Top 13 Push Notification Providers for Boosting App Engagement

Looking for a list of top mobile push notification providers?

You have come to the right place!

As you might know, using push notifications is a very effective way of keeping app users engaged. It can improve key app metrics like user retention, DAU/MAU, LTV, churn rate, etc.

But, in order to achieve that, you need to send the right message, at the right time.

That’s why it’s a smart move to use a push notification service.

In this article, I review the best ones.

I also cover:

• Top benefits of push notifications
• Tips on how to choose a mobile push notification provider
• The most important push notification statistics for 2023

Let’s dive in!

1. OneSignal

OneSignal is one of the top mobile push notification providers on the market. Lendingtree, Volkswagen, Zynga, Bose, Softonic, and Eatstreet are just some of their trusted clients.

You’re probably wondering, why is this platform so popular among developers?

Here are a couple of reasons.

OneSignal allows developers to boost their reach with personalized and relevant mobile push notifications. Developers have the option to segment users (by country, language, activity, etc.), which results in better targeting.

Below, you can see different data filters that can be used to create segments.

You can also send automated push notifications to different user segments based on their behavior. For example, you can send them to inactive users to re-engage them or to congratulate players for completing a level. However, OneSignal automatically excludes users who have been inactive for more than 3 months.

Another useful OneSignal feature is Intelligent Delivery which helps you increase CTR by sending messages when the user is most likely to use the app.

The notification layout depends on the platform (Android/iOS) and cannot be changed. However, OneSignal allows developers to control notification content like images, icons, sounds, badges, action buttons as well as some aspects of notification behavior.

Different Types of Push Notifications You Can Send Through OneSignal

OneSignal offers four types of push notifications:

• user messages,
• transactional notification,
• conversion driver,
• promos & updates.

User messages allow developers to send users a notification if someone, for example, sends them a direct message.

Transactional notifications allow developers to configure notifications that are triggered by certain events. For example, when an order is in transit.

Conversion driver push notifications have the goal of bringing users back to the app. For example, perhaps a user left an item in their cart – you can send them a friendly personalized reminder.

Finally, with OneSignal, developers can send push notifications that let users know about new promos and updates.

OneSignal Key Features

• A/B testing
• Analytics
• Segmentation
• Personalization
• Automated messages
• Intelligent delivery
• Rich Media

One Signal Pricing Plan

• Free (limited features)
• Starter (from $99/mo)
• Pro (from $500/mo)

2. LeanPlum

LeanPlum is a multi-channel push notification provider that helps you (re)engage users and build loyal relationships. Some of LeanPlum clients are Publishers Clearing House, Pixelberry Studios, TED, Tesco, and IMVU.

With LeanPlum, you can organize user data and build rich user profiles based on gender, behavior, and different app events. Using those user profiles, you can create campaign audiences or import an existing audience list.

Creating messaging campaigns with LeanPlum is very simple and intuitive – there are many templates to choose from. To fine-tune the campaign, you have the option to optimize the user journey based on behavior, delivery times, and frequency. Another useful feature is the ability to configure push notification triggers based on in-app events and user attributes.

To reach maximum user engagement, it’s crucial to send the right message, at the right time, on the right channel. That’s why LeanPlum also offers A/B testing that helps you figure this out in a scientific way – no need to guess. This makes push notification copywriting so much easier.

Finally, LeanPlum has a powerful reporting and analytics feature which is crucial for measuring the success of messaging campaigns.

LeanPlum Key Features

• Multi-channel push notifications
• Data collection
• User profiles
• Campaign audiences
• Intuitive workflows
• Push notification templates and previews
• Delivery time and notification frequency optimization
• Reporting and analytics
• A/B testing

LeanPlum Pricing Plan

Pricing info not provided (free trial available).

3. Moengage

Moengage is a customer engagement platform that offers push notification services. It is used by companies like Samsung, Hearst, Landmark, Tokopedia, Travelodge, OYO, and T-Mobile.

What makes Moengage unique among push notification providers is its AI-powered segmentation engine. It automatically segments users into small groups based on their behavior. This allows you to send highly personalized messages.

Another unique feature is Push Amplification+ which makes sure users receive your messages regardless of network restrictions.

If you want to target users based on location, you can use Moengage’s geo-fencing capabilities.

Moengage Key Features

• Rich push notifications
• Event-triggered notifications
• Notifications based on purchase history, behavior, and location
• Personalization
• Push Amplification+
• AI-powered engine

Moengage Pricing Plan

• Starter (get started for free)
• Growth (no pricing info provided)
• Enterprise (no pricing info provided)

4. Airship

Airship is a leading customer engagement platform that offers excellent push notification service. If you want to keep your DAU and MAU high, Airship is a provider you should consider.

