Firebase Alternatives for Push Notification: 5 Options

Firebase's pricing page lists Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) as no-cost, so the case for an alternative is rarely price. OneSignal, Novu, Appwrite and Amazon SNS add dashboards, other channels or self-hosting, but all four still deliver through FCM or APNs underneath. UnifiedPush is the exception for Android devices without Google services. For the broader backend question, see all Firebase alternatives.

What matters when you replace FCM

1. Which layer you replace. Delivery on Android and iOS runs through Google and Apple, so most tools sit on top.
2. Free tier and first paid step.
3. Self-hosting or open source.
4. Channels. Push only, or email, SMS and in-app too.
5. Devices without Google services.

According to Firebase's pricing page, Cloud Messaging is no-cost on both the Spark and Blaze plans. The FCM docs describe a cross-platform service for iOS, Android, Web, Flutter, Unity and C++ with a payload limit of 4096 bytes. What FCM lacks is a non-developer dashboard, segmentation and other channels, which is why people add a layer.

OneSignal

OneSignal is a hosted messaging service for push, in-app messages, email and SMS. Its pricing page lists unlimited mobile push for organizations with up to 1,000 monthly active users on the Free plan, with 3 active journeys. Growth starts at $19 a month, adds push at $0.012 per monthly active user and allows 5 journeys.

It does not replace FCM. The Android setup docs say push will not deliver until FCM credentials are configured in OneSignal, using a service account JSON from Firebase. A November 2025 GitHub issue shows the cost of an extra SDK: after one release, most Android users appeared as Never Subscribed in the dashboard. The issue was closed as completed in March 2026.

Who should not pick it: someone who wants a self-hosted system or to avoid a per-user fee as the audience grows.

Novu

Novu is an open-source notification platform with one API for push, email, SMS, chat and in-app messages. According to its pricing page, the Free plan is $0 with 10,000 workflow runs a month, 20 workflows, 3 team members and 24 hours of activity feed retention, and includes the push channel. Pro starts from $30 a month. The core is MIT licensed on GitHub, and its community docs describe running it on your own servers, though some Novu Cloud features are unavailable when you do.

Novu is a router, not a carrier. Its FCM integration requires a Firebase service account key and uses the FCM v1 API, so you keep your Firebase project.

Who should not pick it: a team that only sends push and has no use for workflows across channels.

Appwrite Messaging

Appwrite is an open-source backend that includes a Messaging product, so it suits teams already moving off Firebase. It can be self-hosted on any system that runs the Docker CLI. Its docs list Push with APNs and Push with FCM as providers. Setting up FCM means generating a Firebase service account private key and giving it to Appwrite, so Firebase credentials stay in the loop. The code is under the BSD-3-Clause licence.

It supports only those two providers. In a September 2025 GitHub request for custom push providers, a user pointed out that many Chinese phones lack Google services. In February 2026 a maintainer said they would not add a generic hook and would consider specific vendors if there was demand.

Who should not pick it: apps that need Huawei, Xiaomi or other vendor push services.

Amazon SNS

Amazon SNS is AWS's messaging service, and it can fan push out to mobile apps. According to AWS's documentation, SNS sends to Amazon Device Messaging, APNs, Baidu Cloud Push, FCM, MPNS and WNS. You submit your push-service credentials to SNS, which creates endpoints from device tokens and can publish to topics.

That is the widest provider list here, and it includes Baidu Cloud Push. AWS's pricing page says delivery cost depends on the endpoint type and points to the AWS Pricing Calculator for mobile push, so check it before relying on a number. SNS is infrastructure: no dashboard, segmentation or templates for marketers.

Who should not pick it: a team that wants a point-and-click campaign tool.

UnifiedPush

UnifiedPush is a decentralized push system, and it is the only option here that changes the delivery path. Per its site, users choose a distributor, messages are encrypted, and it works on de-Googled Android devices and custom ROMs. Listed distributors include Sunup, ntfy, Conversations and NextPush, and developers can add support to apps with minimal effort.

The site does not mention iOS or state a licence. Use it for an Android audience that avoids Google services, alongside FCM for everyone else.

Who should not pick it: teams that need one push path for iOS and Android.

Comparison

How to choose

You want a campaign dashboard. Start with OneSignal's free plan and check what 1,000 monthly active users covers for you.

You are leaving Firebase completely. Appwrite replaces the backend and its messaging, and our Supabase alternatives page covers another backend route. Expect to keep Firebase credentials for push either way.

You send email and SMS as well as push. Novu puts them behind one API. Compare it with Twilio alternatives and Braze alternatives if you need heavier engagement tooling.