The 5 best free push notification services in 2026
The best free push notification services in 2026 are PushGenius, Firebase Cloud Messaging, OneSignal, Pushwoosh, and the Expo Push Service. PushGenius is the best pick for most mobile teams: its free plan has no monthly active user cap and includes segments, timezone delivery, and delivery tracking for iOS, Android, and web. OneSignal and Pushwoosh now stop free mobile push at 1,000 monthly active users, and Firebase and Expo deliver messages but leave targeting, scheduling, and stats to you.
We make PushGenius, so weigh our pick accordingly. Every detail about the other services comes from that vendor’s own pricing page or docs, linked under Sources.
Free plans compared
| Service | Free limit | Platforms | Targeting and scheduling | Delivery stats | Beyond push |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PushGenius | No monthly active user cap | iOS, Android, web | Segments, tag filters, scheduling, timezone delivery | Sent, received, and clicked per message | Push only |
| Firebase Cloud Messaging | No charge to send | Android, iOS (through APNs), web | Topics and device groups through the API | Through the Firebase console composer | Push only |
| OneSignal | Mobile push for up to 1,000 MAU; web push max 10,000 subscribers per send | iOS, Android, web | 6 segments, 3 journeys | Yes | Email (10,000 a month), in-app, A/B tests |
| Pushwoosh | Up to 1,000 MAU | iOS, Android, web | Segments and journeys | Yes | Email (20,000 a month), in-app; SMS and messengers at provider rates |
| Expo Push Service | No charge to send; 600 notifications per second per project | Expo apps on iOS and Android | None — you choose recipients | Push receipts (accepted by APNs or FCM) | Push only |
1. PushGenius
PushGenius is a push notification platform for iOS, Android, and the web. The free Starter plan includes everything the product does, with no credit card and no cap on monthly active users.
- Free: unlimited apps, APNs and FCM delivery, web push for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari, tag-based segments, scheduling, timezone delivery, CSV audience import, and sent, received, and clicked counts for every message.
- SDKs: native iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, and Ionic / Capacitor SDKs, a web SDK, and a JavaScript server SDK for Node.js, Bun, Deno, and Cloudflare Workers.
- Best for: mobile and web teams that want segments, timezone delivery, and real delivery numbers without a per-user bill.
- Not included: email, SMS, in-app messages, journeys, and A/B tests.
2. Firebase Cloud Messaging
Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) is Google’s free service for delivering messages to Android, to iOS through APNs, and to browsers. It’s the network most push platforms, PushGenius included, deliver Android notifications through.
- Free: sending, with targeting by device token, device group, or topic.
- Best for: teams that want no extra vendor and are ready to store tokens, build audiences, and schedule sends in their own backend.
- Watch out for: segments, timezone delivery, and per-message delivery and tap stats are yours to build. The Firebase console can send campaigns by hand; from your backend, you target tokens and topics yourself.
3. OneSignal
OneSignal covers push, email, and in-app messaging in one product. Its Free plan changed this fall: since September 1, 2026 for new customers and October 1, 2026 for existing ones, mobile push and in-app messaging are free only for organizations with up to 1,000 monthly active users.
- Free: mobile push and in-app messaging up to 1,000 MAU, web push up to 10,000 subscribers per send, 10,000 emails a month, 6 segments, 6 data tags, 3 journeys, and A/B tests with 2 variants.
- Best for: small apps that want push, email, and in-app messaging from one dashboard.
- Watch out for: once you pass 1,000 MAU, you have 24 hours to upgrade before mobile push and in-app messages pause. The Growth plan starts at $19 a month.
4. Pushwoosh
Pushwoosh is a multichannel engagement platform with push, in-app, email, and messaging apps. Its free tier includes every feature for up to 1,000 monthly active users.
- Free: up to 1,000 MAU, unlimited push notifications and in-app impressions, 20,000 emails a month, segmentation, journeys, and A/B testing.
- Best for: teams that want journeys and many channels and expect to stay small or pay per user.
- Watch out for: above 1,000 MAU you pay per user — the push-only plan is listed at $7 per 1,000 MAU — and SMS and messaging apps are billed at the provider’s rates.
5. Expo Push Service
The Expo Push Service sends notifications to apps built with Expo and expo-notifications, relaying them to APNs and FCM with one API.
- Free: sending, up to 600 notifications per second per project and 100 messages per request.
- Best for: Expo apps that send simple notifications from their own backend.
- Watch out for: it only delivers. There are no segments, scheduling, or analytics, and a push receipt only confirms that APNs or FCM accepted the message, not that the device received it.
Why PushGenius is the best free option
The free plan doesn’t stop at 1,000 users
OneSignal and Pushwoosh both stop free mobile push at 1,000 monthly active users. PushGenius has no monthly active user cap, so a launch that goes well doesn’t turn into a bill or paused sends.
It does the work Firebase and Expo leave to you
Firebase and Expo get a message to a device. PushGenius adds what you’d otherwise build: segments from the tags your app sets, scheduling, delivery at a local time in each user’s timezone, and sent, received, and clicked counts that come from the device itself.
One API for every platform you ship
iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, Ionic, and web subscribers share one audience, and one POST /notifications reaches all of them. The JavaScript SDK retries failed requests with an idempotency key, so a retry never sends the same notification twice.
Switching from OneSignal is mostly a package swap
The PushGenius SDKs keep OneSignal’s method names and the REST API accepts the same payloads, so you swap the package, rename OneSignal to BigBrain, and change the API key. Import your OneSignal player export and keep sending to existing devices while users update. See Migrate from OneSignal.
When another service is the better pick
- You need email, SMS, or in-app messages in the same tool: OneSignal or Pushwoosh.
- You want no vendor between you and Google: Firebase Cloud Messaging, if you’ll build targeting and stats yourself.
- You have a small Expo app with simple sends: the Expo Push Service.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free push notification service?
For most mobile teams, PushGenius: its free plan has no monthly active user cap and includes segments, scheduling, timezone delivery, and delivery and tap tracking for iOS, Android, and web. Firebase Cloud Messaging is the best free choice if you only need delivery and will build targeting and stats yourself.
Is OneSignal still free?
Yes, with a new limit. Since September 1, 2026 for new customers and October 1, 2026 for existing ones, OneSignal's Free plan includes mobile push and in-app messaging only for organizations with up to 1,000 monthly active users. Over the limit, mobile sending pauses until you upgrade; the Growth plan starts at $19 a month. Web push and email keep their existing Free plan limits.
Is Firebase Cloud Messaging free?
Yes. Google doesn't charge to send messages through FCM. It delivers to Android, to iOS through APNs, and to browsers, but audience segments, timezone scheduling, and per-message delivery stats are left for you to build on top of it.
Can I move from OneSignal to PushGenius without losing subscribers?
Yes. Export your players from OneSignal as CSV and import them into PushGenius: push tokens, external IDs, and tags become users and subscriptions, so you can keep sending to devices that haven't updated your app yet. The PushGenius SDKs keep OneSignal's method names, and the REST API accepts the same notification payloads.
Do I still need Firebase if I use PushGenius?
You need an FCM service account for Android and an APNs key for iOS, because every push service delivers through Google's and Apple's networks. You add both to PushGenius once; you don't need any other Firebase product.