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Top 12 Push Notification Platforms to Boost User Engagement

Agnishwar Banerjee Agnishwar is an experienced, multi-functional, full stack digital marketer. At CleverTap, he spearheads the content and digital marketing functions, leveraging his expertise to drive messaging, GTM & IMC campaigns and business results
Top 12 Push Notification Platforms to Boost User Engagement

Push notification platforms help engage users and improve app retention with timely, personalized messages. This guide explores the features of some of the best push notification platforms and how they can boost your app’s user engagement and performance.

Keeping your app users interested is more important than ever. Every day, people receive over 46 notifications* on their devices. This makes it hard for your app to stand out. So, how can you grab your users’ attention and keep them engaged?

Push notifications are a great way to reach your users directly. Studies show that they can boost app engagement by up to 88% and increase app user retention by 3-10 times*. The key to effective push notifications is sending the right message to the right user at the right time. 

Sending too many messages or irrelevant content can upset users and lead to them disabling notifications or uninstalling your app. That’s why choosing a platform with good targeting and personalization features is crucial. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the best push notification platforms today. We’ll look at how each platform can help you engage your users better. Let’s get started!

Top 12 Push Notification Platforms to Boost User Engagement

1. CleverTap

CleverTap is a leading platform for mobile marketing, which helps businesses send personalized push notifications on mobile apps, websites, and within apps. It offers many useful features that help businesses connect with users and stand out from other push notification platforms. One of the key reasons CleverTap is so effective is its ability to send personalized messages at the right time to the right users, making each notification more relevant.

While other platforms may offer basic features, CleverTap goes beyond that. For example, most platforms let you group users into segments, but CleverTap offers advanced segmentation. This means you can target users based on their behavior, preferences, and how they interact with your app. This helps you send messages that are more meaningful and likely to get a response.

Another important feature of CleverTap is its RenderMax Technology. Sometimes, devices block or limit notifications to save battery, which means some users won’t see your messages. However, RenderMax makes sure that your notifications are delivered, even on devices with strict settings. This helps you reach more users, which is something many other platforms can’t guarantee.

CleverTap also allows you to send rich media notifications. This means you can include pictures, videos, and interactive buttons in your messages, making them more eye-catching than simple text notifications. Many other platforms don’t support rich media as well as CleverTap, so this feature helps your messages stand out more and get better results.

In addition, CleverTap gives you access to real-time analytics. Instead of showing you the reports later, this platform lets you see how your notifications are doing right away. You can track how many users received the message, how many opened it, and what they did after. This instant feedback helps you make quick changes to improve your campaigns, something that is harder with delayed reports on other platforms.

CleverTap also uses AI-powered tools, like Clever.AI, to help you engage users in smarter ways. It can predict what users might do next and send personalized messages automatically. By using Clever.AI, you can keep your users interested and reduce the chances of them leaving your app.

In summary, CleverTap offers much more than just the basic features. It helps businesses engage users in a personalized and effective way. With easy-to-use advanced features, this platform gives you everything you need to improve user engagement and keep them connected to your app. If you want to create strong connections with your users, CleverTap is an excellent choice.

Top Features

  • Personalized Messaging: Customizes notifications using user data like name, location, and behavior to make each message more relevant.
  • Rich Media Support: Includes images, videos, emojis, and interactive elements in notifications to boost engagement.
  • RenderMax Technology: Improves notification delivery and display rates, ensuring messages reach users even on strict device settings.
  • A/B Testing: Tests different message styles, sending times, and channels. With IntelliNODE, CleverTap’s A/B Testing allows you to experiment with up to 35 journey paths to find the best strategies for boosting engagement and conversions.
  • Advanced Segmentation: Creates precise user segments based on behavior, preferences, and lifecycle stages for targeted messaging.
  • Scribe: Effortlessly creates engaging and emotionally impactful push notification content using AI. Scribe connects with your audience by adjusting emotional tones and adding emojis and hashtags.
  • Automation and Journeys: Sets up automated workflows to send timely notifications based on user actions, keeping messages relevant and well-timed.
  • Detailed Analytics: Offers metrics on delivery rates, open rates, clicks, and conversions to understand campaign performance and optimize your strategy.
  • Clever.AI Integration: Uses advanced AI to predict user behavior, personalize content, and automate interactions, making push notifications more effective and meaningful.
  • Omnichannel Engagement: Engages users across multiple platforms, including email, SMS, and in-app messages. Omnichannel engagement enables a unified and seamless experience.

