Updated 2026-01-11

12 OneSignal Alternatives Worth Considering

OneSignal's push notifications are solid, but usage costs can surprise you at scale. Here are 12 alternatives depending on what you need.

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TL;DR

Quick answer: For SaaS email marketing, Sequenzy ($19/mo) has Stripe integration and AI content. For free push notifications, Firebase Cloud Messaging. For in-app notifications, Knock or MagicBell. For open-source multi-channel, Novu.

12 Best OneSignal Alternatives

Our Pick for SaaS Companies
#1
Sequenzy

Email marketing for SaaS with AI content generation and native Stripe integration. Not multi-channel like OneSignal, but purpose-built for SaaS email marketing.

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Best for
SaaS teams needing email marketing with Stripe sync
Pricing
$49/month for 10k subscribers

Pros

  • Purpose-built for SaaS email marketing
  • AI generates entire email sequences
  • Native Stripe integration
  • Simpler flat pricing
  • Unified transactional + marketing

Cons

  • No push notifications
  • No mobile SDKs
  • Email only - not multi-channel
  • Different purpose than OneSignal
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#2
Firebase Cloud Messaging

Google's free push notification service. Completely free at any scale if you only need push without the marketing features.

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Best for
Mobile apps wanting free push notifications
Pricing
Free

Pros

  • Completely free at any scale
  • Google reliability and infrastructure
  • Excellent mobile SDKs
  • Cross-platform (iOS, Android, Web)
  • Well documented

Cons

  • Push only - no email or SMS
  • No marketing features
  • Build your own UI and analytics
  • No automation workflows
#3
Knock

Premium notification infrastructure with in-app notification UI components. More expensive but more sophisticated than OneSignal.

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Best for
Teams needing polished notification infrastructure
Pricing
Free (10k messages), $250/mo Starter

Pros

  • Pre-built in-app notification UI
  • Multi-channel (email, push, SMS, in-app)
  • Excellent developer experience
  • More sophisticated workflows
  • In-app notification feeds

Cons

  • Expensive after free tier
  • No middle pricing tier
  • Overkill for simple push
  • Proprietary platform
#4
Novu

Open-source notification infrastructure. Self-host for free or use cloud. Good OneSignal alternative for teams wanting control.

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Best for
Teams wanting open-source notifications
Pricing
Free (self-hosted) or $30/mo cloud

Pros

  • Open-source and self-hostable
  • Multi-channel support
  • More affordable cloud than Knock
  • Full control if self-hosted
  • Growing community

Cons

  • Self-hosting requires DevOps
  • Less polished than OneSignal
  • Documentation still improving
  • Cloud is newer
#5
Pusher Beams

Push notifications from Pusher. Simple to integrate if you're already using Pusher for real-time features.

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Best for
Teams already using Pusher ecosystem
Pricing
Free up to 1k devices, $29/mo after

Pros

  • Simple integration
  • Good documentation
  • Reliable infrastructure
  • Part of Pusher ecosystem
  • Easy to get started

Cons

  • Push only - no email
  • Less features than OneSignal
  • Smaller ecosystem
  • No marketing automation
#6
MagicBell

In-app notification bells with multi-channel support. Better for in-app UI than OneSignal, which focuses on push and email.

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Best for
Teams needing in-app notification components
Pricing
Free up to 100 MAU, usage-based after

Pros

  • Pre-built notification bell UI
  • React, Vue, vanilla JS components
  • Multi-channel support
  • Good developer experience
  • Clean design

Cons

  • Less push-focused than OneSignal
  • Smaller company
  • Usage-based pricing
  • Fewer integrations
#7
Customer.io

Behavioral messaging platform with multi-channel support. More marketing-focused than OneSignal with sophisticated automation.

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Best for
PLG companies with complex behavioral automation
Pricing
$100/month for 5,000 profiles (Essentials)

Pros

  • Powerful behavioral automation
  • Multi-channel messaging
  • Marketing + notifications
  • Excellent API
  • Mature platform

Cons

  • More expensive than OneSignal
  • Steep learning curve
  • No in-app notification UI
  • Requires engineering resources
#8
Courier

Multi-channel notification orchestration with visual designer. Good for teams with non-technical stakeholders designing notifications.

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Best for
Teams wanting visual notification design
Pricing
Free up to 10k notifications, $500+/mo

Pros

  • Visual template designer
  • Multi-channel support
  • Non-dev friendly
  • Preference management
  • Good integrations

Cons

  • Expensive after free tier
  • Less push-focused
  • Complex pricing
  • Smaller ecosystem
#9
Braze

Enterprise mobile-first customer engagement platform. Overkill for most, but best-in-class for large mobile apps.

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Best for
Enterprise mobile apps with big budgets
Pricing
Custom enterprise pricing (~$10k+/mo)

Pros

  • Best-in-class mobile engagement
  • Push, email, SMS, in-app
  • Sophisticated automation
  • Excellent mobile SDKs
  • Enterprise scale

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Enterprise sales process
  • Overkill for SMBs
  • Complex implementation
#10
Iterable

Enterprise cross-channel marketing platform. Push, email, SMS, in-app with sophisticated automation.

