Push notifications have become one of the most powerful ways to keep users engaged with your mobile app, but choosing the right service can feel overwhelming when you're trying to balance features with budget. Every app owner faces this same question: how much should I expect to spend on notification services, and what exactly am I paying for?
The truth is, push notification costs vary wildly depending on your needs. You might spend nothing at all if you're just starting out, or you could be looking at hundreds of pounds monthly for a large-scale operation. I've worked with clients who've been shocked by unexpected charges—mainly because they didn't understand how pricing models work or what factors actually drive costs up.
The biggest mistake app developers make is choosing a notification service based on price alone, without considering scalability and feature requirements
What makes this topic tricky is that notification services don't all charge the same way. Some charge per message sent, others per monthly active user, and many have complex tiered pricing that changes as you grow. Add in the fact that some services offer free tiers whilst others don't, and you've got a recipe for confusion. That's exactly why we've put together this guide—to help you understand not just what you'll pay, but why you'll pay it, so you can make an informed decision that won't come back to bite you later when your app scales up.
What Are Push Notification Services
Right, let's start with the basics—push notification services are third-party platforms that help mobile apps send messages directly to users' devices. Think of them as the postal service for your app; they handle all the technical bits of getting your message from your app's server to your user's phone or tablet.
When you receive a notification about a new message, a sale at your favourite shop, or a reminder to complete a task, that's a push notification at work. But here's what most people don't realise—your app doesn't send these messages directly. Instead, it relies on specialised services that manage the entire delivery process.
How Push Notification Services Work
The process is actually quite straightforward. Your app connects to a push notification service, which acts as the middleman between your app and the user's device. When you want to send a message, your app tells the service what to send and who to send it to. The service then routes that message through the appropriate channels—Apple's servers for iOS devices or Google's servers for Android.
These services handle all the complicated stuff behind the scenes: managing device tokens, dealing with failed deliveries, and making sure messages reach the right people at the right time. They also provide tools for scheduling messages, targeting specific user groups, and tracking how well your notifications perform.
Why Apps Need These Services
Building your own push notification system from scratch would be like reinventing the wheel—expensive, time-consuming, and frankly unnecessary. Push notification services offer several key benefits:
- Reliable message delivery across different operating systems
- Advanced targeting and personalisation features
- Analytics and performance tracking tools
- Scalability to handle millions of users
- Built-in compliance with platform requirements
Most mobile apps today rely on these services because they're cost-effective, reliable, and save development teams months of work building infrastructure that already exists. In fact, having a mobile app for your business becomes much more valuable when you can effectively reach customers through notifications.
Types of Push Notification Services Available
When you're building a mobile app, you'll need to choose between different types of notification services—and honestly, the choice can feel overwhelming at first. There are three main categories you'll encounter: platform-native services, third-party providers, and hybrid solutions.
Platform-Native Services
Apple and Google provide their own notification systems—Apple Push Notification service (APNs) for iOS apps and Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for Android. These are completely free to use and come built into their respective platforms. They're reliable, fast, and handle the basic job of sending messages to your users' devices. The downside? You'll need to do most of the heavy lifting yourself when it comes to scheduling, targeting, and analytics.
Third-Party Notification Providers
Companies like OneSignal, Pusher, and Airship have built entire businesses around making notifications easier. They sit on top of the native services and add loads of extra features—think advanced scheduling, user segmentation, A/B testing, and detailed analytics. Some offer generous free tiers, whilst others charge from day one.
Then you've got hybrid solutions that combine the best of both worlds. These typically use the native services for message delivery but add a management layer for easier control. They're popular with development teams who want more features than the native options provide but don't need the full bells and whistles of premium third-party services.
Choose your notification service type based on your team's technical skills and your app's complexity—you can always upgrade later as your needs grow.
