The best push notification service for publishers depends on list size and workflow. iZooto is built for news and media sites, Gravitec suits networks running many sites with RSS-to-push, Webpushr is the budget pick, and OneSignal fits teams that also have an app. LaraPush suits large lists that want one payment.
News publishers use web push differently from shops. You send several alerts a day, speed matters, and your subscriber list can grow into the hundreds of thousands. So when I compare a push notification service for publishers, I look at three things first: automation from your CMS or RSS feed, cost at 100,000+ subscribers, and whether you keep control of your list. Prices below come from each vendor’s public page, checked in late October 2026.
Which push notification services are best for news publishers?
Six services stand out for news and media sites in 2026. This table shows what each is best at and where pricing starts.
| Service | Best for | Publisher automation | Starting price (late Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| iZooto | News and media brands | News Hub, welcome and “show latest” flows | From $85/mo (Rise); higher tiers by quote |
| Gravitec | Networks with many sites | RSS to Push, Breaking news, Top News, Push Digest | Free to notify 10K; Fix $20/mo |
| LaraPush | Large lists, one-time payment | Push on Publish (WordPress), AutoMagic Push (Pro) | $499 one-time (Startup), plus your VPS |
| OneSignal | Publishers with web and app | API and automation across channels | Growth $19/mo + $0.004 per web subscriber |
| Webpushr | Small and mid-size publishers | WordPress plugin, welcome push, topics | Free to 10K; $99/mo up to 150K |
| PushAlert | Small newsrooms on a budget | Automated RSS to Push on Premium | Premium $39/mo |
What should a news publisher look for in a push notification service?
A news publisher needs fast, automated sending and a price that doesn’t punish growth. Here’s my checklist, in order of importance:
- Automatic sends from your CMS. Look for a WordPress plugin with push on publish, or RSS-to-push for other platforms. Manual copy-paste breaks during a busy news day.
- Cost at your list size in 12 months. Per-subscriber pricing is cheap at 5,000 and painful at 500,000.
- Segmentation by topic or section. Sports readers don’t want politics alerts. Topic or URL-based segments keep unsubscribes down.
- Scheduling and digests. Not every story deserves an instant alert, so a digest option helps you send less.
- List ownership and export. Check whether you can export subscribers and keep your own keys if you leave.
- AMP and Safari support. Many publishers still serve AMP pages, and iPhone readers need Safari web push on iOS 16.4+ (WebKit).
How does each publisher push service compare?
Each tool below wins one publisher scenario. I’ve listed the honest trade-off for each one.
1. iZooto: best for news and media brands
iZooto markets itself directly to news and media publishers. Its site lists a News Hub, welcome notifications, “show latest” content nudges, abandoned-tab recovery and video watch-time flows, all aimed at turning one-time visitors into loyal readers. It also covers app push.
The trade-off is pricing transparency. iZooto states plans “starting at $85” on its web push page, while larger plans need a quote. It also runs a Monetize programme that sends ads to your subscribers in exchange for a free plan, so read the terms carefully. My iZooto vs LaraPush comparison covers both models.
2. Gravitec: best for content networks and RSS-driven sites
Gravitec has the deepest set of publisher automations in this list: RSS to Push, Breaking news, Top News, Push Digest and drip campaigns. It also allows unlimited websites and unlimited subscriber collection on every plan, so a network of sites can run from one account.
However, the Free plan carries an unremovable “Powered by Gravitec.net” credit and has limits on speed and features. Its pricing page also shows two different notify limits for the Fix plan (20K in the card, 200,000 in the table), so confirm with Gravitec. See Gravitec alternatives for more.
3. LaraPush: best for large lists that want one payment
LaraPush is a self-hosted web push panel that you install on your own VPS. You pay once, from $499 for Startup or $799 for Pro (check LaraPush pricing for the current price), and get unlimited domains, subscribers and campaigns on one licensed server. Delivery runs through Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM).
For publishers, the useful parts are the free WordPress plugin with Push on Publish, AMP and Blogger support, and segments by subscribed URL, country or device. On Pro, AutoMagic Push sends a random recent or evergreen post at an interval you set. The trade-offs: no free plan, you run the server, and the licence covers one server.
