUs, also billed annually; Enterprise uses custom MAUs and annual billing. Ably does not publish overage rates on the plan details, so get a usage estimate before launch.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | — | $0 | Building and testing realtime apps |
| Pro | $29 | — | Launching production apps |
| Business | $349 | — | Business-critical workloads |
| Enterprise | — | Quote | Teams with serious workloads |
Add-ons and overages
- Dedicated cluster (add-on; price not published)
- PrivateLink / VPN (add-on; price not published)
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
MAU overages
The plans list MAU allowances, but Ably does not publish the charge for exceeding them. Ask how MAUs are counted and what happens above the allowance.
Annual commitment
Pro and Business prices are billed annually; Enterprise is annual billing only. Confirm contract terms and renewal conditions before budgeting.
Optional infrastructure
Dedicated cluster and PrivateLink/VPN are add-ons. Their prices are not published, so request a quote if your architecture needs them.
Usage and rate limits
The listed plans do not give a full usage-cost or rate-limit schedule. Ask Ably about message, connection and other limits relevant to your workload.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Prototype or small app | Free | It includes all products and features up to 500 MAUs, with no commitment. |
| Startup launching production | Pro | $29 per month for 1K MAUs, billed annually, with a 99.999% uptime SLO. |
| Business-critical workloads | Business | $349 per month for 1K MAUs, billed annually, with a 99.999% uptime SLA, SOC 2 report and HIPAA BAA. |
04Is Ably worth the money?
Ably’s Free plan is a practical starting point for development and smaller applications: it includes all products up to 500 MAUs without a commitment. Pro begins at $29 per month for 1K MAUs, but its annual billing and undisclosed overage pricing make a production forecast essential. Business costs more, while adding a stated uptime SLA, SOC 2 report, HIPAA BAA and regional routing. Ask Ably for a written estimate based on expected MAUs and required add-ons before signing.
Ably pricing FAQ
What is the cheapest Ably plan?
Free is the lowest-cost plan at $0 per month and includes up to 500 MAUs, all Ably products and features, and best-effort community and email support. Pro starts at $29 per month for 1K MAUs, billed annually.
How much does Ably Pro cost?
Pro costs $29 per month for 1K MAUs and is billed annually. The plan lists an email support SLA under one business day and a 99.999% uptime SLO. Ask Ably how charges change above the included MAUs.
How much does Ably Business cost?
Business costs $349 per month for 1K MAUs and is billed annually. It includes a 99.999% uptime SLA, SOC 2 report, HIPAA BAA and EU/US/AUS routing. Dedicated cluster and PrivateLink/VPN are separate add-ons with unpublished prices.
Does Ably charge for usage above the MAU limit?
Ably’s plan details state MAU allowances but do not publish an overage rate. Ask the vendor how it defines a monthly active user, how it handles usage above the allowance, and whether other usage dimensions affect your bill.
