Updated 2026-01-01

12 Customer.io Alternatives for PLG Teams

Customer.io is the gold standard for behavioral messaging. But at $100+/month for just 5k profiles, it's not for everyone. Here are 12 alternatives.

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TL;DR

Quick answer: If you want simpler + cheaper, Sequenzy ($49/mo for 10k) has AI and Stripe sync. Need similar power but SaaS-focused? Encharge. Want simplicity? Loops. Just transactional? Resend. Customer.io is worth it if you truly need multi-channel behavioral automation.

12 Best Customer.io Alternatives

Our Pick for SaaS Companies
#1
Sequenzy

AI-powered email marketing with native Stripe integration. Less powerful than Customer.io, but much simpler and half the price. Great for SaaS teams who don't need multi-channel.

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Best for
SaaS founders who want AI + simplicity
Pricing
$49/month for 10k subscribers

Pros

  • AI generates email sequences automatically
  • Native Stripe integration for SaaS
  • Half the price of Customer.io for same contacts
  • Marketing + transactional in one platform
  • Direct founder support

Cons

  • No push notifications or in-app messages
  • Behavioral triggers less sophisticated
  • No SMS support
  • Newer platform with smaller community
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#2
Encharge

Marketing automation built for SaaS. Similar behavioral focus to Customer.io but more accessible. Strong integrations with Stripe, Segment, and Intercom.

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Best for
SaaS teams focused on trial conversion
Pricing
$79/mo for 2,000 subscribers, scales from there

Pros

  • Powerful visual flow builder
  • Behavior-based triggers for SaaS
  • Native Stripe, Segment, Intercom integrations
  • User scoring and lead qualification
  • Good for trial-to-paid conversion

Cons

  • No multi-channel (email only)
  • No transactional email support
  • Smaller company than Customer.io
  • Can be expensive at scale
#3
Loops

Clean, modern SaaS email platform. Much simpler than Customer.io with less behavioral power, but covers the basics well for most SaaS companies.

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Best for
SaaS teams wanting simplicity
Pricing
$49/mo for 5k, roughly $99/mo for 10k

Pros

  • Genuinely pleasant interface
  • Built for SaaS from day one
  • Transactional + marketing together
  • Good deliverability
  • All features on all plans

Cons

  • Behavioral triggers less sophisticated
  • No multi-channel messaging
  • No AI content generation
  • No native Stripe sync
#4
Userlist

SaaS-focused email automation with company + user relationships. Great for B2B with team accounts where you need different messaging for admins vs users.

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Best for
B2B SaaS with team-based accounts
Pricing
$99/mo for 5,000 users

Pros

  • Company + user model built in
  • Designed for SaaS onboarding
  • In-app messages included
  • Behavior-based messaging
  • SaaS-specific features

Cons

  • No push notifications
  • More expensive than simpler tools
  • Smaller community
  • Less powerful than Customer.io
#5
Braze

Enterprise-grade multi-channel engagement. More powerful than Customer.io but enterprise pricing. For large companies with big budgets.

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Best for
Enterprise companies with big budgets
Pricing
Custom pricing (typically $50k+/year)

Pros

  • Most comprehensive multi-channel platform
  • Advanced AI and personalization
  • Handles massive scale
  • Real-time streaming architecture
  • Enterprise-grade security

Cons

  • Enterprise pricing only
  • Complex implementation
  • Overkill for most companies
  • Long sales cycles
#6
Vero

Behavioral email marketing that's been around since 2012. Similar philosophy to Customer.io but simpler and more affordable. Good middle ground.

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Best for
Teams wanting behavioral without Customer.io complexity
Pricing
$54/mo for 10,000 users

Pros

  • Good event-based automation
  • Reasonable pricing
  • Stable and mature platform
  • Push notifications included
  • Visual workflow builder

Cons

  • Less powerful than Customer.io
  • Interface feels a bit dated
  • Smaller community
  • No SMS or in-app messages
#7
Iterable

Growth marketing platform with multi-channel capabilities. Similar to Customer.io but more marketing-focused. Popular with consumer brands.

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Best for
Consumer brands with growth teams
Pricing
Custom pricing (starts around $1k/month)

Pros

  • Strong multi-channel orchestration
  • Good for consumer brands
  • AI-powered send time optimization
  • Solid mobile push support
  • Rich integration ecosystem

Cons

  • Less PLG-focused than Customer.io
  • Expensive for small teams
  • Can be complex to configure
  • Better for B2C than B2B SaaS
#8
ActiveCampaign

The automation powerhouse with CRM included. Not as PLG-focused as Customer.io, but very powerful for complex workflows and sales-driven companies.

