What website is this?
Novu is an open-source notification infrastructure platform for developers and product teams. It connects in-app Inbox, email, SMS, push, Slack, Teams, and other channels through unified workflows and a single API. Instead of scattering notification logic across microservices, it centralizes subscriber management, templates, multi-channel delivery, and an embeddable Inbox component; Novu Cloud’s free tier includes 10,000 workflow runs per month, and you can also self-host the open-source edition. It fits teams that need reliable cross-channel reach in production and want to start in a visual console before moving into code when needed.
Key Features
- Orchestrate email, in-app, SMS, push, and other channels through a Workflow API
- Embed an Inbox component with user preference controls, snooze, and real-time updates
- Use a Digest engine to merge multiple events into a single email or SMS and reduce noise
- Build dynamic templates in a block-based email editor powered by React Email
- Define code-first workflows with
@novu/framework, accessing local data and custom logic at runtime - Route AI agents through Novu Connect to Slack, email, and other channels for approvals and alerts
Use Cases
- A SaaS engineer triggers in-app updates and confirmation emails from one workflow when order status changes
- An ops team aggregates alerts with Digest, then routes summaries to on-call staff via Slack and SMS
- A growth marketer maintains weekly email layouts in the block editor instead of hand-editing HTML
- A startup begins on Novu Cloud and later evaluates self-hosting or Enterprise for data residency as volume grows
- An AI product team uses Novu Connect so agents handle approvals and product updates in Discord or Teams
Who is it for?
- Backend or platform engineers who need unified multi-channel notifications in production
- Frontend, React, or Next.js teams that want an in-app inbox with minimal integration code
- Teams already using delivery providers such as Resend or Twilio who want workflow-level abstraction for subscribers and templates
- Mid-to-large products that require HIPAA, multi-tenant isolation, or SSO (Enterprise tier is more complete)
- Minimal projects that only send occasional transactional email with no complex orchestration (may be heavier than needed)
- Teams that reject managed cloud entirely and lack capacity to operate a self-hosted cluster (deployment cost must be assessed)
How It Compares to Similar Tools?
Email APIs such as SendGrid or Mailgun focus on single-channel delivery; Novu emphasizes cross-channel workflows and an in-app Inbox, positioning it more as a notification platform than an SMTP relay. Push SDKs like Firebase Cloud Messaging typically handle device delivery only; Novu adds templates, user preferences, digesting, and delivery observability at the platform layer. If volume is small and channels are single-purpose, calling an email API directly is often lighter; for AI agents talking to users across channels, Novu Connect is worth a separate look.
Pricing Details
Free: $0/month, includes 10,000 workflow runs per month, all channels (Email, In-app, SMS, Chat, Push), US and EU data residency, up to 20 workflows, 2 environments (Dev + Prod), 24-hour activity feed retention, up to 3 team members, no credit card required.
Pro: From $30/month, includes 30,000+ runs/month, overage at about $1.20 per 1K runs; 7-day activity feed retention, remove Novu branding, advanced email editor, and higher throughput.
Team: From $250/month, includes 250,000+ runs/month, up to 10 environments, 90-day retention, RBAC, higher RPS, and more.
Enterprise: Custom pricing with multi-million workflow run tiers, self-hosting options, HIPAA BAA, SAML/OIDC, SCIM, extended data residency regions, and more. You can also self-host the open-source Novu Project without cloud fees; Enterprise support is negotiated separately. See https://novu.co/pricing for the latest details.
FAQs
Q: Can I use Novu for free?
A: Yes. Novu Cloud’s free tier includes 10,000 workflow runs per month across all channels; you can also self-host the open-source edition, and cloud signup does not require a credit card.
Q: Is billing based on messages or users?
A: Billing is per workflow run: one trigger to one subscriber counts as one run; broadcasting to a topic with 100 subscribers counts as 100 runs. Paid plans do not cap subscribers.
Q: How is Novu different from integrating SendGrid or Firebase push alone?
A: Novu orchestrates multiple channels, user preferences, and an in-app Inbox at the workflow layer; a single email or push API usually handles one channel only.
Q: Must I use the cloud, or can I self-host?
A: You can self-host the open-source Novu Project; Enterprise adds on-prem deployment, custom SLAs, and compliance options. See the official FAQ for cloud vs. self-hosted boundaries.
