OneSignal has long been a prominent player in the customer messaging market for apps and websites. In light of OneSignal’s presence and widespread adoption, the questions arise:
Is OneSignal truly the best customer engagement platform for your company?
In this blog, you can find valuable information, that would help to explore distinctive features, target market, and pricing methods from different alternatives.
Let’s get into…
What is OneSignal?
Before delving into an alternative of marketing automation platforms, it’s essential to first understand what is OneSignal and the products it offers.
OneSignal is a customer messaging platform that supports businesses to engage with their customers across various channels effectively and it is one of the most popular web push notification tools.
OneSignal started as a mobile game studio and then transitioned its focus to address a persistent pain point encountered by companies in app development: the need for effective push notification services.
Despite OneSignal’s growth of popularity as a customer messaging platform, until today, it keeps traces of its original approach and is reflected in the complexities of their interface. Which for regular, non-coder users means they might find the platform somewhat challenging to navigatewithout prior programming knowledge or technical expertise, as it is originally created for developers
OneSignal Push Notifications and More
OneSignal Push Notifications
OneSignal is mainly known for their push notifications, offering some customisation options and targeting across all major web browsers, iOS and Android devices.
Additional OneSignal Channels
Even though OneSignal provides a comprehensive suite of engagement channels, including email marketing integration, in-app messaging, SMS campaign management, and live activities, most of the companies use it for only web and mobile push notifications, as it had been their core business and the other channels were developed later as add-ons. In theory, these capabilities seem to provide businesses with delivering personalised and timely messages across multiple touchpoints. But it is highly developer dependent to achieve a centralised approach.
OneSignal Pricing
The push notifications provider, OneSignal, works under a subscriber-based model at a rate of $3 per 1000 subscribers.
You might think this pricing plan is perfect to begin with, right? But when it comes to medium and large businesses, it might not be the best for your company in the long run.
Let’s work with an example to analyse, a company that has approx. 100.000 visits per month:
- Month 1: Subscribers = 5,250 / Cost = $15.70
- Month 2: Subscribers = 10,448 / Cost= $31.34
- Month 6: Subscribers = 30,723 / Cost= $92.17
- Month 10: Subscribers = 50,199 / Cost= $150.60
Based on month 6th, we will create a graph comparing the variable cost of working with a subscriber-based pricing model (OneSignal) vs a monthly-traffic based pricing model (Frizbit) to understand which one is more convenient.
Based on this graph, we can evidence that a subscriber-based model is definitely not the best option in terms of costs in the long-run.
Over time, business continually change their services and products, which can increase your costs when you work with a company that has a static filed (OneSignal) rather than a dynamic field (Frizbit).
Now let’s analyse their ROI
Having more subscribers does not guarantee higher revenue, however, having more visits does! If someone visits your page, it indicates interests, which leads to engagement, and potentially action to increase in revenue.
In terms of expected sales, OneSignal only counts with bulk notification which is not as efficient as hyper-personalised notifications which drives 2.5—3X more sales leading to higher revenue.
Finally, we can see that over time based on subscribers, you might experience a falling ROI due to highly increased costs as your company expands.
So, is OneSignal the best customer engagement platform for your company?
OneSignal offers a suite of tools designed to optimise user experience of diverse industries, including Gaming, News & Media, Mobile, Fintech/Financial and ecommerce.
However, its products are geared more towards app developers rather than ecommerce marketers.
OneSignal as a self-service solution tailored for developers, enables customisation across various development environments such as iOS, Android, and React Native through API.
It works with deep integration and seamless automation of real-time engagement strategies, such as intelligent delivery and behaviour-based messaging—essential for maintaining user interaction within apps.
Not all companies, however, have the time, budget, expertise, and vision to develop a solution that enhances their desire outcomes without needing the presence of extra professionals.
Although some digital marketers possess the skills to develop and might know how to use such platforms, not everyone can adapt to a tool that’s impractical and has extensive coding.
Fortunately, we live in an era marked by innovation and customer engagement platforms continues to evolve, giving you the opportunity to opt for the alternative that fits better with your company’s needs and preferences.
What are the 4 Best OneSignal Alternatives?
Following, we are going to explore the distinctive features, pricing methods, and target market of the 4 best OneSignal Alternatives.
1. Frizbit
Features
Frizbit stands out as an alternative to OneSignal with its comprehensive range of features tailored to meet the specific requirements of ecommerce businesses.
The platform offers hyper-personalisation and unlimited automation capabilities, from retargeting campaigns to upselling and abandoned cart recovery.
Additionally, Frizbit’s seamless integration and user-friendly interface make it easy for digital marketing professionals to create segments and campaigns without involving their development team.
Finally, as eCommerce businessess update their products and services continually, Frizbit offers flexible solutions that can adapt quickly to new challenges.
Lastly, the usage of dynamic fields, Frizbit can ensure a hyper-personalised experience to adapt to the situation, in contrast to OneSignal which uses static fields limiting the creation of a unique experience for users.
Pricing
Frizbit offers a flexible pricing model based on monthly traffic.
Working with this pricing model assures you a much higher ROI since your number of visits and engagement exceeds OneSignal’s ROI based on (probably unengaged) subscribers.
In terms of web push notifications, Frizbit’s exceptional feature of hyper-personalisation + bulk notifications significantly enhances user interactions, leading to more decisive actions and ultimately increasing your revenue.
