PushOwl is a push notification software with a ton of cool features. But is there a better alternative to the PushOwl web push notification service?
By the way, we know what you’re thinking: Which of the many push notification services is right for your business? Do you need to pay a ton of money switch services? Can you easily migrate your data from one vendor to another?
In this article, we answer all these questions and more. We’re checking out some of the best alternatives to PushOwl push notifications in the market and comparing them. If you stick with us all the way through, we’ll even give you our top pick for push notification services.
Let’s dive in!
Our Recommended PushOwl Web Push Notification Alternative
We highly recommend using PushEngage as your PushOwl web push notification alternative. One of the biggest reasons to switch to PushEngage is the how it’s priced.
PushOwl charges you per impression whereas PushEngage charges you for the number of subscribers you have. In simpler terms, PushOwl charges you for sending a notification even though that user might be completely disengaged and might never even see your notification. So, the more notifications you send, no matter how ineffective, the more money PushOwl makes.
And that’s a big difference because with PushEngage, you get:
- Predictable Costs: With a subscriber-based pricing model, you know exactly how much you’ll be paying based on the size of your subscriber list. This makes budgeting and cost forecasting much easier compared to an impressions-based model where costs can fluctuate unpredictably.
- Focus on Quality Over Quantity: When you pay per impression, there’s an incentive to send as many notifications as possible, even to disengaged or inactive users, to get more value. With subscriber-based pricing, the focus shifts to building a high-quality, engaged subscriber base rather than saturating users with notifications.
- Better Alignment with Goals: The primary goal of push notifications is to reach and engage your subscriber base effectively. Paying per subscriber aligns the pricing model directly with this goal, rather than basing costs on the nebulous metric of impressions.
- Avoid Overcharging: With impression-based pricing, you may end up paying for notifications that are never actually seen or engaged with by users, leading to wasted spend. Subscriber-based pricing ensures you only pay for your active, consenting audience.
- Transparency and Control: Knowing your costs are based solely on your subscriber count gives you more transparency and control over your push notification spending, rather than having costs determined by a metric (impressions) that can be influenced by many external factors.
Here’s a detailed breakdown comparing the two:
| Feature | PushEngage | PushOwl |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription Management Widget | Customizable widget with opt-in prompts, bell icons, sliding notifications | Limited customization options |
| Cleanup | Automatic cleanup of inactive subscribers | No automatic cleanup feature |
| Goal Tracking | Advanced goal tracking and conversion funnels | Basic goal tracking |
| App Push | Supports web and mobile app push notifications (iOS, Android) | Limited to web push notifications |
| Pricing | Based on number of subscribers, no charges for impressions | Based on impressions |
| Custom Trigger Campaigns | Wide range of custom triggers (exit-intent, scroll-based, time-based) | Limited trigger options |
| Popup Designs | Vast library of customizable popup templates and design options | Fewer design options and templates |
| Segmentation | Advanced audience segmentation capabilities | Limited segmentation options |
| A/B Testing | Built-in A/B testing for campaigns | No A/B testing functionality |
| Automated Campaigns | Automated campaigns based on user behavior and triggers | Limited automation capabilities |
| Drip Campaigns | Supports drip campaigns for nurturing and engagement | No drip campaign functionality |
| Push Amplification | Push amplification to boost reach and engagement | No push amplification feature |
| Personalization | Personalized push notifications with dynamic content | Limited personalization options |
| Rich Media Push | Support for rich media push notifications (images, GIFs, videos) | Limited rich media support |
| Push Analytics | Detailed push analytics and campaign performance tracking | Basic analytics |
| Push Frequency Capping | Control push frequency to prevent over-messaging | No frequency capping feature |
| Geotargeting | Geotargeting capabilities for location-based campaigns | No geotargeting functionality |
| Browser Push | Support for browser push notifications across devices | Limited browser push support |
| Push Previews | Preview push notifications before sending | No preview functionality |
| Push Scheduling | Schedule push notifications for optimal send times | Limited scheduling options |
| Integrations | Integrations with various platforms and tools | Limited integration options |
| Onboarding and Support | Dedicated onboarding and support team | Limited support resources |
| Developer Tools | Advanced developer tools and APIs | Basic developer tools |
| Compliance | Adherence to data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) | Limited compliance information |
| Security | Robust security measures for data protection | Security information not readily available |
| Uptime and Reliability | High uptime and reliable push notification delivery | Uptime and reliability data not available |
If you want to check out our full list of PushOwl web push notification alternatives, that’s next.
