The State of Push Notifications in 2025
Push notifications remain one of the most effective ways to re-engage mobile and web users. A well-timed push notification can achieve tap rates of 7-10%, significantly higher than email open rates for many applications. However, the push notification landscape has evolved: users are increasingly selective about which apps they allow to send push notifications, and platforms like iOS and Android continue to add controls that limit notification reach.
This shift has led many teams to adopt a multi-channel strategy. Instead of relying solely on push notifications, they combine push with Telegram, SMS, email, Slack, and other channels to maximize the chance that important messages reach users. The question is no longer just "which push service should I use?" but rather "how do I reach users across all the channels they actually use?"
In this guide, we compare seven services that handle push notifications, from dedicated push platforms to multi-channel solutions. Whether you need a pure push notification service or a broader notification strategy, one of these options will fit your requirements.
Quick Comparison
| Provider | Primary Focus | Web Push | Mobile Push | Other Channels | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-Ping | Multi-channel notifications | Planned | Planned | 6+ channels | 100 msgs/mo |
| OneSignal | Push + in-app messaging | Yes | Yes | Email, SMS, In-App | Unlimited push |
| Firebase FCM | Push delivery infrastructure | Yes | Yes | Push only | Free |
| Pusher Beams | Simple push API | Yes | Yes | Push only | 1,000 devices |
| Airship | Enterprise mobile engagement | Yes | Yes | Email, SMS, In-App | Contact sales |
| Leanplum | Mobile marketing automation | Limited | Yes | Email, In-App | Contact sales |
| Braze | Enterprise customer engagement | Yes | Yes | Email, SMS, In-App | Contact sales |
The 7 Best Push Notification Services
1. One-Ping - Push Notifications as Part of a Multi-Channel Strategy
One-Ping approaches push notifications differently from traditional push services. Instead of treating push as the primary channel, One-Ping includes push as one of many channels in a unified notification API. The idea is simple: important notifications should reach users wherever they are, whether that is push, Telegram, email, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, or SMS.
With push notification opt-in rates declining on both iOS and Android, relying solely on push is increasingly risky. One-Ping lets you send a single API request and have your message delivered across all configured channels simultaneously. A user who dismissed your push notification might see the message on Telegram. A user who has push disabled might catch it on email or SMS. This multi-channel redundancy dramatically increases the chance of message delivery.
One-Ping's push notification support is part of its Phase 2 roadmap, with Telegram, Email, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, and SMS available today. If your immediate need is mobile push notifications exclusively, consider OneSignal or Firebase FCM first. But if you want a notification strategy that goes beyond push, One-Ping provides the simplest path to multi-channel delivery.
Pros
- Multi-channel approach ensures message delivery
- Single API for all channels including future push
- Telegram and WhatsApp as push alternatives today
- Simplest API in the notification space
- Flat monthly pricing, no per-device costs
- n8n and Zapier integrations for automation
Cons
- Push notifications on the roadmap, not live yet
- No push-specific analytics (rich opens, etc.)
- Not designed for push marketing campaigns
Pricing: Free (100 msgs/mo), Pro at $9/mo, Business at $29/mo.
Best for: Teams that want a multi-channel notification strategy where push is one part of a broader approach, not the only channel.
2. OneSignal
OneSignal is the most popular dedicated push notification platform, used by over one million developers. Their generous free tier (unlimited push notifications for up to 10,000 subscribers) makes them the default choice for many projects. OneSignal handles web push, mobile push (iOS and Android), in-app messaging, and has expanded into email and SMS.
OneSignal's strength is their focus on push notification optimization. They offer features like Intelligent Delivery (sending at the time each user is most likely to engage), segmentation, A/B testing, and rich media push notifications. Their SDK is straightforward to implement, and the dashboard provides clear analytics on delivery, opens, and engagement. For teams whose primary channel is push, OneSignal is the most complete free option available.
Pros
- Generous free tier (unlimited push)
- Intelligent Delivery optimization
- Easy SDK integration
- Expanding into email and SMS
Cons
- Advanced features locked behind paid plans
- Email and SMS features are basic
- Can be slow for large-scale broadcasts
- Limited workflow automation
Pricing: Free (unlimited push, 10k subscribers), Growth from $9/mo, Professional from $99/mo.
Best for: Developers and small teams who need reliable push notifications with a generous free tier and do not need complex multi-channel workflows.
3. Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)
Firebase Cloud Messaging is Google's free push notification infrastructure. FCM is the underlying delivery service that many other push providers (including OneSignal) use to deliver notifications on Android and web. If you want maximum control over your push notification infrastructure without paying for a third-party service, FCM is the foundation to build on.
FCM provides the raw delivery capability: you send a payload to FCM's servers, and they handle delivering it to the user's device. There is no marketing dashboard, no segmentation engine, no analytics beyond basic delivery metrics. You build everything else yourself. This makes FCM ideal for engineering teams that want complete control and are willing to invest in building their own notification management layer on top.
Pros
- Completely free with no limits
- Direct Google infrastructure
- Maximum control over implementation
- Integrates with Firebase ecosystem
Cons
- Push only, no other channels
- No built-in analytics or segmentation
- Requires significant development effort
- Apple Push Notification service (APNs) setup separate for iOS
Pricing: Free. No per-message or per-device costs.
Best for: Engineering teams already using Firebase who want free, reliable push delivery and are willing to build their own analytics and management layer.
4. Pusher Beams
Pusher Beams is a simple push notification API from the company behind Pusher Channels (the popular real-time data streaming service). Beams focuses on providing a clean, developer-friendly API for sending push notifications to iOS, Android, and web browsers without the bloat of marketing-oriented platforms.
