Top Push Notifications Services And Tools to Engage Users [2021 Update]

Today, we are going to talk about push notifications services & tools. We’ll share a list of the 11 best services available on the market in 2021 and tips on how to do them properly. Keep reading!

Push notifications

Table of Contents

Before We Start: What Are Mobile Push Notifications And How To Use Them

Push Notifications are messages sent by apps that pop up on users’ devices, and their function is to deliver information and improve engagement.

A Push Notification (also called server push notification) enables to deliver information from the app to the mobile device (or computer) without a request from the user. It also doesn’t need the app to be opened, so it represents a significant source of information because the smartphone will display the text message even if the app is closed and the screen locked. Therefore, the user is definitely going to see it. They are the opposite side of Pull Notifications, in which users request information from a server – Push Notifications originate from a server.

In terms of usage, the receiver should accept these alerts, usually during installation, or in the settings, where they can turn them off or on later on if they change their mind. Having that in mind, good practice on Mobile Push Notifications would be to make settings flexible and let the users choose which notifications they are interested in. If you only offer them two options (turn notifications OFF / ON), they are more likely to disable them.

Another aspect to take into account is that users don’t like the abundance of notifications. If that’s the case, they will likely turn them off, and they can even delete the application. You should plan the time span of your alerts wisely:

Weekly Push Notifications That Cause Push Disablement
Source: Localytics

Top 11 Push Notification Services in 2021

Push Notification Services came out ten years ago, so there’s a huge variety available on the market. The number of these platforms increases every day, and it is difficult to find the one that fits our needs best. Although there is no “perfect” tool, we are sharing a list of renowned services that can help you handle Push Notifications.

Amazon SNS

Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) has been going on since 2010. It is compatible with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and it allows app owners to send app Push Notifications to several platforms, such as Android, iOS, Windows Phone, etc. It’s also possible to send Push Notifications directly from the cloud.

Pricing: Sending one million mobile push notifications costs $1.00 ($0.50 per million publishes + $0.50 per million mobile push notification deliveries).

Amazon SNS

BTW, are you planning to sell stuff on Amazon? Check this out!

OneSignal

OneSignal is a multi-platform Push Notifications Service company and it was launched in 2014. It can send both web and mobile Push Notifications and email. More than 500k app developers use it, as it has almost all the features you could ask for (A/B testing, automation, tracking, etc.).

Pricing: There are different plans: Free, Starter ($99 per month), Pro ($500 per month).

One Signal

Kumulos

Kumulos is a Mobile App Performance Management platform for mobile app and software development companies. Mobile marketers can sell a Push Notification Service with its dashboard and easily manage campaigns, as well as reporting on the results and view analytics to analyze the campaigns’ efficiency.

Pricing: There are 3 different plans: Startup, Enterprise and Agency.

Kumulos Push Notifications

Pushwoosh

Founded in 2011, Pushwoosh has a wide range of tools to send mobile and web Push Notifications with rich content, such as images & embedded videos with CTAs, among others.

Pricing: It has 4 packages: Start Up (free), Developer ($41,95/month), Marketing ($125,95/month) and a private offering customized to the clients’ needs.

Pushwoosh

Airship

Airship (formerly called Urban Airship) was founded in Portland in 2009, and it’s a multifunctional platform that combines Push Notifications, in-app messaging, targeting features and analytics. They work with all kinds of business: retail, media, sports, travel, etc., having as clients remarkable companies such as Adidas, BBC or The Wall Street Journal.

Pricing: You can get a demo upon request and a flexible price depending on the needs.

Airship

Leanplum

Leanplum stands out in terms of personalization and automation. Regarding the first feature, the User Interface can be tailored to specific users, therefore changing some aspects depending on users’ behavior. It can also send personalized messages automatically based on behavior and user characteristics.

Pricing: You need to get in touch with them to know about pricing.

Leanplum

Intercom

Intercom is a messaging platform and it has a broad variety of communication tools in order to reply to messages, to engage and to interact with customers. It also has a Mobile Push Notifications system that allows marketers to reach out to users outside an app.

Pricing: It has three kinds of packages: Essential (from $87 per month), Pro (from $153 per month), and Premium (custom pricing). The prices increase with the number of customers.

Intercom

SWRVE

SWRVE is one of the leading mobile marketing automation companies. Its main highlight is its mobile screen editor. It also has personalization features regarding sounds and alerts, as well as banners on locked screens and analytics. It has high profile clients such as Electronic Arts, Sony, Microsoft, and Warner Bros.

Pricing: You need to contact the company to know more about the prices.

Swrve

Mixpanel

Mixpanel offers retroactive funnel reporting features, real-time data analytics, and segmentation in order to make sure that push notifications are optimized. It also includes A/B testing and automation.

Pricing: It has three packages: Starter, Growth ($89 per month) and Enterprise (custom pricing).

Mixpanel

Catapush

Catapush differs in the pushing notifications game because of its 2-way service, allowing replies to each sent message. Its real-time communication channel with customers is their competitive advantage over its competitors.

Pricing: It has different prices depending on the number of recipients: up to 100 MUAR (monthly unique active recipient) for 12 months (free), up to 1,000 MUAR (20€/month) and then on a per-MUAR basis (Pro Plan: with €0,02 per MUAR per month, Enterprise Plan with custom pricing).

Catapush

Taplytics

Taplytics is a Push Notification system that also offers A/B testing and analytics. Some of the other features available are automated messaging, geolocation to send Push Notifications to specific locations and real-time analytics. Its campaigns can also be measured with specific goals in terms of retention, awareness or engagement.

Pricing: you have to get in touch with Taplytics to know about the prices.

Taplytics

To Wrap It Up – Top Push Notifications Services & Tools in 2021

Push Notifications, if done right, can be marketers’ best friend. It can uplift retention rate and boost engagement (and sales), but they can easily go wrong if users are annoyed with constant messaging and alerts (it’s actually the first reason why people decide to uninstall apps). It’s all about figuring out which kind of notifications users want to receive and making them attractive and useful. There’s a large number of tools available in 2021, so don’t hesitate to try them to find the best option for your business.

Have you ever worked with Push Notifications? Tell us your experience and / or thoughts in the comments.

The post “Top Push Notifications Services & Tools in 2019” was originally written by Gerard Gordon.

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1 thought on “Top Push Notifications Services And Tools to Engage Users [2021 Update]”

  1. Hey! Very interesting but you can not forget the 360 App Marketing platform: EMMA (emma.io)

    They. Have a very interesting solution for push and in-app messaging as automation also…

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