Best PushOwl Web Push Notification Alternatives
Before we start things off, you should know that some of the push notification services listed here have free versions. But most of these services aren’t 100% free. You can get started with a free basic model or a free trial of the full software for a limited number of days.
It always feels great when you get your hands on free software. But before you invest your money in push notification software, you should check out our article on how “free forever” push notification services often make money at your expense.
Reality check: Most free push notification tools aren’t free at all. You end up paying a lot later on in various ways. One of the most popular ways that “free forever” software makes money is by selling your customers’ data to third-party advertisers. And that’s a gross violation of customer privacy for anyone who’s subscribed to your push notifications.
We recommend using trial software or basic free versions to test whether the service is a good fit for you. And then, buy the paid software.
Now that we have clear expectations let’s dive right in.
#1. PushEngage
PushEngage is the best push notifications service in the world. You can get started with a free basic version to kickstart your business, but if you’re serious about growing, you should really get the paid plans. PushEngage allows you to connect with visitors after leaving your site with targeted and personalized notifications.
PushEngage is our first choice for push notification services and tools because it’s:
- Extremely beginner-friendly
- Got options to set up multiple push notification optins to test and grow your subscribers
- Super easy to add to your site
- Easy to set up automated push notification campaigns that are super powerful
- Got multiple options to send personalized push notifications for higher click rates
- Integrated with custom goal tracking, UTM parameters, and advanced analytics
- Use a subscription management widget to automatically segment users
- Clean up inactive subscribers to reduce costs and get better click rates on your campaigns
- Integrate app push notifications with your Android, iOS, or web app
- Pay for the number of subscribers instead of impressions
- Create custom eCommerce campaigns
- Craft custom popup designs that convert like crazy
PushEngage has a compelling list of features with pricing plans meant to support businesses in all stages of growth. So, whether you’re growing a business or scaling one, PushEngage will have great features for you to push further ahead.
Pricing: The free plan is good enough to get your business to a point where you can easily afford the paid plans that start at $9/month for 100,000 subscribers.
#2. OneSignal
OneSignal is one of the most powerful alternatives to the PushOwl web push notification service in the market. It’s very similar to PushEngage in terms of features.
Just like PushEngage, you get:
- Customized push notification optins;
- A/B testing;
- App push notifications;
And more.
The flip side is that the options are way more limited than PushEngage when it comes to targeting, personalization, and automation. Even so, it’s a powerful PushOwl web push notification alternative overall.
But a big downer is that OneSignal gets pretty expensive as you try to scale your push notification campaigns.
Pricing: They have a limited free plan that allows you to send notifications to up to 10,000 subscribers, but it’s limited in personalization & optimization features. The paid plans start from $12 per month for 1,000 subscribers.
But if you’re serious about your growth you’ll need the plan that starts at $114 per month for 5,000 subscribers and access to more advanced features.
#3. VWO Push Notification Services
VWO (formerly PushCrew) is one of the simplest push notification services in the market.
It’s very easy to use and VWO’s best feature is triggered push notifications for any custom event on your site.
Triggered push notifications are automated notifications that get sent automatically when a subscriber takes some action on your site. The action could be a link click or even checking out a particular product for a specified amount of time.
To clarify: You’ll need some developer support here because the advanced campaigns on VWO are all based on their API. The segmentation tools and engagement campaigns are pretty limited as well. So, you’re going to need a lot of help in that department.
The upside is that you get detailed analytics, subscriber segmentation options, and A/B testing.
Most importantly: There’s no free version. You get a 14-day free trial (no credit card) and then you get charged $99/month for up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited notifications.
#4. PushAssist
PushAssist gives you an interface that’s very similar to Firebase or Google Analytics. So, if you have some experience with either software, PushAssist will fit in nicely with your marketing team.
