Retainza vs CleverTap: a lower-cost alternative for push, in-app and email
Where CleverTap is strong. A wide channel list: push, email, in-app, WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, web messaging and app inbox[1]. Journey Builder and Journeys orchestration[1].
Where Retainza fits. Retainza covers push, email and in-app messages, with event-triggered, scheduled and segment-based campaigns, at published flat prices: Free $0 (1,000 monthly tracked users), Starter $50/mo (10,000 MTU), Growth $70/mo (25,000 MTU) and Scale $100/mo (50,000 MTU), with hard caps and no automatic overage billing. Push goes through your own Firebase project and email through your own SMTP provider, so delivery cost and sender reputation stay yours. Ask AI drafts campaigns, segments and templates from a description, and nothing sends until you confirm. It is developer-first: SDKs for React Native (with Expo), iOS, Android, Flutter, web and Node, plus a docs MCP server so your AI coding tool can read the integration guides. Retainza does not send SMS or WhatsApp.
Every statement about CleverTap on this page is taken from CleverTap's own public pages, listed under Sources with the date they were checked.
Side by side
| Capability | Retainza | CleverTap |
|---|---|---|
| Published pricingAs stated on the vendor's pricing page | Published: $0 / $50 / $70 / $100 per month | Core $85/mo (excl. taxes & add-ons); Pro & Ultimate via demo[1] |
| Push credentialsWhether you connect your own Firebase (FCM) project | Your own FCM project and SMTP | You upload your FCM credential file[2] |
| Push notifications | Yes | Yes[1] |
| Yes | Yes[1] | |
| In-app messages | Yes | Yes[1] |
| AutomationJourney / rules features the vendor publishes | Event, schedule & segment rules | Journeys[1] |
| How you buySelf-serve signup vs sales / demo | Self-serve signup, free plan | Core: free trial; Pro & Ultimate: demo[1] |
“Not verified” means we could not confirm it from a public CleverTap page, not that CleverTap lacks it. Retainza figures are our published plans. Vendor plans change; confirm on their site before buying.
Sources
- [1] https://clevertap.com/pricing/ — checked 2026-10-14
- [2] https://developer.clevertap.com/docs/android-push — checked 2026-10-14
When to choose CleverTap instead
Migrating from CleverTap
- 01
Install the SDK next to your current one
Add Retainza alongside the existing SDK so both can run during the switch.
- 02
Connect your own delivery credentials
Upload your Firebase (FCM) service account for push and your SMTP details for email. Retainza sends through them; it never owns your deliverability.
- 03
Mirror users and events
Identify users with the same IDs you use today and track the events your campaigns trigger on, so segments and event-triggered campaigns can be rebuilt one-for-one.
- 04
Rebuild campaigns and dual-run
Recreate your push, email and in-app campaigns, run both behind a feature flag, and cut over once delivery and conversions match.
- 05
Let your AI coding tool help
Point Claude Code, Cursor or VS Code at the Retainza docs MCP server so it reads the guides while it writes the integration.
- Connect the same Firebase project whose credential file you uploaded to CleverTap.
- SDK availability today: React Native installs from release tarballs (not on npm yet); iOS installs with Swift Package Manager; the Android, Flutter and Node SDKs are built but not yet published to Maven Central, pub.dev or npm — the guides show how to install them locally.
Questions
Is Retainza cheaper than CleverTap?
Retainza publishes its prices: Free $0 (1,000 monthly tracked users), Starter $50/mo (10,000 MTU), Growth $70/mo (25,000 MTU) and Scale $100/mo (50,000 MTU), with hard caps and no automatic overage billing. CleverTap's pricing as published on https://clevertap.com/pricing/ (checked 2026-10-14): Core $85/mo (excl. taxes & add-ons); Pro & Ultimate via demo. Where a vendor does not publish a price, compare against the quote you receive for your own volume and channels.
Do I keep my own push and email credentials with Retainza?
Yes. Retainza sends push through your own Firebase Cloud Messaging service account (FCM relays to APNs for iOS) and email through any SMTP provider you choose. Secrets are stored in Secret Manager, encrypted with a per-project KMS key. CleverTap also works this way for Android push (you upload your fcm credential file; source: https://developer.clevertap.com/docs/android-push), so the push difference is mainly price and scope, not credential ownership.
When is CleverTap a better choice than Retainza?
You need WhatsApp, SMS, RCS or an app inbox in the same platform (source: https://clevertap.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-14); You want Journey Builder style orchestration (source: https://clevertap.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-14); You prefer pricing based on MAU or data points depending on your commercial model (source: https://clevertap.com/pricing/, checked 2026-10-14).
How do I migrate from CleverTap to Retainza?
Install the Retainza SDK next to the CleverTap SDK, connect your existing Firebase project and SMTP provider, mirror your user identifiers and events, then recreate your campaigns and dual-run behind a feature flag before cutting over. The React Native SDK installs from release tarballs (not npm yet), iOS via Swift Package Manager, and the Android, Flutter and Node SDKs are built but not yet on Maven Central, pub.dev or npm. Guides: https://developer.retainza.com/react-native/, https://developer.retainza.com/ios/, https://developer.retainza.com/android/, https://developer.retainza.com/flutter/, https://developer.retainza.com/server/.
Try Retainza on the Free plan
1,000 monthly tracked users, push, email and in-app, on your own FCM and SMTP.