Head to head
Knock vs OneSignal
As a push notification API, OneSignal rates higher on the APIbenchmarks Index, 86.4 to 83.6, a 2.8-point gap. Here is how they compare on each criterion.
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Knock | OneSignal |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Ecosystem & SDKs | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| APIbenchmarks Index | 83.6 | 86.4 |
Specifications
| Knock | OneSignal | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Notification infra + in-app inbox | Self-serve push + omnichannel engagement |
| Free tier | 10k messages/mo | Unlimited mobile push + 10k web subs |
| Pricing | Per message (MAU/message tiers) | MAU-based ($0.012/MAU) |
| Official SDKs | 12 languages | 12 languages |
Is Knock better than OneSignal?
On the APIbenchmarks Index, OneSignal rates higher (86.4 vs 83.6). 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
OneSignal leads by 2.8 points (86.4 vs 83.6) and wins 3 of 4 criteria; Knock wins 1.
Winner by criterion
| Criterion | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | 90 | 84 | |
| Reliability | 80 | 85 | |
| Ecosystem & SDKs | 76 | 86 | |
| Accessibility | 88 | 92 |
Choose Knock if… / choose OneSignal if…
- →documentation & dx matters most to you (90 vs 84)
- →your use case matches its focus: notification infra + in-app inbox
- →reliability matters most to you (85 vs 80)
- →ecosystem & sdks matters most to you (86 vs 76)
- →accessibility matters most to you (92 vs 88)
- →your use case matches its focus: self-serve push + omnichannel engagement
Pricing side by side
- Model
- Per message (MAU/message tiers)
- Free tier
- 10k messages/mo
- Developer$0/month
- Starter$250/month
- EnterpriseContact sales
- Model
- MAU-based ($0.012/MAU)
- Free tier
- Unlimited mobile push + 10k web subs
- Free$0/mo
- GrowthFrom $19/mo + usage
- ProfessionalCustom (annual)
- EnterpriseCustom (annual)
Vendor-published pricing, verified 2026-06-27 (Knock) and 2026-06-27 (OneSignal).
SDK and language coverage
Both · 3
React NativeiOS (Swift)Android (Kotlin)
Only Knock · 9
Node.js / TypeScriptPythonRubyGoJavaC# / .NETElixirPHPReact
Only OneSignal · 9
FlutterExpoUnityCordova / Ionic CordovaCapacitor / Ionic Capacitor.NET MAUIHuaweiAmazonFlutterFlow
Strengths and weaknesses
- +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
- +Genuinely generous free tier: unlimited mobile push sends and subscribers, enough segmentation to run real campaigns without paying
- +Very broad SDK coverage (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, Expo, Unity, Cordova/Ionic, Capacitor, .NET MAUI, Huawei, Amazon, FlutterFlow)
- +Clean, readable REST API and documentation; reviewers cite ~20-minute first integration
- –Support is the most common complaint, slow, templated, or doc-link responses, especially on free/lower tiers
- –Per-MAU pricing 'scales weirdly' and can get expensive as audience grows even without more sends
- –Analytics are shallower than dedicated marketing suites; attribution gets murky across concurrent campaigns
Knock vs OneSignal: questions
- Which has better documentation, Knock or OneSignal?
- Knock scores higher on documentation and developer experience: 90 vs 84 out of 100.
- Which is more reliable, Knock or OneSignal?
- OneSignal scores higher on reliability: 85 vs 80 out of 100.
- Do Knock and OneSignal have a free tier?
- Knock: yes (10k messages/mo). OneSignal: yes (Unlimited mobile push + 10k web subs).
- How are Knock and OneSignal priced?
- Knock: Per message (MAU/message tiers). OneSignal: MAU-based ($0.012/MAU).
- Which has more official SDKs?
- Both list 12 official SDKs.