OneSignal

Free push notifications, in-app, SMS and email at scale.

4.6/5 Free + paid · free plan SMS & Push
Best for App developers, mobile marketers
Pricing Free + paid
Setup time Under 30 min
Learning curve Easy
Support Email, chat, deliverability team
Company OneSignal
Launched 2014

About OneSignal

OneSignal is an SMS & Push tool that app developers and mobile marketers rely on day-to-day. The strengths show up in two places — famously generous free tier (10K web subscribers), and multi-channel in one platform. The things you'll actually touch most days are Push notifications and In-app messaging. There's a genuinely free plan to start, with paid upgrades for teams that outgrow it. The default push notification platform. Reviewers keep pointing to the same thing: Developer-friendly SDKs.

Available on

Web appiOS SDKAndroid SDKAPI

Integrates with

SegmentSalesforceHubSpotShopifyWordPressZapier

Who it's for

A quick filter before you spend time on OneSignal — read both sides before committing.

Use it if…

  • App developers wanting free push
  • Mobile marketers at scale
  • Companies needing cross-channel engagement

Skip it if…

  • Teams needing marketing-first email (Mailchimp wins)
  • Pure SMB SMS (SimpleTexting wins)
  • Brands wanting dedicated success teams

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Famously generous free tier (10K web subscribers)
  • Multi-channel in one platform
  • Developer-friendly SDKs
  • Hits the core SMS & push workflow without forcing a hunt for second tools
  • Pricing lands in the right band for its target buyer

Cons

  • Advanced features behind higher plans
  • UX feels engineering-first
  • Pricing scales with contacts
  • Not the cheapest option in the category — the free alternatives cover basics
  • Advanced features sit behind higher-tier plans most small teams won't need

Features

The capabilities you actually get when you sign up for OneSignal.

  1. 01

    Push notifications

    Web + iOS + Android push at scale

  2. 02

    In-app messaging

    Native in-app engagement

  3. 03

    SMS + email

    Multi-channel from one platform

  4. 04

    Core workspace

    The main editor or dashboard where day-to-day SMS & push work happens

  5. 05

    Integrations hub

    Connects to the tools your stack already uses so data doesn't live in silos

  6. 06

    Reporting and dashboards

    Built-in reports and exportable dashboards for stakeholder reviews

Pricing

A free plan to start, then paid tiers for the full set of features.

Free

$0

  • 10K web
  • unlimited mobile subs

Growth

$9 /mo

  • 30K mobile subs
  • email

Frequently asked questions

What people usually want to know before signing up for OneSignal.

Is OneSignal really free?

Yes, up to 10K web subscribers + unlimited mobile. Enterprise features are paid.

Does OneSignal support rich push?

Yes — images, buttons, action buttons.

What's a safe opt-in flow in the US?

Double opt-in with explicit SMS language. 'By submitting, you agree to receive marketing texts…' with STOP + HELP instructions in the first message.

How does TCPA affect pricing and strategy?

TCPA violations run $500–$1,500 per message. Any shortcut on consent is a strategic risk, not a growth lever.

Is RCS worth prioritizing?

In the US, RCS is finally viable on Android — iOS 18 brought partial support in late 2024. Treat as a 2026 win for brands with a technical team.

Bottom line

Should you use OneSignal?

The default push notification platform. Marketing-first teams should look at Iterable or Braze for broader multi-channel orchestration.