Target Market
Frizbit is strategically designed for digital marketing professionals, empowering eCommerce businesses, to streamline their marketing efforts and drive growth without the need for extensive development resources.
2. Firebase
Features
Firebase key feature is Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), which enables app developers to send push notifications to users across various platforms, including Android, iOS, and web applications.
In addition to push notifications, Firebase provides a range of other features, such as real-time database, authentication, hosting, and analytics, which are supported by Google Cloud, allowing developers to scale their audience reach.
Pricing
Firebase offers a pay-as-you-go pricing allows developers to only pay for the resources they use, making it cost-effective for apps of all sizes.
Firebase offers various pricing plans tailored for both individual developers and enterprise-level organizations. Additionally, it has a free tier for developers to get started with its services.
Target Market
Firebase caters to a diverse range of developers and businesses, from individual app developers to large enterprises. Whether you’re building a simple mobile app or a complex web application, Firebase provides the infrastructure and resources supported by Google Cloud database you need to scale your app as it grows.
3. Airship
Features
Airship stands as a pioneer in mobile app marketing is designed to help brands with user experience of their mobile app.
From delivering the first push notifications and in-app messages to mobile wallet integration and no-code native app experience editing. The platform provides a solution for every stage of the customer app lifecycle.
It has tools for app store optimization, unified journey orchestration, content creation, and experimentation.
Pricing
Airship offers two primary pricing tiers and uses a feature-based pricing model
The AXP Essentials package is ideal for smaller brands. It caters to an audience of up to 5 million addressable users and includes features such as push and web notifications, no-code native app experiences, personalization tools, A/B testing, and performance analytics.
On the other hand, the AXP Enterprise package is designed for mid-market and enterprise brands. It has all features mentioned before, along with email and SMS marketing, mobile wallet integration, cross-channel orchestration, and strategic guidance.
Target Market
Airship caters to a diverse range of industries, including airlines, media, sports, finance, retail, and telecom.Whether it’s acquiring new customers,preventing churn, upselling/cross-selling, or retargeting.
4. Braze
Features
Braze offers from traditional channels like email and SMS to emerging channels like WhatsApp and web messaging.
The platform uses AI-powered tools, such as Magic Wand and Sage AI for behaviour-based automation, predictive analysis, and A/B testing.
Other tools used by Braze are: Data collection and activation, that simplifies the process of Journey Orchestration, for the creation of memorable customer journeys.
Pricing
Braze offers flexible pricing options that vary depending on factors such as the size of the organisation and the level of service required.
Braze also provides pricing adjustments for multi-year agreements. It’s important to note that charges include per-delivered content and usage, while implementation and offboarding costs may vary depending on project scope and customization needs.
Target Market
Braze caters to different industries, including financial services, media & entertainment, on-demand services, QSR, retail & eCommerce, and travel & hospitality.
With its flexible pricing options catering to organizations of various sizes, Braze is the go-to platform for businesses looking to elevate their marketing automation efforts and drive sustained growth.
Complete best OneSignal alternatives comparison table:
| Customer Engagement Platform | Key Features | Price Relevance | Target Market |
| OneSignal | Comprehensive push notification service-confirmed delivery | Subscriber-based model | Gaming, News & Media, Mobile, Fintech/Financial and ecommerce |
| Frizbit | Hyper-personalisation and interface designed for digital marketing professionals | Flexible-pricing and transparent pricing model | eCommerce businesses and Airlines |
| Firebase | Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) and Google Cloud Support | Pay-as-you-go pricing | Individual app developers to large enterprises. |
| Airship | Mobile wallet integration and no-code native app experience editing | Feature-based model: AXP Essentials and AXP Enterprise | Mobile-first mid-market and enterprise |
| Braze | AI-powered tools, such as Magic Wand and Sage AI. | Flexible pricing with adjustments for multi-year agreements | Financial services, media & entertainment, retail, and more |
Final Thoughts
After reading this blog now, you can make a well-informed decision that aligns with your company’s customer engagement strategy in 2024 and beyond.
If you’re looking for hyper-personalisation and automation for your ecommerce businesses, request Frizbit for a Free Demo and get a customised plan that caters your company’s needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is OneSignal used for?
OneSignal stands out as a customer engagement platform that allows its customers to interact with its users even if they are not using the app at the time. With its intuitive interface, OneSignal supports businesses to create a seamless communication with their users through different channels, including in-app messages, email, and SMS.
Is OneSignal paid or free?
- Free Plans: 150 requests per second per app.
- Paid Plans: 6,000 requests per second per app.
- 1000 requests per second per app.
What is the difference between OneSignal and Firebase?
OneSignal provides a complimentary plan which supports up to 10,000 monthly active users. Their premium offerings commence at $9 per month, accommodating up to 100,000 monthly active users.
On the other hand, Firebase FCM offers its services free for up to 1 million monthly active devices, but additional charges may apply for other Firebase services like analytics and database storage.
What data does OneSignal collect ?
The metrics tracked include the frequency of app or website usage by the user, the total seconds of active engagement with the app while it is in the foreground, the operating system of the device or browser used, and, specifically for Android devices, whether the user’s device is rooted.
What is the alternative to OneSignal?
Plotline, Iterable, Airship, Klaviyo, Braze, and Customer.io are the top alternatives to OneSignal.
Is OneSignal GDPR complaint?
Under the GDPR, OneSignal is classified as a data processor, and their clients are recognized as data controllers. In this role, they are committed to their clients in maintaining compliance with GDPR requirements.