Pricing

  1. Essentials Plan: CleverTap’s pricing starts at $75/month. This plan is ideal for startups with up to 5,000 Monthly Active Users (MAU).
  2. Advanced Plan: Pricing on request. This plan includes push amplification, advanced analytics, and premium engagement channels.
  3. Cutting Edge Plan: Pricing on request. This plan comes with AI-driven predictions and campaign intelligence tools alongside real-time recommendations.

How It Stacks Up

CleverTap stands out for its focus on personalization and advanced features. Its ability to send rich media notifications and improve delivery rates makes it a top choice. CleverTap is more effective than many competitors because of its robust RenderMax Technology, which enhances delivery rates.

CleverTap offers detailed analytics and testing tools that help businesses understand their performance. This allows you to continuously improve your campaigns. Overall, CleverTap is an excellent choice for businesses that want to make their push notifications more effective by using personalization and data-driven strategies. If you want to engage your users effectively and keep them coming back, CleverTap provides the tools you need.

Take the Next Step: Explore CleverTap’s features now!

2. OneSignal

OneSignal is a popular push notification service that helps you send messages to users on mobile apps and websites. The service is known for being easy to use and suitable for businesses of all sizes.

With OneSignal, you can send targeted messages based on user behavior and preferences. This ensures your notifications are relevant to each user. You can also include images and interactive elements in your messages to make them more engaging.

OneSignal provides real-time analytics. You can see how many users received your notification, how many clicked on it, and what actions they took. This helps you understand how your messages are performing and make necessary adjustments.

Top Features

  • Multi-Platform Support: Send push notifications to mobile apps and websites across various devices.
  • Audience Segmentation: Target users based on behavior, location, language, and other attributes.
  • Personalization: Customize messages with user-specific data to increase relevance.
  • Rich Media Notifications: Include images and interactive elements to enhance engagement.
  • A/B Testing: Test different messages to determine which performs best.
  • Real-Time Analytics: Monitor delivery rates, open rates, and user interactions.
  • Easy Integration: Provides SDKs and APIs for seamless setup on various platforms.

Pricing

  • Free Plan: Supports unlimited notifications to up to 10,000 subscribers.
  • Growth Plan: Starts at $9 per month, plus $3 per 1,000 subscribers or in-app impressions, offering advanced features.
  • Professional & Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for larger businesses requiring more features and support.

How It Stacks Up

OneSignal offers a solid set of features that are easy to use. Its free plan is generous, making it a good option for startups and small businesses. While it may not have as many advanced features as some other platforms, it provides the essentials for effective push notifications.

3. PushOwl

PushOwl is designed specifically for online stores, especially those using Shopify. It helps businesses send web push notifications to increase sales and recover abandoned carts. PushOwl focuses on sending timely and relevant messages to users’ browsers.

With PushOwl, you can set up automated notifications for things like cart recovery and price drops. This helps you bring customers back to your store. The setup is simple and doesn’t require technical skills.

You can customize your notifications to match your brand. By targeting users based on their shopping behavior, you can send messages that are more likely to lead to sales.

Top Features

  • Automated Cart Recovery: Send reminders to users who have abandoned their shopping carts.
  • Real-Time Notifications: Inform customers about price drops, back-in-stock items, and flash sales.
  • Personalization: Customize messages with product images and personalized offers.
  • Easy Integration: One-click setup with Shopify and other eCommerce platforms.
  • Analytics Dashboard: Monitor notification performance, including clicks and conversions.
  • Segmentation: Target users based on shopping behavior and preferences.

Pricing

  • Basic Bundle: Free for up to 500 impressions per month.
  • Plus Bundle: Starts at $19 per month, with additional features and higher impression limits.
  • Power Bundle: $79 monthly with additional features including Custom automation and Custom attribution window.