4. OneSignal: best for publishers with a website and an app
OneSignal is the safest pick if your newsroom also ships iOS and Android apps, because web push, mobile push, in-app and email sit in one platform. Its Free plan includes web push, but each send reaches at most 10,000 subscribers.
At news scale, cost is the issue. Growth costs $19 a month plus $0.004 per web push subscriber, which is about $419 a month at 100,000 subscribers. My breakdown of OneSignal cost per subscriber runs the numbers up to 1 million.
5. Webpushr: best budget pick for small and mid-size publishers
Webpushr prices only on subscriber count and includes every feature on every tier. It’s free up to 10,000 subscribers, then $29 a month to 50K, $49 to 100K and $99 to 150K. Above 150K you need a custom quote.
So a regional news site with 80,000 subscribers pays $49 a month for the full feature set. That’s hard to beat. On the other hand, it’s web push only, and it has fewer editorial automations than Gravitec or iZooto.
6. PushAlert: best small-newsroom option with RSS
PushAlert puts Automated RSS to Push, recurring notifications and timezone-based scheduling on its Premium plan at $39 a month (10,000 subscribers at that price). It also has plugins for WordPress and Joomla and lists AMP support.
The free plan covers 3,000 subscribers, which suits a new blog more than a newsroom. Most publisher features start at Premium.
How much does a push notification service cost a publisher at scale?
Cost at scale is where publisher push services differ most. This table uses each vendor’s published prices for a 100,000-subscriber list.
| Service | Monthly cost at 100K web subscribers | 3-year total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OneSignal Growth | About $419 | About $15,084 | $19 + $0.004 × 100,000 |
| Webpushr | $49 | $1,764 | Up to 100K tier |
| iZooto | Quote | Quote | “Starting at $85” for entry tier |
| LaraPush Startup | $0 licence + your VPS | $499 + VPS hosting | One-time licence, excl. tax |
These are list prices, not quotes, so check each page before you budget. For your own numbers, use my push notification cost calculator.
How should publishers set up push for breaking news?
Set up push so the newsroom never has to leave the CMS. In practice, that means four steps:
- Connect your CMS. Install the vendor’s WordPress plugin, or point RSS-to-push at your news feed.
- Create topic segments. Split subscribers by section or subscribed URL so each alert reaches the right readers.
- Write an alert style guide. Agree on title length, image size and when an alert is “breaking” versus digest-worthy.
- Track clicks in analytics. Add UTM parameters so push traffic shows up as its own channel in Google Analytics.
Frequency matters too. Since October 2025, Chrome can automatically remove notification permission from sites that send many notifications with very low engagement (Google). For the full playbook, read how often to send push notifications.
Where does LaraPush fit for publishers?
LaraPush fits publishers whose list has outgrown free tiers and who’d rather pay once than pay per subscriber. You get unlimited subscribers and domains on one licensed server, no ads injected into notifications, and your subscriber data stays on your own server. In return, you manage a VPS and there’s no free plan. Compare everything on the LaraPush features page, or see our wider roundup of the best push notification services and tools.
Frequently asked questions
iZooto is the most publisher-focused option, with News Hub and content engagement flows. Gravitec is strong for RSS-driven networks, Webpushr is the budget pick up to 150,000 subscribers, and LaraPush suits large lists that prefer a one-time licence over monthly per-subscriber fees.
Yes. Most services offer a WordPress plugin with push on publish, and several, including Gravitec and PushAlert Premium, support RSS-to-push for other platforms. LaraPush’s free WordPress plugin includes Push on Publish, so a notification fires when a post goes live.
There’s no fixed number, but send only what readers value. Chrome can now remove notification permission from sites that send a high volume of notifications with very low engagement, so use segments and digests instead of alerting everyone about every story.
Yes, on iOS and iPadOS 16.4 or later, but only after the reader adds your site to the Home Screen as a web app. Ordinary Safari tabs on iPhone can’t subscribe, according to WebKit’s announcement.
Only for small lists. Free plans usually cap subscribers or sends at around 10,000, and some add branding or ads. Once a publisher passes that, compare monthly per-subscriber pricing against a one-time self-hosted licence over three years.
