Tag
Push tools
10 reviewed tools: 6 free or open source, 1 hosted with a real free tier, 3 paid or paid-led.
Order: free and open source first, then hosted products with a real free tier, then paid-led; catalog order inside each group, with quiet or archived repos last. Not a score, and no tool pays for its place.
10 tools
- ntfyHTTP pub-sub notifications you can curl from cron
Free / OSS · Apache-2.0 · 35k GitHub stars
VerdictThe notification CLI that is actually free. curl it from a cron job.
CatchAnonymous topics are passwords — guessable names leak other people's alerts. Public ntfy.sh rate-limits; reserved topics need Pro. Dual license means you pick Apache-2.0 or GPLv2, not Apache-only.
- GotifyMIT self-host push server; Android-first, no ntfy.sh twin
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 16.1k GitHub stars
VerdictMIT push you self-host. No ntfy.sh-shaped public instance; Android is the client.
CatchNo public hosted twin like ntfy.sh. Android-first client, not a public pub-sub host. Distinct from ntfy (public ntfy.sh + dual license) and Apprise (CLI fan-out, no inbox).
- EdgepushAGPL server + MIT SDK: BYO APNs/FCM on Cloudflare Workers
Free / OSS · Freemium · 9 GitHub stars
VerdictAGPL Workers push. Self-host $0; Hosted Free is capped — ignore Pro.
CatchBYO APNs+FCM on Cloudflare Workers — not ntfy/Gotify self-host pub/sub, not Novu workflow orchestration. Server is AGPL; pitch self-host or Hosted Free caps. Distinct from ntfy, Gotify, and Novu.
- ShoveMIT end-to-end Go device-push relay
Free / OSS · AGPL-3.0 · 283 GitHub stars
VerdictMIT Go push relay. Self-host free; not Edgepush AGPL Workers.
CatchEdgepush server is AGPL; Shove is MIT end-to-end Go. Device-push relay — not ntfy/Gotify general pub/sub, not Novu multi-channel workflows. Distinct from Edgepush, ntfy, Gotify, and Novu.
- web-pushMPL-2.0 classic Node Web Push Protocol + VAPID library
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 3.6k GitHub stars
VerdictMPL-2.0 Node Web Push lib. Free forever on Node; stale npm + Workers are the catches.
CatchMaintenance pace slow — npm ~3.6.7, last publish ~2024-01; repo still merges but npm lag is real. Vs PushForge (edge/Workers Web Crypto builder) and vs ntfy/Gotify/OneSignal/Novu: Node-only library, not Workers, not a self-host inbox, not multi-channel SaaS. MPL-2.0 file-level copyleft — read the license before vendoring into proprietary trees.
- PushForgeMIT edge-native Web Push builder; free playground
Free / OSS · AGPL-3.0 · 66 GitHub stars · quiet 180d+
VerdictMIT edge Web Push lib. Free forever library + playground; you own the delivery stack.
CatchVs Edgepush, Shove, ntfy, Gotify, and Novu: edge Web Push HTTP builder — not a Workers device-push product, not a Go APNs/FCM relay, not self-host pub/sub, not multi-channel workflows. You still implement the service worker, subscription store, and send loop yourself.
- NovuMIT notification workflows with a real 0 USD Cloud
Free tier · Freemium · 40.2k GitHub stars
VerdictMIT notification layer with a 0 USD Cloud. The catch: the default branch has no LICENSE file.
CatchThe default GitHub branch is next, and GET /LICENSE there 404s. Open-core: enterprise/, apps/web/src/ee, and apps/dashboard/src/ee are commercial. Self-hosted deployment on the pricing page sits under Enterprise. Free Cloud caps 10K runs, 20 workflows, 24h retention.
- KnockHosted notification workflows; Developer free to 10k messages/mo
Paid-led · Freemium
VerdictHosted notification workflows. Free to 10k msgs; Starter $250. Not self-hostable.
CatchClosed-source SaaS — not Novu MIT self-host. Starter jumps to $250/mo (50k messages). Downstream SendGrid/Twilio/etc still bill you. HIPAA/SAML/SCIM are Enterprise. Free path is Developer tier only.
- OneSignalMulti-channel messaging SaaS; Free now capped at 1k mobile MAU
Paid-led · Freemium
VerdictMessaging SaaS. Free for tiny MAU; Growth meters mobile hard after 1k.
CatchClosed SaaS. From 2026: Free mobile push/in-app limited to 1,000 MAU (new orgs Sep 1, existing Oct 1) — overage pauses mobile until Growth (from about $19/mo + per-MAU). Not Novu/Knock twins. SMS/RCS extra.
- MagicBellMultichannel notification API + inbox; Builder free to 1k deliveries/mo
Paid-led · Freemium
VerdictNotification inbox SaaS. Free to 1k deliveries; Startup $249.
CatchClosed SaaS — not Novu self-host. Startup jumps to $249/mo (50k deliveries; $0.0025 overage). Multi-channel = multi-delivery counts. You still pay SendGrid/Twilio/FCM underneath. Not Knock twin for complex workflow DAGs.
FAQ
- What is the top free pick among Push tools?
- ntfy leads the Stack Gems list for Push tools. Verdict: The notification CLI that is actually free. curl it from a cron job.
- How many Push tools does Stack Gems review?
- 10: 6 free or open source, 1 hosted with a real free tier, 3 paid or paid-led. Each review has a verdict and an honest Catch; no tool pays for its spot.
- Which Push tools can I self-host for free?
- ntfy, Gotify, Edgepush, Shove, web-push and PushForge.
- Which Push tools have the most GitHub stars?
- Novu (40.2k), ntfy (35k), Gotify (16.1k), per GitHub on 2026-10-21. Stars measure attention, not fit; read the Catch.
- What is the catch with ntfy?
- Anonymous topics are passwords — guessable names leak other people's alerts.