Stream pricing

I want to decide whether Stream (getstream.io) is the right tool and which plan to pick.
Below is what the StableMRR pricing directory read from Stream's own pricing page (last checked 2026-10-30). It can be out of date, so treat it as a starting point.

Category: Developer tools / API tools
What it does: APIs and SDKs for adding in-app chat, video calling, activity feeds and content moderation to applications.
Plans:
- Build: Free. Limits: MAU 1,000 / mo, Concurrent connections 100. Includes: All Chat features, No credit card required, Community support
- Start: $499/mo ($399/mo billed yearly). Limits: MAU 10,000 / mo, Concurrent connections 500, Chat message storage Up to 5M messages, Channels Up to 500K channels, Total API calls Up to 2M / mo, Query channel API calls Up to 200K / mo. Includes: Advanced moderation and filters, Global edge network, Offline support, Data export, Ticketed support
- Elevate: $675/mo ($599/mo billed yearly). Limits: MAU 10,000 / mo, Concurrent connections 500, Chat message storage Up to 10M messages, Channels Up to 1M channels, Total API calls Up to 10M / mo, Query channel API calls Up to 1M / mo. Includes: Multi tenancy and teams, Advanced search, HIPAA, Message translations, All Start features
- Enterprise: Contact sales. Limits: MAU Custom, Concurrent connections Custom, Chat message storage Custom, Channels Custom, Total API calls Custom. Includes: AI moderation, 99.999% SLA, Dedicated servers, Shared Slack channel, Onboarding services
Alternatives in the directory: 1DevTool, 1Lookup, 0x, 100ms
Pricing page: https://getstream.io/chat/pricing/
Directory listing: https://stablemrr.com/p/getstream-io

First ask me three short questions about my team size, budget and what I need it for. Then recommend one plan, tell me what could make it a bad fit, and compare it with the alternatives. Finish with what I should check on the vendor's site before I pay.