Free Push Notification Options and Their Limits
When you're starting out with push notifications, free options can feel like a gift from the gods. Most major platforms offer some level of free service—Firebase Cloud Messaging gives you unlimited messages, Apple Push Notification Service doesn't charge per message, and OneSignal offers up to 10,000 subscribers without cost. Sounds perfect, right? Well, not quite.
The catch with free services comes down to features and support. You'll get basic push functionality, but advanced features like A/B testing, detailed analytics, automated campaigns, or personalised messaging often sit behind a paywall. Think of it this way: you can send messages, but you can't really optimise them or understand how well they're working.
What You Get (And What You Don't)
Free tiers typically include basic message delivery, simple scheduling, and basic reporting. You can segment users into broad groups and send different messages to iOS versus Android users. That's about where the generosity ends though.
What you won't get is the smart stuff—geolocation targeting, behaviour-based triggers, rich media support, or detailed engagement metrics. Most free plans also limit the number of users you can reach; once you hit that ceiling, you'll need to upgrade or start paying per message.
When Free Makes Sense
If you're testing an app idea or you've got a small, engaged user base, free options work brilliantly for getting started. They're perfect for simple announcements, basic user retention, and learning how push notifications affect your app's engagement. Just don't expect to run sophisticated marketing campaigns or get deep insights into user behaviour without opening your wallet.
Paid Push Notification Service Pricing Models
When your mobile app outgrows free notification services, you'll need to understand how paid services charge for their offerings. Most providers use one of three main pricing structures, and picking the wrong one can cost you dearly—or leave you paying for features you'll never use.
The most common model is pay-per-notification, where you're charged for each message sent. This works brilliantly for apps with predictable sending patterns, but can get expensive quickly if your user base grows faster than expected. Some providers offer bulk pricing tiers that reduce the cost per notification as your volume increases.
Monthly Active User Pricing
Many notification services now charge based on your monthly active users rather than individual messages. This model gives you unlimited sends to your user base for a fixed monthly fee. It's particularly good for apps that send frequent updates—news apps, social platforms, or gaming apps that rely heavily on engagement notifications.
The biggest mistake we see is choosing a pricing model based on current usage rather than projected growth over the next 12-18 months
Feature-Based Tiers
Some providers structure their pricing around feature access rather than usage volume. Basic tiers might include simple text notifications, whilst premium tiers unlock rich media, advanced targeting, A/B testing, and detailed analytics. This approach works well if you need specific functionality that free services don't offer, but don't send massive volumes of notifications. The key is matching your actual needs to the right tier without overpaying for unused features.
Factors That Affect Push Notification Costs
When you're trying to work out how much you'll spend on push notifications, there are several factors that can make your bill go up or down. The biggest one is how many users you're sending notifications to—most services charge based on your subscriber count or the number of messages you send each month.
Your app's size makes a massive difference to pricing. If you've got 1,000 users, you'll pay much less than someone with 100,000 users. It's that simple. But here's where it gets interesting—some services offer better rates as you grow, whilst others keep charging the same rate per user no matter how big you get.
Message Volume and Frequency
How often you send notifications affects your costs too. If you're sending daily updates to all your users, you'll hit higher pricing tiers faster than apps that send weekly summaries. Some services charge per message sent, others per active user—so your sending habits really matter.
Advanced Features and Functionality
The features you need can push costs up quickly. Basic text notifications are cheap, but once you want rich media, location targeting, or detailed analytics, prices jump. Here's what typically costs extra:
- Advanced targeting and segmentation tools
- A/B testing capabilities
- Rich media support (images, videos, interactive buttons)
- Real-time analytics and reporting
- Integration with other marketing tools
- Priority customer support
Geographic location can affect pricing too—some providers charge different rates for different regions, and if you're sending notifications globally, you might face higher costs for international delivery. The platform you're targeting (iOS, Android, or both) doesn't usually change the price, but it's worth checking with your chosen provider. If you're planning an international launch for your mobile app, consider how regional notification costs might impact your budget.
