Hasura
Rocket.Chat
| Feature | Hasura | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $99/mo | Free / from $4/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | backend-developers, startups, api-developers, full-stack-teams | security-conscious-organizations, government, self-hosters, enterprises |
| Founded | 2017 | 2015 |
| Graphql Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rest Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time | ✓ | ✗ |
| Authorization | ✓ | ✗ |
| Event Triggers | ✓ | ✗ |
| Remote Schemas | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Direct Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Calls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Federation | ✗ | ✓ |
| E2e Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Hasura Pros
- Instant APIs
- Real-time subscriptions
- Great developer experience
- Performance
✗ Hasura Cons
- PostgreSQL-focused
- Complex authorization
- Pricing changes
✓ Rocket.Chat Pros
- Fully open-source and self-hostable
- End-to-end encryption
- Federation support between instances
- Highly customizable
✗ Rocket.Chat Cons
- Self-hosted requires maintenance
- Mobile apps less polished than Slack
- Smaller app ecosystem
The Verdict
Hasura is built for backend developers and startups, with a focus on graphql-api and rest-api. Rocket.Chat targets security conscious organizations and government and leads with channels and direct-messaging.
On pricing, Rocket.Chat is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4/mo compared to $99/mo for Hasura. That $95/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Hasura edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Hasura has a slight overall edge — but if fully open-source and self-hostable matters most to you, Rocket.Chat may still be the right call.