What makes Pusher Beams appealing is its simplicity. The API is minimal: you create interests (topics), users subscribe to interests, and you publish notifications to interests. There is no complex segmentation or campaign management to learn. If you already use Pusher Channels for real-time features, adding Beams for push notifications is a natural extension. The trade-off is that Beams offers fewer features than OneSignal or Airship.
Pros
- Simple, clean API design
- Interest-based subscription model
- Integrates well with Pusher Channels
- Good documentation and SDKs
Cons
- Push only, no other channels
- Limited analytics compared to OneSignal
- Free tier limited to 1,000 devices
- No A/B testing or optimization features
Pricing: Free (1,000 devices), Pro from $29/mo (10,000 devices).
Best for: Developers who want a simple, no-frills push notification API, especially if they already use Pusher for real-time features.
5. Airship (formerly Urban Airship)
Airship is the enterprise player in the push notification space. One of the original push notification platforms (founded in 2009), Airship has evolved into a comprehensive mobile customer engagement platform. They offer push notifications, in-app messaging, SMS, email, mobile wallet, and web notifications, all with enterprise-grade analytics and segmentation.
Airship's strength is in sophisticated campaign management. Their platform includes predictive send-time optimization, advanced segmentation based on user behavior and attributes, journey orchestration, and detailed performance analytics. For large consumer apps (retail, travel, media) that need to send millions of targeted push notifications, Airship provides the depth of tooling that simpler services cannot match. The trade-off is enterprise pricing and complexity.
Pros
- Enterprise-grade push infrastructure
- Advanced segmentation and targeting
- Journey orchestration for campaigns
- Multi-channel (push, email, SMS, in-app)
Cons
- Enterprise pricing (no public rates)
- Complex platform to learn
- Overkill for transactional notifications
- Long sales and onboarding process
Pricing: Contact sales. Enterprise-level pricing based on message volume and features.
Best for: Large consumer brands and apps that need sophisticated push notification campaigns with advanced targeting, analytics, and journey orchestration.
6. Leanplum (now CleverTap)
Leanplum, recently merged with CleverTap, is a mobile marketing automation platform that includes push notifications as part of a broader engagement toolkit. Their approach combines push with A/B testing, user analytics, and personalization to optimize the entire mobile experience, not just notifications.
What sets Leanplum apart is the integration between push notifications and in-app behavior analysis. The platform can trigger push notifications based on user actions (or inactions), personalize content based on user attributes, and optimize delivery timing using machine learning. For mobile-first companies that treat push notifications as part of a holistic marketing strategy, Leanplum provides deep behavioral insights that pure push services miss.
Pros
- Deep behavioral analytics integration
- A/B testing for notification content
- Personalization based on user behavior
- Part of larger mobile engagement platform
Cons
- Enterprise pricing only
- Complex setup and integration
- Merger with CleverTap causes uncertainty
- Overkill for simple notification needs
Pricing: Contact sales. Based on monthly active users and features.
Best for: Mobile-first companies that want push notifications deeply integrated with behavioral analytics, A/B testing, and personalization.
7. Braze
Braze is the leading enterprise customer engagement platform. While it includes push notifications, Braze is really a comprehensive cross-channel messaging platform that handles push, email, SMS, in-app messaging, content cards, and webhooks. Used by companies like HBO, Burger King, and Urban Outfitters, Braze represents the top tier of enterprise engagement platforms.
Braze's Canvas feature provides a visual journey builder for creating sophisticated multi-step, multi-channel campaigns. Their real-time data processing pipeline means messages can be triggered within seconds of a user action. The platform also includes robust testing, optimization, and analytics tools. For companies that send billions of messages monthly and need every message to be targeted and optimized, Braze is the gold standard. For smaller teams, it is extreme overkill.
Pros
- Industry-leading customer engagement platform
- Real-time data processing and triggering
- Visual journey builder (Canvas)
- True cross-channel orchestration
Cons
- Enterprise pricing ($50,000+/year)
- Complex implementation (weeks/months)
- Requires dedicated team to manage
- Vastly overbuilt for simple notifications
Pricing: Enterprise only. Typically $50,000+ per year based on data points and messages.
Best for: Large enterprises with dedicated marketing engineering teams that need sophisticated cross-channel customer engagement at massive scale.
Push-Only vs Multi-Channel: Which Strategy Wins?
The data increasingly supports a multi-channel approach over push-only strategies. Consider these trends:
- Push opt-in rates are declining: On iOS, only about 51% of users allow push notifications (down from 66% five years ago). On Android, opt-in rates are higher but declining as users gain more control.
- Multi-channel increases reach by 3-5x: When you combine push with Telegram, email, and SMS, you reach users who have push disabled, users who missed the push, and users who are more active on other channels.
- Messaging apps have higher engagement: Telegram messages have a 90%+ read rate. WhatsApp messages are read within 3 minutes on average. These rates far exceed push notification tap rates.
- Channel preferences vary by user: Some users prefer Slack, others check Telegram, many still rely on email. A multi-channel strategy respects user preferences.
Pro tip: You do not have to abandon push notifications to go multi-channel. Use a dedicated push service like OneSignal or Firebase FCM for push, and add One-Ping for Telegram, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, and SMS. This gives you the best of both worlds: optimized push delivery plus multi-channel reach.
Our Verdict
For pure push notification needs, OneSignal offers the best free tier and feature set for most teams. Firebase FCM is the right choice if you want free, raw push delivery and will build your own management layer. For multi-channel notification delivery that includes (or will include) push alongside Telegram, email, Slack, and more, One-Ping provides the simplest unified API. And for enterprise-scale campaigns with advanced targeting and analytics, Airship and Braze are the industry leaders, albeit at enterprise prices. Most teams will get the best results by combining a push service with a multi-channel notification API.