How It Stacks Up

PushOwl is great for eCommerce businesses looking to boost sales through web push notifications. Its focus on cart recovery and real-time alerts helps address common challenges in online retail. It’s a good choice for online stores wanting a simple yet effective push notification tool. However, PushOwl is primarily focused on eCommerce. This may limit its usefulness for businesses outside this sector, and its automation features might not be as comprehensive as those of its competitors.

4. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Brevo is a marketing platform that includes push notifications as part of its tools. It allows businesses to engage website visitors with messages even when they’re not on the site. Brevo’s push notifications can promote offers, announce new content, or re-engage users.

You can manage push notifications along with email, SMS, and chat in Brevo. This helps you keep your marketing efforts organized. The platform lets you segment your audience and personalize messages based on user behavior.

Brevo is user-friendly and offers automation features. This means you can set up notifications to send automatically based on certain triggers.

Top Features

  • Multi-Channel Integration: Manage push notifications alongside email, SMS, and other channels.
  • Segmentation and Targeting: Send notifications to specific user groups based on behavior and demographics.
  • Personalization: Customize messages to enhance relevance and engagement.
  • Automation: Set up workflows to send notifications triggered by user actions or events.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Track the performance of your notifications with detailed metrics.
  • Easy Installation: Implement push notifications with simple code snippets or plugins.

Pricing

  • Enterprise Plan: Starts at €99 per month, and includes unlimited push notifications and advanced features.
  • Custom Plans: Available based on specific business needs and requirements.

How It Stacks Up

Brevo is ideal if you’re looking for a platform that combines push notifications with other marketing tools. It’s a good option for businesses that want to manage all their communications in one place. While it may not have all the advanced push notification features of specialized platforms, Brevo offers a convenient all-in-one solution.

5. PushEngage

PushEngage helps businesses send personalized web push notifications to increase engagement and bring visitors back to their website. It’s great for marketers, bloggers, and content creators.

With PushEngage, you can automate notifications based on user behavior. For example, you can send a message when you publish a new blog post. You can also segment your audience to send more targeted messages.

PushEngage offers customizable opt-in prompts to encourage visitors to subscribe. Its real-time analytics help you see how your notifications are performing.

Top Features

  • Automation: Create drip campaigns and trigger notifications based on user actions.
  • Segmentation: Target users based on interests, location, and behavior.
  • A/B Testing: Experiment with different messages to identify the most effective ones.
  • Revenue Tracking: Measure the impact of notifications on sales and conversions.
  • Customizable Opt-Ins: Design opt-in prompts to increase subscriber rates.
  • Dynamic Personalization: Use user-specific details in your messages.

Pricing

  • Free Plan: Supports up to 200 subscribers and limited features.
  • Business Plan: $19 per month for up to 50,000 subscribers
  • Premium Plan: $39 per month for up to 100,000 subscribers and increased sending volume.
  • Growth Plan: $79 per month for up to 250,000 subscribers and advanced features.
  • Custom Plan: Available on request for larger subscriber bases and additional needs.

How It Stacks Up

PushEngage is a solid choice for content-focused businesses wanting to boost website engagement. Its automation and personalization features help you connect with your audience effectively. While it focuses on web push notifications, it provides the tools you need to drive traffic back to your site.

6. WebEngage

WebEngage is a marketing automation platform that includes push notifications. It helps businesses send personalized messages on web and mobile platforms. WebEngage focuses on keeping users engaged by providing tools for targeting and automation.

You can create user journeys and trigger notifications based on specific actions. WebEngage supports rich media in notifications and offers detailed analytics. This helps you understand how your messages are performing.

Top Features

  • Multi-Channel Support: Send push notifications on the web and mobile, along with email and SMS.
  • Journey Designer: Create automated workflows and user journeys.
  • Advanced Segmentation: Target users based on behavior, preferences, and lifecycle stages.
  • Personalization: Customize messages with dynamic content and user data.
  • Rich Media Notifications: Include images and interactive elements.
  • A/B Testing: Optimize messages through testing.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Access detailed insights on campaign performance.

