Notifications are the bloodline of any good customer experience and play an important role in every product adoption strategy. Conventionally, teams built the notification services in-house until very recently.
With a rise in API and component-driven solutions, like authentication, payment processing or analytics, the trend has caught up with notifications, too. Courier was one of the first companies to build a notification infrastructure solution that can easily be integrated in any product like other components and power the complete notifications experience.
Since 2020, several other companies have entered this space, each having their own strengths and weaknesses. This article will explore some of the top Courier alternatives and why you should choose them.
Why do you need a Courier Alternative in 2024?
Businesses look for alternate solutions for better integrations, more competitive pricing, quick support, security reasons, etc. This section will check some key reasons for considering a courier alternative that can satisfy your use cases.
1. Pricing and Cost-Effectiveness:
Courier currently has one of the highest prices in the notification infrastructure category. Although it comes with many features and integrations, higher prices are something SMBs might not be most comfortable with.
2. Feature Gaps:
Businesses going deep in any niche usecases may find getting all the features necessary for efficient functioning challenging. Courier may lack certain features due to its architecture choices, such as the same template getting used for multiple event triggers.
3. Integration Challenges:
It’s possible that Courier doesn’t support your current tech stack, and hence, the complexities of managing multiple siloed platforms can become a burden.
4. Specialized Industry Needs:
Some industries need specialized notification features that are custom-made just for that industry. Courier might lack the specialized features, workflows, or compliance for these niche industries.
Top 7 Courier Alternatives in 2024
If you want to replace your current notifications tool, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s look at the top 7 Courier competitors.
1. SuprSend
Founded by an experienced engineering team that has previously built notification services in different organizations, SuprSend is designed to provide a seamless developer experience and rich capabilities for notifications. Let’s check some unique features that set it apart from Courier.
Comparison of Key Features:
[Feature 1]: WYSIWYG Template Editor
SuprSend's template editor is user-friendly and made for non-tech teams to build and customize the notifications from the dashboard. You can create personalized notifications without managing and deploying templates in your codebase. It supports multiple languages and keeps track of different versions. This saves the tech team a lot of time.
[Feature 2]: Granular Preference Center with ready UI
SuprSend's preference center offers an extensive preference module, allowing customers to easily configure and manage notification preferences across different tenants and channels. Product teams can set up notification preferences at granular levels like categories, frequency, channels, tenants, and capture them via API and ready-components for UI. SuprSend also provides a hosted preference page for customers.
[Feature 3]: Powerful Workflow Engine
SuprSend shines well when it comes to building logics with notification workflows. You can easily set up multi-step channels, create in-app acitivity feeds, add nodes like channel routing, batch similar messages, throttle messages to reduce bombarding, send notifications in customers’ timezone, and post information to other systems.
[Feature 4]: Observability and Troubleshooting
SuprSend provides comprehensive real-time notifications logs for RCA. The Logs section is a centralized repository containing all the notification executions step-by-step and can be synced to your observability tools, Segment or data warehouse.
[Feature 5]: Integration with Data Warehouses and Databases
SuprSend works well with popular databases like MySQL and BigQuery. This means you can easily query your users based on customer 360-degree data and create richer notifications instead of plumbing and syncing your customers’ data in third-party systems.
Pros
- Quick implementation with SDKs, and automated deployments with CLI & CI/CD
- Pre-built components based in-app notification center
- Advanced WYSIWYG template editor for creating visually stunning notifications
- Flexible and user-friendly preference center at multi-tenant levels
- Powerful workflow engine for creating complex notification journeys
- Comprehensive observability through analytics and logs to ensure reliable and efficient notification delivery
Cons
- Some advanced features like multi-tenancy and preferences are not available in the free plan
Pricing
SuprSend offers three primary plans in their pricing, starting with a free plan for indie devs and small projects. Then, we have growth and enterprise plans with additional features and compliance considerations.
Our pricing model is primarily based on the volume of notifications; however, we also support user-based or workflow-based pricing.
2. Novu
Novu is an open-source notification infrastructure tool built for developers to integrate a fully functional notification system into their products quickly. Users can create notification workflows, templates, and user lists from the command line as they provide CLI and CI/CD capability.
Novu empowers teams with both code-first and no-code solutions, ensuring that product teams can manage notifications without developer intervention while developers retain the control and flexibility they need.
Key Features
- Open Source: Backed by an extensive open-source community, offering a native developer experience.
- Multi-Channel Integration: Connects with any notification provider, such as Resend and Postmark, and supports diverse content frameworks via a unified API.
- Customizable Workflows: Provides code-first workflows for flexible management of notification configurations and logic.
- End User Preferences: Users can set their notification preferences, including language, frequency, and communication channels.
Pros
- Developer-Friendly: Offers powerful, flexible tools for developers to build and manage complex notification systems.
