OneSignal

OneSignal is a customer messaging and automation platform for teams coordinating campaigns across mobile, web, email, and in-app channels. It suits organizations that need journeys, audience tools, and integrations alongside message delivery. Its free entry tier is broad, but channel quotas and usage fees make plan fit worth checking before volume grows.

Overview

OneSignal brings push notifications, email, in-app messaging, RCS, SMS, and Live Activities together. Teams can use behavioral triggers, audience segmentation, automation workflows, a visual journey builder, and A/B testing to shape campaigns across those channels. That range is useful when communications need to work together; teams sending only occasional push notifications may not need the wider platform.

Integrations connect with analytics, customer data platforms, warehouses, and CRMs. The API provides unlimited message-delivery send access across plans, while data export and mobile analytics support broader campaign operations. OneSignal reports 1.3 trillion messages sent yearly, 1.5 billion monthly active users, and 200,000 apps powered.

Key features

Campaign building and delivery

SDKs are available for Android, iOS, Flutter, React Native, Expo, and Unity. The combination of behavioral triggers, visual journeys, segmentation, and testing supports more coordinated campaigns than a tool focused on sending individual notifications. The practical tradeoff is that channel limits still matter: web push allows up to 10,000 subscribers per send, and the listed mobile-push comparison supports organizations with up to 1,000 monthly active users.

Team controls and data

Permissions range from Admin and Viewer to all roles on higher plans. Security provisions include GDPR compliance, two-factor authentication, audit logs, and security and legal packages. Free-plan subscription records are retained when active within the past 18 months, a consideration for teams that rely on older subscriber history.

Pricing

Free

Free costs nothing. It includes all channels, basic automation and analytics, AI and MCP, basic personalization, 10,000 email sends per month, up to 1,000 monthly active mobile users, three active Journeys, 10,000 web push subscribers per send, six audience segments, and six data tags. Email beyond the allowance costs $1.50 per 1,000 sends. This is a substantial starting tier for individuals and early teams, though the journey, audience, tag, and mobile-user caps constrain larger programs.

Growth

Growth starts at $19 per month, billed month-to-month, with channel usage fees on top. It is aimed at small teams optimizing growth and includes five active Journeys, 20,000 free email sends per month, 10 audience segments, 10 data tags, 30+ core integrations, and 90 days of reporting history. Growth customers can change plans or downgrade to Free at any time without penalty. The fixed platform fee plus variable usage means the entry price alone does not determine the bill.

Professional and Enterprise

Professional uses an annual contract with custom volume-based pricing and volume discounts available. It raises the limits to 20 active Journeys, 20 segments, and 100 data tags, with 30+ integrations, one year of reporting history, and 60 days of message-event retention. It is suited to quickly growing businesses that need more room and longer reporting than Growth provides.

Enterprise also uses an annual contract and custom pricing. It offers unlimited Journeys, segments, and data tags, 30+ integrations, two years of reporting history, and 90 days of message-event retention. Those terms suit organizations running advanced campaigns at scale; the annual commitment and custom pricing make it less suited to teams that need month-to-month flexibility. OneSignal accepts USD, while some annual customers may pay locally through reseller partners. Billing is handled by Recurly with 128-bit SSL encryption, and billing information is not saved on the site.

Platforms

OneSignal supports web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Its SDKs also cover Flutter, React Native, Expo, and Unity, making it relevant to teams building across native mobile and cross-platform app environments.

Who it's for

OneSignal is a strong fit for app and web teams that want push, email, in-app messaging, and automation in one system, especially when integrations and API delivery matter. Free is a sensible starting point for small programs with modest audience and journey needs. Teams with growing volume should price usage alongside the platform fee; organizations needing high limits, longer reporting, or advanced campaigns should consider the annual custom-priced tiers.

Pros and cons

• Broad channel coverage: Push, email, in-app messaging, RCS, SMS, and Live Activities give teams room to coordinate multiple message types.
• Useful campaign tooling: Segmentation, behavioral triggers, journeys, and A/B testing support targeted, automated programs.
• Low-cost way to start: Free includes multiple channels and basic automation, while Growth begins at $19 per month with month-to-month billing.
• Usage can raise costs: Paid plans combine a fixed fee with variable channel charges, and Free email sends incur $1.50 per 1,000 beyond the allowance.
• Meaningful caps on entry tiers: Free limits journeys, segments, tags, mobile active users, and web-push subscribers per send; Growth remains capped at five Journeys.
• Higher tiers require annual terms: Professional and Enterprise use annual contracts and custom pricing, reducing flexibility for teams that prefer monthly billing.

Alternatives

Pushwoosh is another freemium option with 1,000 MAU, 20,000 monthly email sends, and unlimited push notifications on its listed free plan; consider it when those stated allowances better match your starting needs.

Reteno offers a free Startup plan with unlimited mobile pushes, 1,000 sends in each channel per month, 20,000 workflow launches per month, and unlimited segments, making it an option when those free-tier limits fit your campaign mix.

EngageLab is a paid marketing-automation alternative with a free trial.

Pulsate is a paid alternative for Android, iOS, web, and API environments.

YouAppi is a paid option for Android, iOS, and web.

Airship Experimentation has a paid Essentials plan with self-service, no-code setup, app and web experiences, automation, and real-time orchestration.

Insider One is a paid alternative for Android, iOS, web, and API environments.

Plumb5 Mobile Marketing is a paid option with a free trial for Android, iOS, and web.

Verdict

Choose OneSignal if you need a broad messaging toolkit with automation, segmentation, integrations, and an inexpensive month-to-month route into paid usage. Its main advantage is bringing many channels and campaign tools into one platform; its main drawback is the need to manage channel-specific limits and variable fees as sending grows. Teams that need larger quotas or deeper reporting should compare the annual custom-priced plans against their budget and commitment needs.