This platform allows you to send highly relevant and contextual push notifications at every lifecycle stage. For example, you can send push notifications to first-time app users, drive in-app purchases, or simply remind users to come back to your app.

Airship allows you to create and automate notifications based on different user attributes like location and gender. Airship’s Predictive AI will help you identify optimal sending time as well as the message itself. This great tool can also identify which users have the highest risk of churn. All that can significantly improve the results of your messaging campaign.

Another great feature of Airship is the ability to personalize messages at scale. And as you probably know, personalized push notifications produce significantly better results.

Airship Key Features

• Multi-channel messaging
• Automation
• Personalization
• Optimization
• Rich and interactive notifications
• Analytics and data
• Predictive AI
• Open-source SDK

Airship Pricing Plan

Pricing info not provided.

5. Kumulos

Kumulos is a mobile app messaging and management platform. It helps mobile app developers to reach their users and keep them engaged.

With this service, you can better understand user behavior and improve targeting of your messaging campaigns. By using Kumulos’ personalized push notifications, you can turn your audience into active and loyal users.

Kumulos can also help you with the onboarding process by delivering strategic push notifications to users who have just installed your app. Grabbing the user’s attention right from the start is critical for the success of your app. Push notifications are a great tool for improving user retention for days 1, 7, 30, and beyond.

Kumulos Key Features

• Personalized notifications
• Event-triggered
• Automated intelligent messaging
• Timezone specific
• Multi-language
• Intelligent targeting
• Onboarding strategy
• Conversion funnels and user journeys

Kumulos Pricing Plan

• Startup (pricing info not available)
• Enterprise (pricing info not available)
• Agency (pricing info not available)

6. Taplytics

Taplytics is a digital optimization platform that also provides push notification services.

Developers have the option to schedule push campaigns and send messages based on time zones and different triggers. This ensures users get the notification at the right time.

In order to boost engagement, you can segment and personalize push notifications based on location, user behavior, etc.

Another useful feature is Taplytics’ A/B testing. By running split tests, you can identify which notifications get the highest engagement and why.

Taplytics Key Features

• Rich push notification manager
• Segmentation
• Personalized triggers
• A/B testing
• Analytics

Taplytics Pricing Plan

Not available.

7. Batch

Batch is a push notification provider that allows developers to automate their messages.

Not only can you create rich push notifications, but you can also preview them with Batch’s previsualization module.

This platform also offers a multivariate A/B testing technology that helps you determine which messages drive the most engagement.

Batch Key Features

• Fast delivery
• Supports rich formats
• Previsualization module
• A/B testing
• Deeplinks

Batch Pricing Plan

• Basic – free
• Developer – €245/mo
• Startup – €495/mo
• Business – €795/mo
• Enterprise – custom pricing

8. Wonderpush

Wonderpush is one of the leading mobile push notification providers for iOS and Android. It is trusted by more than 5,000 developers.

What’s great about Wonderpush is that it’s very simple to integrate it in an iOS or Android app – you can start sending push notifications in no time. The notification creation and edit page features allow you to compose and schedule messages based on triggers, as well as choose who to target.

There are multiple notification formats to choose from as well as several triggers.

If you want to avoid doing things manually, you can automate the process with scheduled sending, periodical sending, and segment-based automation.

Another cool Wonderpush feature is segmentation. You can choose from pre-configured segments or create your own segments, based on user data.

Wonderpush Key Features

• Quick setup
• Real-time analytics
• Rich message formats
• Automation
• User segmentation

Wonderpush Pricing Plan

• Free trial
• 1-1,000 subscribers – €1/mo
• 1,001-2,000 subscribers – €2/mo
• 2,001-3,000 subscribers – €3/mo

9. Pushbots

Do you want to boost app engagement, improve user retention, and increase revenue? Pushbots is a mobile push notifications provider that equips you with all the necessary tools to achieve precisely that.

What’s great about Pushbots is that you can send an unlimited number of notifications – it doesn’t count the number of notifications sent, but rather the number of users.

Pushbots helps you better understand your user base, create segments, and thus improve targeting. For example, you can find out which countries your users come from, which language they speak, and which version of your app they’re using.

To ensure notifications get delivered at the best time, Pushbot’s predictive model provides you with ideal time for reaching users.

Pushbots Key Features

• Fast delivery speed
• Unlimited number of notifications
• Personalization
• Onboarding
• Smart A/B testing
• Analytics
• Real-time reporting
• Data export

Pushbots Pricing Plan

• Free (up to 1,000 users)
• Basic $49 (up to 50,000 users)
• Plus $129 (up to 150,000 users)
• Ultimate $249 (up to 300,000 users)
• Enterprise custom pricing plan (more than 300,000 users)

10. Pushwoosh

Pushwoosh is another mobile push notification provider that can help developers increase engagement and LTV of their app users. Some of Pushwoosh’s clients are BelkaCar, Avianca, Wetter.com, Telepizza, Honeywell, and One.co.

