Every app needs to send messages to users. Whether it's emails, push notifications, text messages, or alerts inside your app - you need a system that works well and doesn't break.
A good notification service puts everything in one place. Instead of managing different systems for emails, texts, and push notifications, you get one dashboard to handle it all.
We tested the top notification services to see which ones work best for developers. Here's what we found.
The best notification services
These are the platforms we looked at:
Knock
Novu
Courier
SuprSend
Fyno
MoEngage
What makes a great notification service?
When choosing a notification service, we looked for platforms that can handle all types of messages - emails, push notifications, SMS, and in-app alerts. The best services have simple APIs that are easy to set up, with clear instructions and code examples for different programming languages. They also offer good template systems so you can create consistent-looking messages across all channels.
We also wanted services that let you customize how messages look and work, provide detailed stats on delivery and engagement, and have fair pricing with decent free plans. Most importantly, the service needs to actually work - delivering messages reliably and on time, every time.
1. Knock
(Source: Knock)
Knock is built for developers who need serious notification systems. It gives you one API to send all types of messages and can even send them at the right time for each user's timezone.
Supported channels
Email
In-app
SMS
Chat (Slack, Teams, Discord, etc.)
Push (Apple Push, Firebase FCM, Expo, etc.)
Custom Data platforms (Segment, Rudderstack, etc.)
Knock features
Workflow engine for complex notification logic
Collaborative template management
SDKs to support multiple languages
Notification batching and throttling
Comprehensive analytics and observability tools
Tenant isolation for multi-tenant applications
Integration with popular email providers
Pros
Well-designed, developer-friendly API with SDKs for multiple languages
Strong focus on workflow design and complex notification logic
Excellent observability tools to monitor delivery and engagement
Built for scale with enterprise-grade features
Flexible template management system with visual designer for non-technical users
GDPR and HIPAA compliance
Cons
No lower entry plan beyond free plan (relative to other providers) for hobby projects just getting off the ground
Pricing
Pricing
Free: 10,000 notifications per month
Starter ($250/mo): 50,000 notifications per month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
2. Novu
(Source: Novu)
Novu is different because it's open source. You can see all the code and even run it on your own servers if you want. Or just use their cloud version.
Supported channels
Email
In-app
Push (Apple Push, Firebase FCM, Expo, etc.)
SMS
Chat (Slack, Teams, Discord, etc.)
Novu features
Open-source core with MIT license
Visual template editor
Subscriber preference management
Digest and delay capabilities
Notification center UI components
Webhook support
Pros
Open-source with ability to self-host
Active community and regular updates
Ready-to-use notification center components
Good integration options with various providers
More affordable pricing for startups
Cons
Less mature than some commercial alternatives
Fewer enterprise features out of the box
Self-hosting requires additional maintenance
Pricing
Free: 10,000 notifications per month
Starter ($30/mo): 30,000 notifications per month
Team ($250/mo): 250,000 notifications per month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
3. Courier
(Source: Courier)
Courier cares a lot about how your notifications look. They have drag-and-drop tools to make pretty messages, plus all the developer tools you need.
Supported channels
Email
SMS
Push (Apple Push, Firebase FCM, Expo, etc.)
In-app
Chat (Slack, Teams, Discord, etc.)
Custom Data platforms (Segment, Rudderstack, etc.)
Courier features
Visual notification designer
Brand controls and templates
Preference center
A/B testing capabilities
Event tracking and analytics
Provider failover and routing
Pros
Strong visual design tools for non-developers
Good balance of developer and designer features
Comprehensive provider integrations
Solid analytics capabilities
Provider failover for improved reliability
Cons
API might be less developer-focused compared to Knock
Some advanced features limited to higher tiers
Workflow capabilities not as robust for complex scenarios
Pricing
Free: 10,000 notifications per month
Pro: $0.0005/notification
Enterprise: Custom pricing
4. SuprSend
(Source: SuprSend)
SuprSend focuses on getting you set up fast with good tracking. They separate your notification logic from your main app code, which keeps things cleaner.
Supported channels
Email
SMS
Push (mobile and web)
In-app
Chat (Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp)
SuprSend features
Event-driven notification workflow engine
Preference management and user channel routing
Template management with support for variables and logic
Real-time observability and delivery status tracking
SDKs for backend frameworks (Node.js, Python, Java, Go, etc.)