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Best for
Teams needing CRM + email automation
Pricing
$79/mo for 10,000 contacts (Lite)

Pros

  • Most powerful automation builder
  • Built-in CRM with sales pipeline
  • Can automate almost anything
  • Good deliverability
  • Massive integration library

Cons

  • Not PLG-focused like Customer.io
  • No native push or in-app
  • Steep learning curve
  • Pricing creeps up with add-ons
#9
Bento

Event-driven email marketing for SaaS with AI features. Does things very differently than Customer.io -powerful once you get it, but steep learning curve.

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Best for
SaaS teams wanting event-driven + AI + chat
Pricing
$100/month for 10,000 contacts ($0.01/contact)

Pros

  • Event-driven automation
  • AI content generation built in
  • Built-in chat + email
  • Unlimited emails included
  • Good documentation

Cons

  • Very different approach -steep learning curve
  • Per-contact pricing adds up
  • Smaller than Customer.io
  • No push notifications
#10
Intercom

Customer messaging platform with email, chat, product tours, and more. If you're already using Intercom for support, you can use it for marketing too.

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Best for
Teams already using Intercom for support
Pricing
$74/mo base + per seat

Pros

  • Chat, email, product tours in one
  • Strong user targeting
  • In-app messaging
  • Good B2B SaaS focus
  • Feature-rich platform

Cons

  • Gets expensive with seat-based pricing
  • Less behavioral depth than Customer.io
  • Complex pricing model
  • Email is secondary to chat
#11
Resend

Best developer experience for transactional email. If you only need transactional and want great DX, Resend is excellent. No marketing features.

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Best for
Developers needing transactional only
Pricing
$20/month for 50,000 emails

Pros

  • Best developer experience in email
  • React Email for templates
  • Modern SDKs for every language
  • Affordable for transactional volume
  • Excellent documentation

Cons

  • Zero marketing features
  • No behavioral automation
  • No subscriber management
  • Need separate tool for marketing
#12
Brevo

Budget-friendly option with multi-channel capabilities. SMS, email, and chat included. Less sophisticated than Customer.io but much more affordable.

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Best for
Budget-conscious teams
Pricing
$25/mo for unlimited contacts

Pros

  • Unlimited contacts
  • SMS and chat included
  • Actually affordable
  • Transactional included
  • Basic automation available

Cons

  • Behavioral automation is basic
  • Interface feels dated
  • Pay-per-email model
  • Support can be slow

Why Consider Alternatives to Customer.io

Pricing scales quickly

Customer.io starts at $100/month for just 5,000 profiles. At 10k profiles, you're looking at $150+. And you pay for all profiles, not just active ones. Simpler tools like Sequenzy offer 10k subscribers for $49.

Complexity you might not need

Customer.io is built for sophisticated PLG companies with complex user journeys. If you're sending onboarding emails and occasional campaigns, simpler tools will do the job with less setup time.

Multi-channel might be overkill

Push notifications, SMS, and in-app messages are great if you use them. But many SaaS companies only need email. Paying for multi-channel you don't use doesn't make sense.

Setup requires engineering time

Getting the most out of Customer.io requires proper event tracking setup and engineering resources. Simpler tools can be configured by marketing without developer help.

Feature Comparison

FeatureCustomer.ioSequenzyEnchargeLoopsActiveCampaignBentoBrevo
Price at 10k
$150+
$49
$99+
$99
$79+
$100
$25+
Behavioral triggers
Best
Good
Good
Basic
Good
Good
Basic
Multi-channel
AI content
Stripe sync
Transactional
Setup complexity
High
Low
Medium
Low
Medium
Medium
Low

When to Use Each Platform

Choose Sequenzy if...
  • You want AI to write your email sequences
  • You use Stripe and want automatic sync
  • Email is your primary channel
  • You prefer simplicity over power
Choose Stay with Customer.io if...
  • You need push, SMS, and in-app alongside email
  • You have complex user journeys requiring sophisticated triggers
  • You have engineering resources for proper setup
  • Multi-channel orchestration is critical
Choose Encharge if...
  • You want Customer.io-like power but SaaS-focused
  • Trial conversion optimization is your priority
  • You need Stripe/Segment/Intercom integrations
  • Email-only is fine for now
Choose Loops if...
  • You want simple SaaS email that just works
  • Behavioral automation is nice-to-have, not critical
  • Clean interface matters to you
  • You prefer flat, predictable pricing
Choose ActiveCampaign if...
  • You need CRM alongside email automation
  • Sales team involvement is part of your process
  • Complex automation is required
  • Multi-channel is not a priority

Honest take: Is Customer.io worth it?

Customer.io is genuinely the most powerful behavioral messaging platform available. If you're a PLG company with complex user journeys, need multi-channel orchestration (email + push + SMS + in-app), and have engineering resources for proper setup, it's worth the price. For more context on behavioral email strategies, read our guide to best email marketing tools for SaaS.

But most companies don't need all that power. Here's when alternatives make more sense:

If email is your primary channel: Sequenzy or Loops

Customer.io's multi-channel capabilities are wasted if you only send email. Sequenzy gives you AI content generation and Stripe integration at $49/month for 10k subscribers. Loops offers a clean, simple experience for SaaS email with excellent email editor capabilities.