This mobile push notifications provider offers rich media to make your notifications more appealing to users. You can also create personalized messaging campaigns by inserting user information into notifications.

Since different users require different approaches, Pushwoosh allows you to create audience segments.

In order to fine-tune your push notification strategy, you can use Puswoosh’s A/B testing feature. Furthermore, analytics will help you measure the effectiveness of push notifications. For example, you can track how many notifications were sent as well as what’s their CTR and open rate.

Pushwoosh Key Features

• Rich media
• Personalization
• Segmentation
• A/B testing
• Analytics

Pushwoosh Pricing Plan

• Start Up – free (up to 1000 devices)
• Developer – from $41.95
• Marketing – from $125.95
• Custom plans

11. Catapush

Catapush is a mobile push notification platform that allows you to reach users with real-time messages.

The reason why Catapush guarantees fast delivery is the fact that this provider is independent of Apple APNs and Firebase – it uses an XMPP protocol.

Another cool Catapush feature is the ability to track push notification delivery status – you can see whether a message has been delivered, read, and clicked. That’s quite useful because this information can help you improve your engagement strategy.

Like most mobile push notification providers, Catapush also has the option to personalize the message you’re sending. This means that you can choose notification type, format, and customize the text for different recipients.

Catapush Key Features

• Guaranteed delivery
• Fast delivery
• Dedicated real-time background channel
• Delivery status tracking
• End-to-end encryption
• Personalization
• Rich media and long text support
• Analytics

Catapush Pricing Plan

• Free 12-month trial (100 monthly unique active recipient limit)
• Pro Plan – € 0,02 per MUAR / per month
• Enterprise Plan – custom pricing plan

12. Clevertap

Clevertap’s messaging platform allows you to reach app users with relevant, contextual, and personalized messages.

Whether you want to re-engage lapsed users or nudge new users, you can do it with Clevertap.

It allows you to customize any part of the message with personalized features such as name or location. Moreover, your messages can become more attractive with its rich media content.

Finally, it provides A/B testing possibilities to get the best out of your push notification campaigns.

Clevertap Key Features

• Localization support
• Geo-specific campaigns
• Time-triggered campaigns
• Deep links
• Push notification campaign reporting
• A/B & multivariate testing

Clevertap Pricing

• Custom pricing

5 Important Benefits of Push Notifications

Still not convinced you should utilize push notifications on your app?

Here are some benefits you simply can’t ignore.

1. Reach Users Directly

Having a direct line of communication with app users is vital for the success of any app. This is why push notifications are so beneficial – you can send messages directly to your users, wherever they are in their customer journey.

It establishes long-lasting loyal relationships with users which, in turn, make your app a success.

However, it’s important that you personalize push notifications. That doesn’t mean just calling users by their name, but also sending them messages that are relevant to them.

2. Boost App Engagement

Since in-app purchases and in-app ads are the two main sources of revenue for developers, it’s imperative to have engaged users.

Push notifications can help you keep things interesting.

For example, you can send relevant information like updates, promotions, rewards, and special offers. This is the type of content users like and it keeps them engaging with your app.

3. Improve User Retention

Here’s the thing about app users.

Many of them tend to install an app or a game, use it maybe once, and then forget about it. That’s very problematic for developers.

You spend all this time and money on user acquisition and then end up with poor user retention. When you have low user retention, you can’t monetize your app because there’s no one to watch ads or make a purchase.

It’s a downward spiral.

The good news is – push notifications can help with that.

When you send relevant notifications to users, you can re-engage them, which means user retention goes up.

Oftentimes, people simply forget to use an app. Push notifications remind them to use it again – it’s the perfect way to re-engage users.

However, avoid being too pushy (pun intended).

If you constantly nag users to use your app, you’ll achieve the opposite effect. Most likely, the user will delete the app and maybe even leave a bad review. And that’s not what you want.

Be strategic when sending push notifications and do it moderately.

4. Drive Conversions

If you sell products through your app or offer in-app purchases, you can use push notifications to drive conversions.

You can send users info on special offers and discounts to encourage them to make a purchase immediately.

Furthermore, if you have a problem with abandoned carts, you can send a notification to remind the users to complete their purchase.

5. Get Insight Into User Behavior

The final benefit of push notifications I want to emphasize is the ability to get insight into user behavior. For any app developer, knowing what appeals to their users is invaluable.

You’ll learn what your app users like/dislike, what kind of messages they respond to best, when they’re most receptive to receive messages, etc.

Tips for Choosing a Mobile Push Notification Provider

Choosing the perfect mobile push notification provider is not easy. Each service offers different features and pricing plans.