Popular Push Notification Services and Their Pricing
Right, let's get down to the nitty-gritty and look at what the big players in the push notification world are charging. I've worked with most of these services over the years, and pricing can vary quite dramatically depending on your needs.
Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) from Google remains one of the most popular choices—and it's completely free. Yes, you read that correctly. Google doesn't charge anything for FCM, which makes it a no-brainer for many mobile app developers. The catch? You're tied into Google's ecosystem, but for most apps, that's not a problem.
Premium Service Pricing
When you move into paid territory, things get more interesting. OneSignal offers a generous free tier up to 10,000 subscribers, then charges around $9 per month for up to 30,000 subscribers. Pusher charges roughly $20 per month for 100,000 messages, whilst Amazon SNS uses a pay-per-message model at approximately $0.50 per million messages.
| Service | Free Tier | Starting Price |
|---|
| Firebase FCM | Unlimited | Free |
| OneSignal | 10,000 subscribers | $9/month |
| Pusher | 2,000 connections | $20/month |
| Amazon SNS | 1 million messages | $0.50/million |
Don't just look at the headline pricing—check what's included in terms of analytics, A/B testing, and support. These extras can make or break your notification strategy.
What I've noticed is that many services hook you with low entry prices, then charge extra for advanced features like detailed analytics or scheduling. Always factor in your growth projections when choosing; switching providers later can be a right pain. Understanding effective pricing psychology for your mobile app can help you evaluate which notification costs are justified by the value they deliver.
Hidden Costs and Budget Planning Tips
When planning your push notification budget, the published pricing is just the starting point. There are several sneaky costs that can catch you off guard if you're not prepared. API charges often appear when your app needs to integrate with third-party services—these can add up quickly if your notification volume is high.
Development time is another cost people forget about. Setting up push notifications isn't just a case of flicking a switch; your development team will need time to implement the service properly. This could be anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on how complex your notification system needs to be.
Common Hidden Expenses
- SSL certificate costs for secure message delivery
- Additional storage fees for message history and analytics
- Premium support charges when things go wrong
- Integration costs with your existing systems
- Testing and quality assurance time
- Maintenance and monitoring tools
Here's what I've learned about budgeting: always add 30% to your initial estimate. Push notification services love to introduce new features that cost extra, and your app's success might push you into a higher pricing tier faster than expected.
Smart Budget Planning
Start small with a basic plan and scale up as your user base grows. Most services allow you to upgrade mid-month, but downgrading can be trickier. Monitor your usage closely during the first few months—this data will help you predict future costs more accurately.
Don't forget to factor in seasonal spikes. If your app sees higher usage during holidays or specific events, your notification costs will spike too. Building a small buffer into your monthly budget will save you from nasty surprises. Understanding what's included in ongoing app maintenance will help you plan for the long-term costs beyond just notifications.
Conclusion
After working with countless mobile app projects over the years, I can tell you that choosing the right push notification service isn't just about finding the cheapest option—it's about finding the best value for your specific needs. The cost of notification services for your mobile app will depend on how many users you have, what features you need, and how you plan to grow.
Free services like Firebase Cloud Messaging can work brilliantly for new apps or those with smaller user bases. But as your mobile app grows and you need more advanced features like detailed analytics, A/B testing, or sophisticated targeting, paid services become worth the investment. The monthly costs might seem daunting at first, but when you break them down per user, they're often quite reasonable. Push notifications are a crucial part of any mobile app development marketing strategy, helping to drive engagement and retain users effectively.
Don't forget about those hidden costs we discussed—development time, maintenance, and potential overages can add up quickly if you're not prepared. Budget for at least 20% more than your initial estimates to avoid nasty surprises later on. Your notification service is a key part of keeping users engaged with your mobile app, so it's worth investing in properly from the start.
The notification services market changes regularly with new features and pricing models appearing all the time. What matters most is choosing a service that can scale with your app and provides reliable delivery—because there's nothing worse than your users missing important messages because your notification service let you down.