- Open Source: Being open source, it benefits from community support and frequent updates.
- Integration Versatility: Supports integration with numerous frameworks and providers, ensuring compatibility with existing tools.
Cons
- Limited capabilities on UI: Non-technical teams have limited options on UI to adjust notification content and check analytics and preferences without coding.
- Complexity for Small Projects: The breadth of features may overwhelm smaller projects or teams with simpler notification needs.
- Learning Curve: The flexibility and power may come with a steeper learning curve for new users or those unfamiliar with notification infrastructure.
Pricing
- Free Tier: Built for indie devs offering limited features to start quickly.
- Pro Plan: $250, providing additional features, priority support, and higher usage limits.
- Enterprise Solutions: Custom pricing based on specific needs and requirements, offering tailored support and advanced features.
3. OneSignal
OneSignal is a powerful customer engagement platform that offers push notifications, emails, SMS, in-app pop-ups, and live activity updates. OneSignal focuses on providing an omnichannel experience to users powered by its no-code workflows and automation tools. It allows marketers to create personalized messaging sequences without requiring continuous technical support, making it a go-to platform for developers and marketing teams alike.
Key Features
- Omnichannel Messaging: Supports mobile/ web push notifications, emails, SMS, and in-app pop-ups, enabling communication across multiple channels.
- Journeys: A drag-and-drop workflow builder to automate customer engagement without needing to write code.
- Personalization: User segmentation and personalization options to tailor content for each user.
- Analytics: Real-time insights to measure performance and optimize engagement strategies.
- SDK & API Integrations: Supports seamless integrations with popular development platforms, allowing for easy adoption in apps and websites.
Pros
- Comprehensive Messaging Platform: Covers multiple channels like push, email, SMS, and more, all in one platform.
- Easy-to-Use: No-code features like the Journeys workflow builder make it accessible for non-developers.
- Strong SDK Support: Reliable SDKs, APIs, and extensive documentation cater to developer needs.
- Scalability: Suitable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to enterprises, and easily scales with your user base.
Cons
- Unified API for all channels: They don’t provide a single unified API to access all the notification channels.
- Multi-tenancy not supported: In case your business model includes multi-tenants, you would find it complex to support custom notifications for each brand at scale.
- Basic preferences: Users only get basic preferences with many necessary options that are not available.
- In-app inbox, Slack, Teams not supported: Businesses cannot create in-app notification feeds via app inbox, nor does it support Slack or Teams, which are essential communication mediums.
- Fewer workflow options: Some necessary workflow nodes like batching and digests are not available.
- Step-by-step workflow logs are unavailable: You can’t see the step-by-step workflow node logs, including the payload, requests, status, and overall summary, at a granular level.
Pricing
- Free Plan: Includes essential features like push notifications and email, with usage limits.
- Growth Plan: Starts at $9/month, offering higher limits and additional features.
- Professional & Enterprise Plans: Custom pricing based on specific business needs, with advanced capabilities and dedicated support.
4. Knock
Knock is a notification infrastructure designed to help developers quickly integrate notification services into their applications. It allows teams to create and scale notifications across multiple channels such as email, SMS, push notifications, Slack, and in-app messages.
With a focus on flexibility, Knock provides customizable workflows, batching capabilities, and tools for managing user preferences. Their robust scaling infrastructure ensures that notifications evolve alongside the product, supporting enterprises from the startup stage to full-scale production.
Key Features
- Cross-channel notifications: Supports email, SMS, push, Slack, and more.
- Comprehensive API: A unified API for managing notifications.
- Built-in user preferences: Manage user notification preferences seamlessly.
- Real-time inboxes: Pre-built components for in-app notification feeds.
- Security & Compliance: SOC2, GDPR, and HIPAA certified.
Pros
- Developer-first with Easy integration and thorough documentation.
- Customizable and scalable for small to large businesses.
- Cross-channel support with no setup required for infrastructure.
- Enterprise-grade security and user control tools.
Cons
- May be overkill for small-scale applications with simple notification needs.
- Limited free tier (10k notifications per month).
- Certain functionalities are only available in the Enterprise plan.
Pricing
- Free Tier: 10,000 notifications per month for free.
- Starter: $250/ month with 50,000 notifications
- Pay-as-you-go: Pricing scales with usage, with no upfront infrastructure costs.
5. Engagespot
Engagespot provides notification infrastructure service for developers, enabling multi-channel messaging workflows through an intuitive platform with good UI. With support for in-app, email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack, and more, Engagespot simplifies the process of sending notifications across multiple channels with a unified API.
Its robust notification platform is designed to help teams build scalable, user-friendly notification systems with features like templates, preference management, two-way messaging, and action buttons.
