Head to head
Courier vs Knock
As a push notification API, Knock rates higher on the APIbenchmarks Index, 83.6 to 82.6, a 1-point gap. Here is how they compare on each criterion.
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Courier | Knock |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Ecosystem & SDKs | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| APIbenchmarks Index | 82.6 | 83.6 |
Specifications
| Courier | Knock | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Multi-channel notification routing | Notification infra + in-app inbox |
| Free tier | 10k notifications/mo | 10k messages/mo |
| Pricing | Per notification (usage-based) | Per message (MAU/message tiers) |
| Official SDKs | 12 languages | 12 languages |
Is Courier better than Knock?
On the APIbenchmarks Index, Knock rates higher (83.6 vs 82.6). It leads on the four weighted criteria, but price is reported separately, so the best choice still depends on your budget.
Verdict in one line
Knock leads by 1 points (83.6 vs 82.6) and wins 2 of 4 criteria; Courier wins 1.
Winner by criterion
| Criterion | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | 85 | 90 | |
| Reliability | 78 | 80 | |
| Ecosystem & SDKs | 80 | 76 | |
| Accessibility | 88 | 88 | Tie |
Choose Courier if… / choose Knock if…
- →ecosystem & sdks matters most to you (80 vs 76)
- →your use case matches its focus: multi-channel notification routing
- →documentation & dx matters most to you (90 vs 85)
- →reliability matters most to you (80 vs 78)
- →your use case matches its focus: notification infra + in-app inbox
Pricing side by side
- Model
- Per notification (usage-based)
- Free tier
- 10k notifications/mo
- Developer (Free)$0/mo
- Business$0.005 per send
- EnterpriseCustom
- Model
- Per message (MAU/message tiers)
- Free tier
- 10k messages/mo
- Developer$0/month
- Starter$250/month
- EnterpriseContact sales
Vendor-published pricing, verified 2026-06-27 (Courier) and 2026-06-27 (Knock).
SDK and language coverage
Both · 9
PythonRubyGoPHPJavaiOS (Swift)Android (Kotlin)React NativeReact (courier-react)
Only Courier · 3
Node.jsFlutterJavaScript (client-side)
Only Knock · 3
Node.js / TypeScriptC# / .NETElixir
Strengths and weaknesses
- +Single unified API and template designer covers push, email, SMS, in-app inbox, and chat, no per-provider integrations to maintain
- +Routes to ~11 push providers (APNS, FCM, Expo, OneSignal, Airship, Pusher Beams, etc.) so teams aren't locked to one push vendor
- +Native iOS, Android, React Native, and Flutter SDKs auto-manage device tokens and delivery/click tracking
- –Per-send pricing across all channels can be costlier than a single-purpose push vendor at very high volume
- –Handlebars-based templating has a learning curve some small teams find awkward
- –Some users report platform slowness during peak usage
- +Single API orchestrates email, push, SMS, in-app feed, and chat channels so teams stop building bespoke notification pipelines
- +Visual workflow builder with batching, delays, branching, and channel fallbacks out of the box
- +Production-ready front-end components (React, React Native, iOS, Android, Flutter, Expo) for real-time in-app feeds, badge counts, toasts, and preference centers
- –Steep price jump from free to the $250/month Starter plan can be hard to justify for small workloads
- –Key enterprise features (per-customer branding, i18n, SCIM, SAML, HIPAA/BAA, data-warehouse analytics) are locked behind Contact-sales Enterprise pricing
- –Reviewers note the lack of a declarative / Terraform-style way to define workflows as code
Courier vs Knock: questions
- Which has better documentation, Courier or Knock?
- Knock scores higher on documentation and developer experience: 90 vs 85 out of 100.
- Which is more reliable, Courier or Knock?
- Knock scores higher on reliability: 80 vs 78 out of 100.
- Do Courier and Knock have a free tier?
- Courier: yes (10k notifications/mo). Knock: yes (10k messages/mo).
- How are Courier and Knock priced?
- Courier: Per notification (usage-based). Knock: Per message (MAU/message tiers).
- Which has more official SDKs?
- Both list 12 official SDKs.