Top 7 Iterable Alternatives in 2025

Iterable is a well-known CEP in the martech space and is highly regarded for its wide array of capabilities and advanced customization options to enhance the customer journey.

However, in recent years, the competition in this sector has intensified considerably, leading to the emergence of numerous alternative choices to Iterable.

Here's a short guide to help you decide between Iterable alternatives right away:

1. Choose Plotline if in-app engagement is crucial for you in addition to the regular push, email, SMS capabilities. If you’re looking to deploy Stories, Videos, etc in your app without developer effort, Plotline is the best choice.
2. Braze is a good alternative to Iterable if you're a mid-market or enterprise size mobile-first company
3. OneSignal and Customer.io have a self-serve motion which is easier to get started with, and suits most SMBs and startups
4. Opt for Airship, if you want both CEP and MAX features in a single platform
5. Klaviyo stands out as a top choice for solving eCommerce use cases predominantly
6. CleverTap is more dominant in India/APAC, hence it can also be integrated with WhatsApp
7. All the above options are limited when it comes to in-app engagement

Iterable in a nutshell

Iterable is a marketing platform designed to facilitate personalized messaging across multiple channels, including email, SMS, push notifications, and in-app messages.

They also have launched Iterable AI, which automates the creation of user segments, interprets customer sentiment and optimizes send times. Iterable is commonly used by mobile-first mid-market and enterprise companies.

Key features of Iterable

• Multichannel messaging capabilities including email, SMS, and push notifications.
• Targeted segmentation and campaigns triggered by specific events
• Intuitive campaign builder with drag-and-drop functionality
• Centralized storage for brand data management
• Basic in-app messaging (modals, mobile inbox)

Iterable's Pricing

Pricing is based on number of users and message on the Iterable platform. Iterable's pricing tiers start at $500/month. It does not offer a free trial or a free version of the product.

Reasons some companies are looking to make a switch

• Push notifications, emails, or SMS don’t improve in-app adoption, activation rates, etc
• Brands want more options to communicate with users inside the app
• Stitching in-app and outside-app comms proves to be very difficult
• Popups appear at the wrong time (delays of 5-10s after event-fire)
• In-app communication lacks context - not specific to any feature

Now that we have had a glance at Iterable, let’s dive into the top alternatives and competitors of Iterable

Plotline

Admittedly, we're a little biased. Might have something to do with the fact that we work at Plotline.

Choose if: You are a mobile-first consumer tech company. By far, Plotline provides the best omni-channel capabilities especially if in-app is a crucial focus for you.

1. Multi-channel messaging: Aids in omnichannel engagement (In-app, push, SMS, email, Whatsapp). Helps stitch outside and inside-app comms together for a unified customer journey.‍
2. Strength/uniqueness: Best in-app engagement modules - stories, scratch cards, quizzes, videos, spotlights, tooltips, etc to drive feature adoption, retention, and LTV for your app.‍
3. Main geography of operations: US, South East Asia, MENA‍
4. Pricing: The Starter plan starts at $499. You can book a call for a free trial.

Braze

Choose if: You are a mobile-first mid-market or enterprise business looking for a comprehensive Customer Engagement Platform.

1. Multi-channel messaging: Allows for engagement across push, mobile, SMS, and in-app messages.
2. Strength/unique feature: Its shape-based filters (rectangle, pentagon, custom-shaped) for location-based targeting. It also provides a Canvas Flow feature for building multi-channel automated campaigns, albeit exclusive to annual plan users.
3. Main geography of operations: Braze has most of its customers in the US.
4. Pricing: Braze's pricing is tied to data consumption, which can be advantageous for businesses that have predictable data usage patterns. In general, Braze will be much more expensive than Iterable owing to its enterprise capabilities.

OneSignal

Choose if: You are a startup or SMB in need of a self-serve option

1. Multi-channel messaging: OneSignal functions as a comprehensive cross-channel marketing platform that allows you to send personalized messages across push, emails, SMS, and in-app messages.
2. Strength/unique feature: A notable advantage of OneSignal is its "Confirmed Delivery" feature, which tracks successful device receipt of notifications and notification permission changes, providing a more accurate understanding of notification delivery.
3. Main geography of operations: OneSignal has most of its customers in the US.
4. Pricing: Its freemium model makes it an easily accessible self-serve solution, particularly advantageous for smaller businesses seeking a seamless start without any hindrances.