Pricing

  • Custom Pricing: WebEngage offers tailored pricing plans based on your business requirements.

How It Stacks Up

WebEngage offers powerful tools for businesses wanting to create complex user journeys. Its push notification feature is part of a larger suite of marketing tools. WebEngage can be complex for smaller businesses due to its advanced features, so it’s suitable for medium to large businesses looking for advanced automation and personalization.

7. SendPulse

SendPulse is a marketing platform that includes web push notifications. It allows businesses to send messages to website visitors to encourage engagement and drive conversions. You can automate notifications based on user actions, like leaving items in a cart.

SendPulse lets you segment your audience and personalize messages. It also offers analytics to track how your notifications are doing. You can manage push notifications along with email and SMS campaigns.

Top Features

  • Automation: Send triggered notifications based on user behavior.
  • Segmentation: Target users by location, device, behavior, and more.
  • Multi-Channel Integration: Manage push notifications along with email and SMS campaigns.
  • Unlimited Notifications: Send unlimited messages even on the free plan.
  • Subscription Forms: Create custom opt-in prompts to grow your subscriber list.
  • Analytics: Track delivery rates, clicks, and conversions.

Pricing

  • Free Plan: Unlimited notifications for up to 10,000 subscribers.
  • Paid Plans:
    • $19 per month: For up to 30,000 subscribers.
    • $35 per month: For up to 50,000 subscribers.
    • Custom Plans: Available for larger subscriber bases.

How It Stacks Up

SendPulse is a good option if you want to manage push notifications along with other marketing channels. It’s easy to use and offers essential features. While it may not have advanced push notification tools, it provides a straightforward solution for small to medium businesses.

8. Aimtell

Aimtell helps businesses re-engage website visitors by sending personalized web push notifications. You can send messages based on what users do on your site, like viewing certain pages or adding items to their cart.

Aimtell offers advanced segmentation so you can target users with highly relevant messages. You can also automate campaigns like cart reminders and price drop alerts. Including images and interactive elements in your notifications makes them more engaging.

Top Features

  • Behavioral Targeting: Send notifications based on specific user actions and behavior.
  • Automation: Set up automated campaigns for common use cases like cart abandonment.
  • Advanced Segmentation: Create detailed user segments for precise targeting.
  • Rich Media Notifications: Include images and interactive elements in your messages.
  • Customization: Tailor notifications to match your brand’s style.
  • Analytics: Monitor campaign performance with detailed reports.

Pricing

  • Basic Plan: $49 per month for up to 10,000 subscribers.
  • Plus Plan: $99 per month for up to 50,000 subscribers.
  • Pro Plan: $199 per month for up to 100,000 subscribers.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for larger needs.

How It Stacks Up

Aimtell is ideal for businesses looking to convert website visitors into customers. Its focus on behavioral targeting and automation helps you send messages that encourage action. It’s a good fit if you want to enhance your website’s ability to engage users. However, Aimtell’s pricing is higher compared to some alternatives, and it may require more technical knowledge to set up effectively.

9. Pushwoosh

Pushwoosh allows businesses to send push notifications across web and mobile platforms. You can include rich media and interactive elements in your messages. Pushwoosh supports targeting based on user behavior and preferences.

You can automate notifications based on specific events. Real-time analytics help you monitor how your notifications are performing. Pushwoosh supports multiple languages, so you can reach a global audience.

Top Features

  • Cross-Platform Support: Send push notifications to web browsers and mobile apps on various platforms.
  • Rich Media Notifications: Include images, videos, and interactive elements.
  • Segmentation and Targeting: Personalize messages based on user data.
  • Automation: Set up triggered campaigns.
  • Multi-Language Support: Send notifications in the user’s preferred language.
  • Analytics: Access detailed reports on campaign performance.

Pricing

  • Pro Plan: Starts at $49 per month, and includes advanced features and higher limits.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for larger needs.

How It Stacks Up

Pushwoosh is a good choice if you need to send push notifications across different platforms. Its support for rich media and automation makes it versatile. It’s suitable for businesses targeting users on both web and mobile.