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Best for
Enterprise cross-channel marketing
Pricing
Custom pricing (~$500+/mo minimum)

Pros

  • Cross-channel marketing
  • Sophisticated automation
  • Push included
  • Good mobile support
  • Enterprise features

Cons

  • Enterprise pricing
  • Complex to implement
  • Overkill for startups
  • Sales-led process
#11
Resend

Modern transactional email API with best developer experience. Email-only but excellent if that's all you need.

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Best for
Developers wanting modern email API
Pricing
$20/month for 50,000 emails

Pros

  • Best developer experience
  • React Email integration
  • Modern SDKs
  • Clean API
  • Great documentation

Cons

  • Email only - no push
  • No marketing features
  • Transactional focused
  • Different purpose
#12
Postmark

Transactional email with exceptional deliverability. Email-only but best inbox placement in the industry.

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Best for
Apps where email deliverability is critical
Pricing
$15/month for 10,000 emails

Pros

  • Exceptional deliverability
  • Strict customer vetting
  • Clean API
  • Fast delivery
  • Human support

Cons

  • Email only
  • Transactional only
  • No push notifications
  • They reject some use cases

Why Consider Alternatives to OneSignal

Usage-based pricing can surprise you

OneSignal's Growth plan has variable costs - push at $0.012/MAU, email at $1.50/1k after 20k free. At scale, costs can be unpredictable compared to flat-fee alternatives.

You only need email

If you don't need push notifications, you're using a push-first platform for email. Email-focused platforms like Sequenzy, Resend, or Postmark are more purpose-built.

You want in-app notification feeds

OneSignal has in-app messaging but no notification inbox/feed like Knock or MagicBell. If in-app notification bells are important, specialized tools are better.

Push notifications should be free

Firebase Cloud Messaging is completely free at any scale. If you only need push without marketing features, FCM saves money.

Feature Comparison

FeatureOneSignalSequenzyFirebaseKnockNovuMagicBell
Push
true
false
true
true
true
true
Email
true
true
false
true
true
true
SMS
true
false
false
true
true
false
In-app messages
true
false
false
true
true
true
In-app feed
false
false
false
true
true
true
Free tier
10k emails
100 subs
Unlimited
10k messages
10k runs
100 MAU
Pricing model
Usage-based
Flat fee
Free
Flat fee
Usage/flat
Usage-based

When to Use Each Platform

Choose Sequenzy if...
  • You primarily need SaaS email marketing
  • Native Stripe integration is valuable
  • AI-generated email sequences sounds appealing
  • You don't need push notifications
Choose Stay with OneSignal if...
  • Push notifications are your primary channel
  • You have a mobile-first product
  • The current pricing works for you
  • You need multi-channel from one platform
Choose Firebase if...
  • You only need push notifications
  • Free at scale matters
  • You're already in Google ecosystem
  • You can build your own analytics
Choose Knock if...
  • You need in-app notification feeds
  • Budget for $250/mo is acceptable
  • Most polished experience matters
  • Developer experience is priority
Choose Novu if...
  • Open-source is important
  • You want to self-host
  • You have DevOps resources
  • Budget is a concern

Why people look for OneSignal alternatives

OneSignal is excellent for push notifications, but it's not perfect for everyone. Here's why teams explore alternatives.

Usage-based pricing surprises

OneSignal's Growth plan has variable costs. Push at $0.012 per monthly active user, email at $1.50 per 1,000 after 20k free. If your app suddenly grows or you run a big campaign, costs can spike unexpectedly. Flat-fee alternatives offer predictable billing.

Push is free elsewhere

Firebase Cloud Messaging is completely free at any scale. If you only need push without marketing features, paying for OneSignal doesn't make sense. Read our OneSignal comparison page for a detailed breakdown.

You only need email

OneSignal started with push and added email. If email is your only channel, you're using a push-first platform. Email-focused platforms like Sequenzy, Resend, or Postmark are more purpose-built.

No in-app notification feeds

OneSignal has in-app messaging (banners, modals) but not notification inbox UI like what you see in apps like GitHub or Notion. If you need that bell icon with a notification feed, Knock or MagicBell are better.

The alternatives, honestly

For SaaS email marketing: Sequenzy

If you don't need push notifications, why use a push-first platform for email? Sequenzy is purpose-built for SaaS email marketing with AI-generated sequences and native Stripe integration. At $19/mo flat, pricing is predictable.

The catch: email only. No push notifications, no mobile SDKs. If you need push, look elsewhere.

For free push notifications: Firebase

Firebase Cloud Messaging is Google's push notification service - completely free at any scale. Unlimited pushes to unlimited devices. Cross-platform iOS, Android, and web.

The trade-off: push only. No email, no SMS, no marketing features, no analytics dashboard. You build everything yourself. But for simple push, it's free.

For polished notification infrastructure: Knock

Knock is premium notification infrastructure with in-app notification UI components, multi-channel orchestration, and excellent developer experience. More sophisticated than OneSignal.

