Overview

Loops and Customer.io both serve SaaS companies, but they're built for different stages and needs. Loops launched with a focus on simplicity - it's the "just works" option for SaaS email. Customer.io is the enterprise-grade behavioral messaging platform with years of development and features for complex use cases.

Simplicity vs Power

This is the core tradeoff. Loops is intentionally simple. You can sign up and start sending emails in minutes. The UI is clean, pricing is straightforward, and there's no steep learning curve. Customer.io is powerful but complex. Setup takes longer, there's more to learn, but you get advanced behavioral triggers, multi-channel messaging, and enterprise features.

Multi-Channel Messaging

Customer.io supports email, push notifications, SMS, and in-app messaging from one platform. Loops is email-only. If you need to reach users across multiple channels from one tool, Customer.io is the choice. If email is enough, Loops is simpler.

Pricing Reality

Loops is significantly cheaper. At 5,000 contacts, Loops is $49/month with unlimited sends. Customer.io is $100/month for their Essentials plan. As you grow, the gap widens. Customer.io Premium starts at $1,000/month. Factor this into your decision.

When to Choose Each

Choose Loops if you're an early-stage SaaS, want to move fast, and email is your primary channel. Choose Customer.io if you need multi-channel messaging, advanced behavioral triggers, or enterprise compliance features.