As with all other top-tier push notification tools you get segmentation tools, push notification scheduling tools, personalization options, support for the most popular browsers, and detailed analytics.
In some ways, it’s like PushEngage. You can also sign up to be a publisher partner to show ads using push notifications and monetize your blog. PushAssist’s free plan gets you 3,000 subscribers and unlimited notifications.
The only downside of the free plan is that you can’t get rid of the PushAssist branding from your push notifications unless you buy the Business plan that starts from $25/month for up to 3,500 subscribers.
Side note: While we haven’t found anything unethical in PushAssist’s software, we’d ask you to be a little bit wary of any PushOwl web push notification alternative that offers unlimited notifications. Sustaining a server that runs push notification software can be pretty expensive. So, using a service without a Fair Usage Policy (FUP) can be very dangerous.
We also don’t recommend using Firebase Cloud Messaging even though it’s free.
#5. iZooto
iZooto is a popular push notification service. Like all the other big players in the industry, iZooto offers real-time push notifications, recurring notifications, and scheduled notifications.
What we loved about iZooto was that they focused heavily on personalization. You can create popup modals to capture visitor attributes and interests. In other words, you can store personal details to personalize your campaigns. But if you do that, make sure that your push notifications are 100% GDPR compliant.
The flip side of using iZooto is that it doesn’t work on sites without an SSL certificate.
Pricing: iZooto costs from $85/month, which gives you up to 30,000 subscribers and unlimited notifications. Considering the plan’s pricing, we can safely say that it is pricey. But with that pricing model, they can actually support sending unlimited notifications.
The best part is that you can take a 14-day free trial (no credit card required).
#6. Pushnami
Pushnami isn’t your average PushOwl web push notification alternative.
Pushnami is a nice push notifications service. But their model is mostly meant for big publishers. So, if you have a ton of traffic and are looking for a way to increase your revenue from your existing content, Pushnami is perfect for you. However, if you’re a small business with very little traffic, this isn’t the right option for you.
Pushnami finds big publishers to partner with and they offer their push notification service in exchange for sending ads via push notifications. Like PushEngage, they have active partnerships with advertising platforms such as Taboola and Outbrain to serve relevant ads using push notifications. The revenue that these ads make is then split between the publisher and Pushnami.
Pricing: They have a pretty dynamic pricing model, too. You either pay $0.01 per subscriber/month with a discount on a high volume of subscribers, or you pay nothing and become a partner!
#7. Wonderpush
Wonderpush comes with all the standard features as the other push notification apps on this list.
The core focus of Wonderpush seems to be eCommerce push notification campaigns. It’s effortless to set up a cart abandonment campaign. It’s also fairly easy to personalize your push notifications.
Wonderpush allows you to add unlimited members to your dashboard as well. So, if you’re looking for an alternative to PushOwl web push notification campaigns for eCommerce sites, this is a good pick. Wonderpush also gives you full access to all its features, but you can collect only a limited number of subscribers.
Pricing: They offer a 14-day free trial (no credit cards needed) for their paid plan. The plan itself is straightforward. Pricing starts at €1 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers. After that, it’s an extra €1 for every 1,000 subscribers.
The only thing that puts us off about Wonderpush is that it’s costly after a point because they don’t seem to offer bulk discounts.
What’s the Best PushOwl Web Push Notification Alternative?
PushEngage is the best alternative to the PushOwl web push notification service in the market.
In terms of features, there’s little to no contest. PushEngage has a full range of automation, personalization, targeting, and scheduling features that make it a great fit for:
- News Media
- eCommerce
- Agencies
- Travel Portals
- SaaS businesses
- Blogs
There’s no switching cost involved if you want to move from PushOwl to PushEngage either. You get a super supportive Customer Success team to help you migrate your push subscriber list. After that, the dashboard itself is built to help you get a good return on your investment.
And the best part is that PushEngage is priced in a way that makes it a good fit at every stage of growth, whether you’re looking to start, grow, or scale your business. The philosophy behind PushEngage is to empower small businesses to compete with big brands.
So, if you haven’t already, get started with PushEngage today to get to the next level!