The catch: $250/mo after a free tier. No middle pricing. Worth it for in-app notification feeds, but expensive if you just need basic push.

For open-source control: Novu

Novu is open-source notification infrastructure. Self-host for free or use their cloud starting at $30/mo. Multi-channel with in-app components.

Trade-off: self-hosting requires DevOps. Cloud is newer and less polished than OneSignal. But for teams wanting control, it's the best option.

The pricing comparison

At moderate volume:

  • OneSignal Growth: $19/mo + ~$12-50/mo usage (varies)
  • Sequenzy: $19/mo flat (email only)
  • Firebase FCM: Free (push only)
  • Knock Starter: $250/mo for 50k messages
  • Novu Cloud Pro: $30/mo for 30k+ runs
  • MagicBell: Usage-based, varies

Note: Different platforms count differently. Compare based on your actual usage patterns. Check our pricing page for Sequenzy's simple model.

When OneSignal is still the right choice

OneSignal wins if:

  • Push notifications are your primary channel
  • You have a mobile-first product
  • Usage-based pricing works for your scale
  • You need multi-channel from one affordable platform

Don't switch just to avoid usage-based pricing if your usage is predictable. OneSignal is well-established and the mobile SDKs are excellent. But if you're only using email, or you need in-app notification feeds, alternatives are better suited. Use our email validator tool to ensure list quality when evaluating any platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

For email marketing with Stripe integration, Sequenzy at $19/mo. For free push notifications, Firebase. For sophisticated notification infrastructure, Knock. For open-source, Novu. Each serves different needs.

Yes, Firebase Cloud Messaging is completely free at any scale. You can send unlimited push notifications to unlimited devices. The trade-off: it's push-only with no marketing features, and you build your own UI.

OneSignal uses usage-based pricing with different rates per channel. Push is $0.012 per monthly active user, email is $1.50 per 1,000 after 20k free. This makes it hard to predict monthly costs.

No. Sequenzy is email-only. If you need push notifications, OneSignal, Firebase, or Knock are better options. Sequenzy focuses on SaaS email marketing with Stripe integration.

Yes, but with limits. Free includes 10k emails/month, unlimited push, 1 journey with 2 steps, 6 segments, 2 data tags. Once you need more features or volume, you upgrade to Growth at $19/mo + usage.

Firebase Cloud Messaging is free. Pusher Beams starts at free then $29/mo. Self-hosted Novu is free. For push-only use cases, Firebase is the obvious choice if you don't need marketing features.

Different focus. OneSignal is push-first with email added. Knock is notification infrastructure with in-app UI components. Knock is more polished but more expensive. OneSignal is more affordable.

OneSignal has in-app messaging (banners, messages) but not notification inbox/feed UI like Knock or MagicBell. For in-app notification bells, look at those alternatives.

For email: export subscribers and import elsewhere. For push: you'll need to re-register devices with new push provider. Mobile SDK changes required. Email migration is easier than push.

Different focus. MagicBell excels at in-app notification bells and feeds. OneSignal excels at push notifications and basic email. Choose based on what matters more to your product.

Use the OneSignal dashboard settings to downgrade or cancel. Export your subscriber data before canceling. Free tier remains available if you want to downgrade instead of cancel.

OneSignal has Free, Growth ($19/mo + usage), Professional (annual, custom), and Enterprise (custom) plans. Growth usage: push $0.012/MAU, email $1.50/1k after 20k free, SMS $3/1k.

Use OneSignal's API or dashboard CSV exports for subscriber data. Device tokens can be exported for push migration. Engagement history may have retention limits.

OneSignal has a permanent free tier, not a trial. Free includes 10k emails/month and unlimited push with feature limits. You can test fully before upgrading to paid plans.

Contact OneSignal support for billing questions. Self-service plans are month-to-month. Annual Professional and Enterprise contracts have specific terms.

Ready to try Sequenzy?

Start your free trial today. AI-generated sequences, Stripe integration, and direct founder support included.

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Sequenzy vs OneSignal: Direct Comparison

See a detailed side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and when to choose each platform.

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More Alternatives

Knock Alternatives

Knock is powerful notification infrastructure but $250/mo after free tier is steep. I compared 12 alternatives from email-focused to full multi-channel.

Novu Alternatives

Novu is great open-source notification infrastructure, but self-hosting requires DevOps. I compared 12 alternatives from managed platforms to email-focused solutions.

Customer.io Alternatives

Customer.io is powerful but expensive and complex. I compared 12 alternatives for behavioral email and multi-channel messaging with honest pros and cons.

Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 20k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 125k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 875k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 2M emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 4.5M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Up to 100 subscribers in sequences
  • 2,000 emails/month
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • API access
  • "Built by Sequenzy" branding

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Subscribers in sequences
  • Monthly email quota
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration (Segment by LTV & MRR)
  • API access
  • Priority support
  • No branding

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Unlimited subscribers
  • Unlimited emails
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • Dedicated support
  • Custom integrations
  • SLA guarantee
  • No branding

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com