Apple Push Notification Service vs OneSignal

Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

Apple Push Notification Service

79
52
+ 1
0
OneSignal

352
480
+ 1
127
Add tool

Apple Push Notification Service vs OneSignal: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Apple Push Notification Service (APNs) and OneSignal are both popular tools for enabling push notifications in mobile applications. However, there are key differences between the two services that developers should consider before choosing one for their app.

  1. Certification Process: Apple Push Notification Service requires developers to go through a complex certification process involving creating and configuring SSL certificates, keys, and App IDs, while OneSignal offers a straightforward setup process without the need for manual certificate management, making it more developer-friendly.

  2. Targeting Capabilities: With APNs, developers have limited capabilities in targeting specific user segments, whereas OneSignal provides advanced targeting features such as segmentation based on user behavior, location, language, and more, allowing for better-tailored push notifications.

  3. Customization and Personalization: OneSignal offers a higher level of customization and personalization options for push notifications, including the ability to A/B test messages, customize message appearance, and include dynamic content, which may not be as comprehensive with APNs.

  4. Analytics and Insights: OneSignal provides extensive analytics and insights into push notification performance, user engagement, delivery rates, and conversions, making it easier for developers to track the impact of their campaigns, while APNs may lack detailed analytics capabilities.

  5. Cost Structure: APNs is a paid service by Apple based on the number of push notifications sent, which can add up costs for high-volume apps, whereas OneSignal offers a free tier for up to a certain number of push notifications per month, making it more cost-effective for smaller apps or developers on a budget.

  6. Cross-Platform Support: OneSignal supports multiple platforms including iOS, Android, and Web, making it a versatile choice for developers looking to send push notifications across different devices, while APNs is primarily focused on iOS devices, limiting its cross-platform compatibility.

In Summary, Apple Push Notification Service and OneSignal differ in terms of certification process, targeting capabilities, customization, analytics, cost structure, and cross-platform support, offering developers a range of options to choose from based on their specific needs and requirements.

Get Advice from developers at your company using StackShare Enterprise. Sign up for StackShare Enterprise.
Learn More
Pros of Apple Push Notification Service
Pros of OneSignal
    Be the first to leave a pro
    • 28
      Free of cost
    • 22
      More parametrable
    • 17
      Simple and Easy To Use. Well Documented :)
    • 13
      Device to device
    • 12
      Simple
    • 9
      Many Platforms
    • 9
      Great support
    • 8
      Free
    • 4
      Flexibility in working with web, android and iOS
    • 4
      Phonegap / Cordova / Ionic starters
    • 1
      Good

    Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions

    What is Apple Push Notification Service?

    It is the centerpiece of the remote notifications feature. It is a robust, secure, and highly efficient service for app developers to propagate information to iOS (and, indirectly, watchOS), tvOS, and macOS devices.

    What is OneSignal?

    OneSignal is a high volume push notification service for websites and mobile applications. OneSignal supports all major native and mobile platforms by providing dedicated SDKs for each platform, a RESTful server API, and a dashboard.

    Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

    What companies use Apple Push Notification Service?
    What companies use OneSignal?
    See which teams inside your own company are using Apple Push Notification Service or OneSignal.
    Sign up for StackShare EnterpriseLearn More

    Sign up to get full access to all the companiesMake informed product decisions

    What tools integrate with Apple Push Notification Service?
    What tools integrate with OneSignal?

    Sign up to get full access to all the tool integrationsMake informed product decisions

    Blog Posts

    Nov 20 2019 at 3:38AM

    OneSignal

    PostgreSQLRedisRuby+8
    9
    4627
    What are some alternatives to Apple Push Notification Service and OneSignal?
    Google Cloud Messaging
    Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) is a free service that enables developers to send messages between servers and client apps. This includes downstream messages from servers to client apps, and upstream messages from client apps to servers.
    Android SDK
    Android provides a rich application framework that allows you to build innovative apps and games for mobile devices in a Java language environment.
    Firebase
    Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications. Simply add the Firebase library to your application to gain access to a shared data structure; any changes you make to that data are automatically synchronized with the Firebase cloud and with other clients within milliseconds.
    CometD
    It is a web server to push data to a browser, without the browser explicitly requesting it. It is an umbrella term, encompassing multiple techniques for achieving this interaction.
    Azure Notification Hubs
    Tutorials, API references, and other documentation show you how to set up and send push notifications from any backend to any mobile device
    See all alternatives