Key Features:
- Unified API: Send notifications across multiple channels (email, in-app, SMS, etc.) using a single API.
- Template Editor: Customizable, provider-agnostic templates for notifications.
- User Preference Management: Users can control how and where they receive notifications.
- Actionable Notifications: Add interactive elements like buttons or forms to notifications.
- Real-Time In-App Inbox: Built-in in-app inbox for real-time updates.
Pros:
- Easy to integrate across different platforms and channels.
- Allows customization through an intuitive no-code template editor.
Cons:
- Some users may need help with the initial setup process.
- Limited documentation on highly advanced use cases.
Pricing:
Engagespot offers a free plan with up to 10,000 notifications per month. Custom pricing is available for higher volumes and advanced features based on specific business needs. Their growth plan starts at $249/ month with some advanced capabilities like 90 days of log retention and i18n translations.
6. Raven.dev
Raven.dev is a platform simplifying transactional messaging for product and engineering teams. It provides a centralized system for managing notifications across multiple channels like Email, SMS, Push, WhatsApp, Voice, and more while integrating with over 40 major providers.
Its no-code template editor allows users to build and manage consistent notifications without needing to deploy code, while smart routing and fallback rules ensure the timely delivery of critical messages.
Key Features:
- Multi-Channel Support: Manage transactional messaging across channels like SMS, Email, Push, WhatsApp, and Voice.
- One API for All Channels: Send messages using one API supporting 40+ major providers.
- No-Code Template Editor: Easily create and update notification templates without deployment.
- Intelligent Orchestration: Configure fallback and retry rules to ensure message delivery.
- Logs & Analytics: Track performance and get insights from a centralized dashboard.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use platform with one API to handle multiple channels.
- No-code editor simplifies template management.
- Offers intelligent delivery rules to ensure critical messages are delivered.
Cons:
- Initial learning curve when configuring multiple channels.
- No support for multi-tenancy
- Limited offerings and customization for advanced use cases.
Pricing:
Raven offers 10,000 free events per month, after which pricing depends on usage, with scalable plans based on the number of events and advanced features like analytics and orchestration. Their team plan starts at $90/month with 100,000 notifications.
7. Magicbell
MagicBell is a notification service that provides a real-time notification inbox for web apps, enabling multi-channel notifications like in-app, push, email, Slack, and more. It helps developers quickly launch notification systems without sacrificing design or functionality.
MagicBell's platform offers cross-device synchronization, meaning users don't get duplicate notifications, and it allows for easy customization to match a brand's style. An easy-to-set dashboard and multiple SDKs enable teams to manage and integrate notifications with their product.
Key Features:
- Multi-Channel Support: Supports in-app, push notifications, email, and Slack.
- Customizable Design: Modify the notification inbox to align with brand aesthetics.
- Cross-Device Sync: Avoid duplicate notifications with synchronized updates.
- Developer-Friendly SDK: Easily integrate with your product using pre-built SDKs.
Pros:
- Quick setup with real-time notification feed.
- Cross-device synchronization improves user experience.
- Extensive customization options for notification inbox styling.
Cons:
- Limited advanced customization is available for more complex notification use cases.
- Some users may experience an initial learning curve with integrations.
Pricing:
MagicBell offers a free plan to start with, allowing for limited usage, with paid plans starting at around $99/month, depending on the number of users notified or loading inbox and advanced features required.
Comparison Table: SuprSend vs. Courier
What to Consider When Choosing a Notification Infrastructure
When choosing a way to send notifications, keep these things in mind:
1. Your Business Needs: Consider what you need now and in the future. Make sure the system can grow with your business.
2. Customer Preferences: Some people prefer emails, while others like texts. Choose a system that supports various communication channels.
3. Reliable Customer Support: Good customer support is crucial. Look for a provider that’s available when you need assistance.
4. Compatibility: Ensure the system integrates smoothly with your existing tools and platforms.
5. Easy Integration, Development, and Testing: Check if the platform offers SDK support for both frontend and backend languages, as well as ready-made components to make integration quick and simple.
6. Cost-Effectiveness: Don’t just consider the upfront cost—think about how the pricing might evolve as your business scales.
7. Scalability: As you grow and send more messages, ensure the system can handle an increased volume.
8. Insights into Deliverability: The system should offer logs and analytics to provide insights into the success or failure of your notifications.
9. Ease of Use: Look for robust, flexible APIs and intuitive frontend interfaces.
10. Data Security: Ensure the platform complies with privacy regulations and protects your customers' data.
Get Started with SuprSend
Choosing the right notification infrastructure enhances user engagement and customer satisfaction. If you want to streamline communication and ensure accurate message delivery to the right users, SuprSend could be an excellent choice. It helps keep your audience not just informed but fully engaged.
Ready to experience SuprSend? Book a demo today!