So how do you choose?

Here are some tips that will help you know what you should look for.

Price

For many developers, the most important criterion for choosing a mobile push notification provider is the price.

Most commonly, providers offer a monthly subscription model based on the number of users, i.e., recipients. However, some base it on the volume of sent notifications. The former is a much better option since it allows you to send unlimited messages. Plus, you can select a pricing plan that fits the number of users you have.

Also, we recommend that you first try out different providers before making a decision, since most offer a free trial.

Personalization

Since sending generic push notifications is not a good way to get more engagement and retention, a personalization feature is crucial. Luckily, most mobile push notification providers have the option to personalize messages and make them more relevant.

Segmentation and Targeting

Another thing you should look for in a mobile push notification provider is segmentation and targeting options.

Since it’s not a good strategy to send the same notification to all users, it’s important that the provider you choose offers segmentation features. This allows you to segment users by location, language, behavior, etc., which improves the effectiveness of your messaging campaigns.

Automation

Another useful feature when it comes to push notifications is automated messages. For example, you could set it up so that notifications are sent based on certain triggers or in-app events.

So check whether the push notification provider of your choice has this option available to avoid doing everything manually.

Documentation

Finally, it’s important that a push notification service is developer-friendly. Check whether they provide an SDK or API that can easily be implemented in your app. Making sure the service has comprehensive documentation that will prevent any future headaches.

Mind-blowing Push Notifications Statistics for 2023

• On average, a smartphone user in the US receives 45 mobile push notifications in one day.
• Push notifications have an open rate of 90%. (e-goi)
• Push notifications have a 50% higher open rate than emails and 7% higher CTR. (e-goi)
• Android users have much higher opt-in rates (91.1%) compared to iOS users (43.9%). (Accentage)
• The overall opt-in rate is about 53%. (Localytics)
• The average reaction rate is 7% on Android and 4.9% on iOS. (Accentage)
• Push reaction rates are highest on Tuesday – 8.4%.
• The highest reaction rates are at 11 pm.
• The highest click-through rates are from 12 to 1
• Emojis improve push reaction rates by 40%, rich formats by 25%, tailored send times by 40%. (Accentage)
• Average click-through rates on Android are 4.1% and 1.7% on iOS. (CleverTap)
• Personalization can improve CTR by 9%.
• Dynamic/segmented push notifications have the highest CTR (1.95%). (Localytics)
• 38% of push notifications are rich format. (VWO Engage)
• 50% of users find push notifications useful, but only if they choose the app that can send them notifications. (VWO Engage)
• Users like to receive push notifications from social media platforms the most (57%). News and information apps are in second place (45%), shopping and retails apps are third (25%), gaming apps are in fourth place (19%). (VWO Engage)
• 38% of users like to receive push notifications in the morning, 15% while commuting to work, 21% at work, 36% in the evening, and 38% on the weekends. (VWO Engage)
• 52% of users look for relevant information and offers in the push notifications they receive. (e-goi)
• 40% of users interact with push notifications within 1 hour of receiving them. (e-goi)

Types of Personalization That Make Users Use an App More or Less

Data Source: Localytics

Opt-in Rates by Industry

Data source: Accentage

• Finance – Android 93.8%, iOS 50.8%
• Travel – Android 93.5%, iOS 46.9%
• E-commerce – Android 91.9%, iOS 44%
• Entertainment – Android 93.5%, iOS 42.5%
• Retail – Android 90%, iOS 42.4%
• Classifieds – Android 88.2%, iOS 41.9%
• Media – Android 84.9%, iOS 42.3%
• Gaming – Android 89.7%, iOS 37.2%

Reaction Rates by Industry

Data source: Accentage

• Finance – 11.3%
• Travel – 9.8%
• E-commerce – 7.9%
• Entertainment – 7.8%
• Retail – 7.3%
• Classifieds – 6.6%
• Media – 6.2%
• Gaming – 5.1%

Reaction Rates by Day of the Week

Data source: Accentage

• Monday – 7.9%
• Tuesday – 8.4%
• Wednesday – 7.4%
• Thursday – 7.9%
• Friday – 7.9%
• Saturday – 7.7%
• Sunday – 8.1%

Reaction Rate by Hour of the Day

Data source: Accentage

Average CTR by Time of Day

Data source: CleverTap

Ideal Push Notification Length by Industry

Data source: CleverTap

The Ideal Number of Push Notifications for Maximum CTR by Industry

Data source: VWO Engage

Power Words for Push Notifications

Data Source: CleverTap

To Sum Up Mobile Push Notification Providers

Hopefully, this article has helped you choose mobile push notification providers that suit your needs.

If you think I missed something, let me know in the comments below.

Need additional help? Feel free to reach out!