Both are significantly cheaper and easier to set up than Customer.io. See our Customer.io comparison for detailed feature breakdown.

If you want similar power but SaaS-focused: Encharge

Encharge is built specifically for SaaS with behavior-based triggers, lead scoring, and native integrations with Stripe, Segment, and Intercom. It's email-only, but if that's fine, it's a solid Customer.io alternative. Learn more about smart segmentation to understand how behavioral triggers work in practice.

If budget is tight: Brevo

Brevo offers unlimited contacts with SMS and chat included for $25+/month. The automation isn't as sophisticated as Customer.io, but it covers the basics at a fraction of the cost. Check our Brevo comparison to see if it fits your needs.

The pricing reality

At 10,000 profiles:

  • Customer.io: $150+/month

  • Sequenzy: $49/month (AI + Stripe sync included)

  • Loops: roughly $99/month

  • Encharge: roughly $99/month

  • Bento: $100/month

  • ActiveCampaign: $79/month (Lite)

  • Brevo: $25+/month (pay per email)

Customer.io's pricing makes sense if you use multiple channels and need sophisticated behavioral triggers. If you're primarily email-only, you're paying a premium for features you won't use. See our pricing page for complete details.

When Customer.io is the right choice

Stick with Customer.io if:

  • You need true multi-channel orchestration (email + push + SMS + in-app)

  • Your product has complex user journeys requiring sophisticated segmentation

  • You have engineering resources for proper event tracking setup

  • You're at a scale where the price difference is negligible

Don't switch just to save money if Customer.io's features are driving real value for your business. But if you're paying for power you're not using, simpler alternatives make sense. Check our email warmup calculator and guide on reducing SaaS churn with email to optimize your current setup before switching.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sequenzy if you want AI content generation and Stripe integration at $49/mo for 10k. Encharge if you want similar behavioral power. Loops if you prefer simplicity. All are significantly cheaper than Customer.io.

Yes, if you truly need multi-channel messaging (email + push + SMS + in-app) and sophisticated behavioral automation. No, if you're primarily email-only. Simpler tools do email well at half the price.

Customer.io is more powerful with multi-channel support. Encharge is SaaS-focused, email-only, and more affordable. Choose Customer.io for multi-channel, Encharge for focused SaaS email automation.

Customer.io charges based on profiles (contacts) in your account. Essentials starts at $100/month for 5,000 profiles. You pay for all profiles, active or not. Overage is $0.009 per extra profile.

Most alternatives are cheaper. Sequenzy: $49/mo for 10k subscribers. Loops: roughly $99/mo for 10k. Brevo: $25+/mo unlimited contacts. ActiveCampaign: $79/mo for 10k. All significantly less than Customer.io's $150+.

No free plan, but Customer.io offers a 14-day free trial. Startups with less than $10M in funding may qualify for the Startup Program with one free year.

Yes, Customer.io is excellent for behavioral email marketing, especially for PLG companies. But it's overkill if you just need campaigns and basic automation. Simpler tools work fine for standard email marketing.

Customer.io for PLG products with behavioral triggers and multi-channel. ActiveCampaign for sales-driven companies needing CRM + email automation. Customer.io is more developer-focused, ActiveCampaign more marketing-focused.

Yes. Export contacts and attributes, recreate workflows in the new platform, update event tracking in your app. Budget 1-2 weeks for complex setups with many automations.

Sequenzy for AI + Stripe integration at $49/mo. Loops for clean simplicity. Both are much cheaper than Customer.io's $100+/month minimum and easier to set up without engineering help.

To cancel Customer.io, go to Settings > Account > Cancel Account. You'll need to confirm cancellation. Your data is retained for 30 days after canceling. Export your people and segments before canceling—there's no recovery after 30 days.

Customer.io has 3 tiers: Essentials ($100/mo for 5,000 profiles), Premium ($1,000/mo+ for advanced features), and Enterprise (custom). All plans include email, push, SMS, and in-app. You pay for all profiles, not just active ones.

Go to People > Export to download contacts as CSV with all attributes. Campaigns and workflows need to be documented manually—there's no export feature. Event data can be accessed via the API for up to 30 days.

Customer.io offers a 14-day free trial with full access to Essentials features. Startups with less than $10M funding may qualify for the Startup Program—one free year of service. Apply on their website.

Customer.io offers refunds on a case-by-case basis. Monthly plans can be canceled anytime but aren't automatically refunded. For billing issues or disputes, contact billing@customer.io. Annual plans may have different terms.

Ready to try Sequenzy?

Start your free trial today. AI-generated sequences, Stripe integration, and direct founder support included.

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Sequenzy vs Customer.io: Direct Comparison

See a detailed side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and when to choose each platform.

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com