Is Apple Push Notification service free?

Yes. APNs itself is free and does not charge per notification or by volume. The only required Apple cost is the Apple Developer Program membership at 99 USD per year, which you need to generate the keys or certificates. You still pay for your own server infrastructure that maintains connections to APNs and sends the requests.

What programming languages can I use to send Firebase Cloud Messaging notifications from a server?

The Firebase Admin SDK supports Node.js, Java, Python, Go, and C#/.NET for sending FCM messages from a server. You can also call the FCM HTTP v1 REST API directly from any language. On the client side, FCM provides SDKs for Swift/Objective-C, Kotlin/Java, JavaScript, Dart (Flutter), C++, and Unity.

Can I use Apple Push Notification and Firebase FCM together?

Yes. Many teams route different message types through different providers or fail over between them. Courier lets you send through both behind a single API and switch providers without changing your code.

Apple Push Notification vs Firebase FCM

Two push notification providers, compared on price, features and ratings, so you can pick fast.

Apple Push Notification wins native Apple deliveryFirebase FCM wins platform coverage and features

Updated September 2026

At a glanceApple Push NotificationFirebase FCM

Entry priceFreeFree

Free tierYesYes

G2 rating4.34.5

Trustpilot1.63.4

THE VERDICT

Apple Push Notification wins on native Apple delivery. Firebase FCM wins on platform coverage and features.

Apple Push Notification starts at Free versus Firebase FCM's Free. Firebase FCM rates higher with developers (4.5 vs 4.3 on G2). Pick based on volume and team, and the scorecard below breaks down where each one leads.

Which should you choose?

Pick Apple Push Notification

✓If you're building an Apple-specific product, APN is a sure thing for a proper notification system.

Set up Apple Push Notification with Courier →

Pick Firebase FCM

✓If you're a developer looking to send multiple messages reliably and save money, FCM is perfect for you.

Set up Firebase FCM with Courier →

Feature by feature

Winner cells are tinted, green where Apple Push Notification leads, violet where Firebase FCM does.

capability

Apple Push Notification

Firebase FCM

Pricing

Starting paid plan

$0/mo

Free tier

Free

Unlimited (free)

Pricing model

Free

Platforms

iOS

Yes

Android

Yes

Web push

Yes

Desktop

Yes

Capabilities

Segmentation

Yes

In-app messaging

Yes

Journeys / automation

A/B testing

Yes

Geofencing

Rich media

Yes

Developer experience

Official SDKs

Swift/Obj-C (client); token-based HTTP/2 provider API (any server language)

iOS, Android, Web, Flutter, Unity, C++; Admin SDK: Node, Java, Python, Go, C#

REST API

Yes

Event webhooks

Compliance

SOC 2

—

Yes

HIPAA

GDPR

Yes

Support

Support channels

Developer docs, forums, Feedback Assistant, DTS

Docs & community (paid via GCP support)

24/7 support

FAQ

Common questions

Apple Push Notification starts at Free versus Firebase FCM's Free. Compare your expected monthly volume against the per-message rates above.

Keep comparing

Related comparisons

Airship vs Apple Push NotificationPush→AWS SNS vs Apple Push NotificationPush→Apple Push Notification vs BeamerPush→Apple Push Notification vs ExpoPush→Apple Push Notification vs MagicBellPush→Apple Push Notification vs OneSignal PushPush→

Why not both?

Use both behind one API.

Route Apple Push Notification, Firebase FCM, or both, and switch providers without changing your code. Courier sits in front of every channel.

Start building free Read the docs

Pricing, plans and feature availability as of September 2026 and may change. Ratings are aggregated from public review platforms. Firebase FCM is a Google product.