Customer.io

Choose if: You are a tech-savvy marketer or a developer in startups and SMBs (more than 80% of its customer base).

1. Multi-channel messaging: You can seamlessly integrate email, SMS, push notifications, in-app messaging, and webhooks within a single workflow.
2. Strength/unique feature: Customer.io offers a flexible data model that allows easy ingestion and updates of data without concerns about losing valuable information during integration. Its inclusive pricing model, which includes unlimited events and attribute data, SMS, and deliverability monitoring, sets it apart.
3. Main geography of operations: Most of its customers are from US and UK.
4. Pricing: Customer.io will typically be in the cheaper when compared to Iterable. The availability of a free trial and flexible subscription options, including monthly, annual, and multi-year plans, make it more accessible and transparent for users.

Airship

Choose if: You want both CEP and MAX features in a single platform

1. Multi-channel messaging: It excels in personalized messaging, allowing users to create and deliver real-time, personalized messages through various digital channels like push, email, SMS, and in-app messages.
2. Strength/unique feature: Airship's AXP (App Experience Platform) offers comprehensive app experience solutions and analytics. Its Mobile Wallet feature allows the creation of passes for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, providing added convenience and engagement for users
3. Main geography of operations: Airship has most of its customers from US, UK, and France.
4. Pricing: Airship provides a free trial. The cost starts at $25,000/year owing to both its CEP and MAX. In general, Airship will be much more expensive than Iterable.

Klaviyo

Choose if: You are an e-commerce startup or SMB.

1. Multi-channel messaging: Klaviyo functions as comprehensive cross-channel marketing across push, emails, and SMS. Also provides seamless integration with Facebook and Instagram
2. Strength/unique feature: Klaviyo allows you to send any number of messages without any volume limitations. This means you have the freedom to send SMS campaigns of any size, whether it's a small targeted campaign or a large-scale promotional blast.
3. Main geography of operations: Klaviyo has a presence in most countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and more.
4. Pricing: Klaviyo’s prices get progressively larger as you add new profiles to your contact list. If you have less than 250 contacts, you can’t upgrade to non-free tiers. And if you have more than 250 contacts at once time, you’ll be forced to upgrade to a paid plan.

CleverTap

Choose if: Inside-app is not a priority, you largely want to solve for outside-app communication.

1. Strength/uniqueness: The stand-out feature of CleverTap is its push delivery rate compared to MoEngage.
2. Features: CleverTap is very similar to Iterable in terms of functionality - providing both engagement and analytics capabilities.
3. Main geography of operations: India and APAC regions.
4. Pricing: It offers MAU-based pricing and provides a 30-day free trial period up to 100K MAUs.

How to choose the right Iterable alternative?

Ultimately, the best Iterable alternative or competitor for your business will depend on your specific needs, goals, and preferences. Here are key some key takeaways:

1. Choose Plotline if in-app engagement is crucial for you in addition to the regular push, email, SMS capabilities. If you’re looking to deploy Stories, Videos, etc in your app without developer effort, Plotline is the best choice
2. Braze is a good alternative to Iterable if you're a mid-market or enterprise size mobile-first company
3. OneSignal and Customer.io have a self-serve motion which is easier to get started with, and suits most SMBs and startups
4. Opt for Airship, if you want both CEP and MAX features in a single platform
5. Klaviyo stands out as a top choice for solving eCommerce use cases predominantly
6. CleverTap is more dominant in India/APAC, hence it can also be integrated with WhatsApp

Final thoughts

By thoroughly researching and comparing the above options, you can make a well-informed choice that aligns with your customer engagement strategy in 2025 and beyond.

If you're interested in learning more about how you can engage your users outside as well as inside your app to help you drive activation, retention, adoption, and monetization metrics, start your free trial with Plotline.