10. Airship

Airship offers push notification services focused on personalized and context-driven messaging. You can send rich media and interactive notifications to users on mobile apps and websites. Airship allows advanced targeting based on user behavior and preferences.

You can automate campaigns and create user journeys. Airship provides deep analytics to help you understand your users and improve your strategies.

Top Features

  • Advanced Targeting: Personalize notifications based on behavior, location, and preferences.
  • Rich Media and Interactive Notifications: Enhance messages with multimedia content.
  • Automation and Orchestration: Create complex workflows and user journeys.
  • Predictive Analytics: Leverage machine learning to anticipate user actions.
  • A/B Testing: Optimize messages through testing.
  • Multi-Channel Engagement: Engage users across push notifications, SMS, email, and more.

Pricing

  • Essentials Plan: Custom pricing, includes core features.
  • Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing with additional features and support.

How It Stacks Up

Airship is suitable for large businesses needing advanced push notification features. Its focus on personalization and analytics makes it powerful but may be more complex and costly. It’s a strong option if you require sophisticated tools.

11. PushAssist

PushAssist helps businesses send web push notifications to engage website visitors. It’s designed to be simple to use, so you can start sending messages quickly. PushAssist supports targeting and personalization.

You can create opt-in prompts to encourage visitors to subscribe. Real-time analytics help you see how your notifications are performing. PushAssist works with all major browsers and devices.

Top Features

  • Easy Integration: Simple setup with support for popular CMS platforms.
  • Segmentation: Target users based on behavior, location, and other attributes.
  • Personalization: Customize messages to increase relevance.
  • Automation: Set up automated notifications for specific events.
  • Real-Time Analytics: Monitor campaign performance.
  • Customizable Opt-Ins: Design opt-in prompts to increase subscriptions.

Pricing

  • Basic Plan: Free for up to 3,000 subscribers.
  • Starter Plan: Ranges between $9 and $129 per month for subscribers between 3500 and 50,000 for standard features.
  • Business Plan: Ranges between $25 and $369 per month for subscribers between 3500 and 50,000 for additional features.
  • Elite Plan: Ranges between $299 and $999 per month for subscribers between 75,000 and 175,000 for advanced features.

How It Stacks Up

PushAssist is suitable for small to medium businesses wanting an easy push notification solution. While it may not have advanced features, it’s affordable and user-friendly. It’s a practical choice if you’re new to push notifications.

12. Amazon SNS

Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) is a cloud-based messaging service. It helps businesses send a large volume of push notifications reliably. Amazon SNS supports sending messages to mobile devices like SMS and email.

While Amazon SNS may require technical expertise to set up, it offers strong capabilities. It’s integrated with other Amazon Web Services, making it suitable if you’re already using AWS.

Top Features

  • Scalability: Handles large volumes of messages efficiently.
  • Multi-Endpoint Support: Send notifications to mobile devices, SMS, and email.
  • Integration: Works seamlessly with other AWS services.
  • Cost-Effective: Pay-as-you-go pricing model.
  • Message Filtering: Route messages to different endpoints based on content.
  • Reliability: Built on AWS’s secure and reliable infrastructure.

Pricing

  • Free Tier: First 1 million push notifications per month are free.
  • Pay-Per-Use: Charges apply based on usage beyond the free tier.

How It Stacks Up

Amazon SNS is ideal for businesses needing a scalable push notification service integrated with AWS. It’s suited for those comfortable with technical setups. While it lacks user-friendly interfaces, it provides robust capabilities.

Conclusion

Choosing the right push notification platform is key to engaging your users and keeping them active. CleverTap stands out as the best choice for businesses wanting to make a big impact with their push notifications.

CleverTap offers advanced features like RenderMax Technology to ensure your messages reach users, even with device restrictions. Its focus on personalized messaging means you can send notifications that resonate with each user. The ability to include rich media in notifications makes your messages more engaging.

With real-time analytics and A/B testing, CleverTap optimizes your campaigns for better results. It helps you build stronger relationships and increase loyalty by connecting with your users in meaningful ways. Book a demo now!

Posted on October 23, 2024