9 best Expo alternatives & competitors

The top Expo alternatives for push notification, compared on price, free tier, ratings and what each is best for, with Expo pinned so you can measure each option against it.

Updated August 2026

About Expo

Expo logo

Expo

Push

Expo is a free push relay for React Native apps, unifying Apple APNs and Google FCM behind one token and one API. The catch is a bare relay with no segmentation, scheduling, analytics, or A/B testing.

Best for

Expo and React Native apps wanting free, unified iOS and Android push delivery via one API

Starting price
Free
Free tier
Yes
Rating
N/A
HIPAA
No

Company profile

Founded
2015
Headquarters
Palo Alto, USA
Funding
$69.4M raised
Team size
~170
Ownership
Independent
Reviews
Not rated

Compliance

SOC 2 Type IIGDPR

Official SDKs

JavaScript/Node.jsPythonREST/HTTP API
Strengths
Expo Push Notification service tool handles all the difficulties with native device information.
It is easy to implement and use.
Why teams look elsewhere
The notification service only works when you build out your app on Expo.

Side by side

Expo vs the alternatives

Sorted by rating · figures as of August 2026

Expo logo

Expo

You're viewing

Starting price

Free

Free tier

Yes

Rating

N/A

Starting price

$249/mo

Free tier

Yes

Rating

5.0

Starting price

$19/mo

Free tier

Yes

Rating

4.7

Starting price

$13/mo

Free tier

Yes

Rating

4.4

Starting price

$29/mo

Free tier

Yes

Rating

4.3

Starting price

Free

Free tier

Yes

Rating

4.2

Starting price

Custom

Free tier

No

Rating

4.0

Starting price

Free

Free tier

Yes

Rating

N/A

Starting price

Free

Free tier

Yes

Rating

N/A

Starting price

$4.99/mo

Free tier

Yes

Rating

N/A

ProviderStarting priceFree tierRating
Expo logo

Expo

You're viewing

FreeYesN/A
$249/moYes5.0Compare →
$19/moYes4.7Compare →
$13/moYes4.4Compare →
$29/moYes4.3Compare →
FreeYes4.2Compare →
CustomNo4.0Compare →
FreeYesN/ACompare →
FreeYesN/ACompare →
$4.99/moYesN/ACompare →

At a glance

What each Expo alternative is best for

MagicBell

5.0 / 5

MagicBell provides a drop-in in-app notification inbox and a multichannel delivery API. The catch is a very small company, narrow focus, and per-channel pricing that climbs at scale.
OneSignal Push

4.7 / 5

OneSignal is a multichannel platform best known for mobile push, with one of the market's most generous free tiers. The catch is per-MAU pricing that climbs at scale.
Pushwoosh

4.4 / 5

Pushwoosh is a cross-platform push platform with broad SDK coverage, including Unity. The catch is a 2022 Reuters report on its Russia-based development that drew US-agency and FTC scrutiny.
Pusher Beams

4.3 / 5

Pusher Beams is a simple cross-platform push notification API for iOS, Android, and web, with native SDKs and flat, self-serve pricing. The catch is it does push only, with no in-app messaging, journeys, or rules-based segmentation, and it is now a small team inside Bird.
AWS SNS

4.2 / 5

Amazon SNS fans out mobile push across the AWS ecosystem at very low per-notification cost. The catch is raw infrastructure with no segmentation, templating, or analytics.
Airship

4.0 / 5

Airship is an enterprise engagement platform for mobile and web push with deep cross-channel orchestration. The catch is opaque, five-figure enterprise pricing and a steep learning curve.
Apple Push Notification

Not rated

APNs is Apple's free, unlimited native push transport for all Apple devices. The catch is transport only, Apple only, with no segmentation or analytics and a server you build.
Firebase FCM

Not rated

Firebase Cloud Messaging offers free, unlimited push across Android, iOS, and web, and is Android's native transport. The catch is a low-level transport with no orchestration or segmentation.

FAQ

Common questions

The strongest Expo alternatives depend on what you need. MagicBell rates highest among the options here; the comparison table covers price, free tier, and rating, and the "what each alternative is best for" section matches each option to a use case.

One API, every provider

Switch or combine providers without rewrites.

Courier sits in front of Expo and every alternative above: route, fail over, and swap providers behind a single API.

Company facts, pricing and compliance were verified against each provider's public pricing and security or trust pages, plus G2 and Trustpilot, as of August 2026, and compiled by the Courier team. Details change often, so confirm with the provider before you buy.