Multi-channel orchestration with built-in retry and fallback
Role-based access control for teams
Pros
Quick setup with a clean API and documentation
Built-in user preference center and channel routing logic
Strong delivery visibility and error tracking out-of-the-box
Cons
Fewer out-of-the-box integrations than competitors like Fyno
Still maturing ecosystem for frontend components and in-app UX
Limited enterprise feature depth compared to other platforms
Pricing
Free: Up to 10,000 notifications/month
Essentials: Starting at $100/month for 50k notifications/month
Business: Starting at $250/month for 50k notifications/month, plus features like batching, digest, user preferences, and more
Enterprise: Custom pricing based on volume, infrastructure, and compliance needs
5. Fyno
(Source: Fyno)
Fyno sits between your app and different message providers. Instead of connecting to each provider separately, you connect to Fyno and they handle the rest.
Supported channels
Email
SMS
Push
In-app
Chat (Slack, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, Discord)
Voice (Exotel, Kaleyra)
Fyno features
Provider-agnostic routing and failover
No-code workflow builder with fallback logic
Dynamic channel preferences based on user behavior
Real-time notification delivery logs and analytics
Unified API across all providers
Support for templating and personalization
Integration with over 50 providers out-of-the-box
Pros
Integration with a wide range of providers via pre-built connectors
Intuitive UI for building and visualizing workflows without code
Built-in failover and fallback logic improve reliability across providers
Cons
Less flexibility for custom use cases compared to code-first tools
API and SDK support not as mature or language-diverse as developer-native platforms
Limited native support for tenant-specific configurations
Limited free plan and no lower entry plan relative to other providers
Pricing
Free: Up to 50,000 API requests with only 15 day access. Fyno doesn't have or plan to have a free forever plan
Paid: Starting from $249/month for up to 200,000 notifications/month. Final pricing is determined based on the number of API requests per month, number of notified users per month, and volume discounts
6. MoEngage
(Source: MoEngage)
MoEngage is built for marketing teams, not developers. It's a complete customer engagement platform that includes notifications as one part of many features.
Supported channels
Email
Push (mobile and web)
SMS
In-app
WhatsApp (paid add-on)
Onsite (web overlays, modals, etc.)
Webhooks and connectors for custom channels
MoEngage features
Visual journey builder for multi-step campaigns
Behavioral segmentation and real-time user analytics
Dynamic content personalization and A/B testing
Campaign orchestration with goal tracking
Built-in preference management
Pros
Intuitive campaign builder for marketing-led lifecycle messaging
Deep analytics and segmentation tools to personalize communication
All-in-one suite supports both engagement and data unification
Cons
Not optimized for developer-first, product-led use cases
Limited flexibility for teams looking to fully own UX or in-app delivery logic
API access and developer tooling are less mature than code-native platforms like Knock or Novu
No free plan or transparent pricing
Pricing
MoEngage doesn't offer transparent pricing on their website, alluding to custom pricing based on contacts, usage volume, and required products and features. Several capabilities are also considered custom add-ons.
MoEngage Inform: Uniform messaging infrastructure for cross-channel transactional alerts
Growth: Essential solutions to help your growing teams build and retain customers
Enterprise: Essential solutions for multi-functional teams to create unique experiences for every customer across the globe
MoEngage Personalize: Engage and convert website visitors with personalized web experiences
Which notification service should you choose?
Here's our advice based on what you need:
Choose Knock if you're building complex notification systems and need enterprise-level reliability with advanced workflows and comprehensive observability.
Choose Novu if you prefer an open-source solution, want the option to self-host, or need a more budget-friendly option with ready-to-use UI components.
Choose Courier if you want a balance between developer tools and visual design capabilities, especially if non-technical team members will be involved in creating notifications.
Choose SuprSend if you need a developer-friendly notification platform with rapid setup, comprehensive analytics, and robust delivery guarantees across multiple channels.
Choose Fyno if you're looking for a lightweight notification service with real-time delivery tracking, customizable templates, and seamless integration with popular development frameworks.
Choose MoEngage if you want a service built for marketing and product teams, with a focus on engagement and personalization.
Think about your team's skills, budget, growth plans, and how complex your notifications need to be. Many teams start simple and upgrade to more robust platforms like Knock as their notification needs grow more sophisticated.
Conclusion
Having a dedicated notification system will make a huge difference in how well you can communicate with your users across multiple channels. Pick the one that fits your needs and budget - you can always upgrade later as you grow.
