Push Notifications vs Email: Which One Drives Better Engagement in 2025?

It’s 2025. People are flooded with digital messages every day. From shopping receipts to marketing offers, our inboxes are always packed. Meanwhile, mobile users are constantly seeing alerts on their lock screens, some they read instantly, some they swipe away.

That’s where the big debate comes in: push notifications vs email, which one is better at grabbing attention, getting clicks, and driving action?

If you’re trying to connect with customers, both tools are valuable. But each works best in different situations. Let’s explore how both channels compare, how they’re changing in 2025, and how you can use them wisely to reach your goals.

Email vs Push Notifications: Key Differences

Let’s start by understanding how they work.

Email communication is more conventional. You deliver messages to the inbox of a person via Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or any other email marketing platform. It works well with long form content, such as newsletters or product updates.

Push messages are brief messages that appear on your mobile or computer screen. They’re sent through apps or websites and are designed to be read quickly. You’ve probably seen one of them appear with a message such as “Sale ends in 2 hours!”

Feature	Email	Push Notification
Where it appears	Email inbox	Lock screen or browser notification tray
Content length	Long-form: images, buttons, text	Short: one-liner with quick info
User sign-up	Enter email address + confirm	Install app or allow browser notification
Customization	Fully customizable with design	Limited formatting
Best for	Detailed info and storytelling	Time-sensitive messages

So, the main difference is this: email is better when you have more to say, and push is better when you need quick attention.

How They Compare in Real Life: 7 Key Areas

Open Rates

Open rate is among the most evident distinctions when comparing push notifications vs email. The open rate of push notifications is usually 40-90%, simply because they are displayed directly on the lock screen or browser of a user.

By comparison, email open rates tend to be around 15-25%, again depending on the quality of your subject line, the reputation of the sender and the engagement of your list. 

Although this may appear to push the apparent winner, it is not always the case. Even a generic push alert cannot perform as well as a targeted, personalized email campaign.

It all depends on the behavior of your audience. Are they email more frequently or responsive to real-time phone notifications? The best way to make the most of email vs push notifications is to synchronize your approach with the behavior of your users.

Click-Through Rates (CTR)

CTR is where email marketing vs push marketing gets interesting. CTRs on emails tend to be 2-5%, whereas push notifications can achieve 7.8% or even higher – particularly, when mail is personalized and crispy.

Users can respond fast since push notifications are short and instant. But with emails, you have the space to explain, visualize and convince, which can result in better quality clicks. 

In push notification vs email engagement fight, then, push is fantastic when you want someone to do something on a whim, but email is better when you actually have to describe what you want to them, such as explaining the characteristics of a product or encouraging a bundle.

Resort to push notifications when the message is straightforward, such as Your cart is waiting, and email when the message is more complicated and requires visuals, storytelling, or CTAs on CTAs.

Speed to Action

Speed plays a huge role in the push notifications vs email comparison. Push notifications are excellent in this regard- they are received immediately and are frequently opened in a few seconds.

This ideally suits them to real-time notifications such as time-based sales or inventory. Emails, however, can remain unread for hours and even days. However, that hesitation is not necessarily a negative thing. 

Emails can contain longer form content, like tutorials, newsletters or onboarding guides, that do not have to be read right away.

Therefore, when you want urgency, use push. However, when you are cultivating a relationship or providing value over time then email is more suitable. When analyzing email vs push notifications, ask yourself: “Is this message urgent, or can it wait?”

Personalization

Email and push notifications have great personalization capabilities, yet they are used in different cases. Personalization in push marketing can be behavioral.

Use cases As an example, you can send a push message immediately when someone abandons their cart or revisits a product. It is fast, responsive, and micro-moment friendly. Email marketing, on the other hand, can be a lot more personalized. 

It is possible to build multi-step sequences, add dynamic content, and adjust the tone to various segments. When you are considering email marketing vs push marketing consider push as a nudge and email as a whole conversation.

Therefore, when it comes to rich involvement and context, email is the winner. Push is better when it comes to instant responses related to user activity.

Fatigue & Opt-Outs

Among the greatest dangers in both channels is over-communication. It is easy to irritate users with the excessive notifications- be it email or push.

In the push notification vs email engagement debate, push has a slightly higher risk of burnout. When they are overwhelmed, people tend to turn off app notifications. 

Emails, though easier to ignore, also have a risk of unsubscribing in case of overdoing the frequency of sending.

Relevance and timing are the operative words here. Provide true value in each message. Allow the users to tailor their preferences on frequency and channel of hearing you.

Message fatigue can be an engagement killer, regardless of whether it is push notifications vs email. The more intelligent you become frequency wise the more you retain and the long term outcome.

Cost & Setup

When it comes to cost and ease of setup, push has a slight edge. Most services such as OneSignal or Firebase have free plans, particularly when you are simply sending out simple push messages.

Emails are more work-intensive – they need to be well-designed, written by a professional copywriter, and usually paid services such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or ConvertKit. 

These platforms bill on the number of subscribers and monthly sends as well. Nevertheless, email is more flexible: you may add various blocks, images, personalization tokens, and dynamic product feeds.

When it comes to the email marketing vs push marketing dilemma, push is quicker and cheaper, whereas email provides you with a better opportunity to showcase your brand.

Small businesses might prioritize push to achieve fast wins, whereas larger brands tend to put more effort into slick email campaigns.

What Converts Better?

Conversion isn’t just about clicks, it’s about action. And in the email vs push notifications debate, both have unique strengths.

Push notifications convert better for time-sensitive offers, like flash sales or alerts about low inventory. They’re seen quickly and can prompt immediate decisions. 

In fact, some data suggests push notifications convert up to 3–4x higher in these cases. But for campaigns where trust-building is essential—like onboarding sequences, customer success stories, or educational product tours—email remains superior. You simply can’t fit all that depth into a push alert. 

So, consider your objective. Want a quick action? Use push. Looking to nurture and guide users over time? Email is still the better path.

When to Use Push, Email, or Both

Choosing between push notifications vs email depends on what you’re trying to achieve. Each of the two channels has its merits, and by combining both of them, even better outcomes can be achieved. Here’s how to decide when to use email vs push notifications, or combine the two.

Flash Sales and Time-Sensitive Offers

When time sensitivity is a priority, push notifications are the obvious choice. They are placed right on the screen of the mobile devices of users and tend to cause instant response. Need to announce a flash sale or a last minute deal? Push will do the trick in record time.

Email, though not useless, might not be opened in time to take action. Nevertheless, you may still combine the two. A push message is attention-catching and a follow-up email can be used to provide details or as a backup in case users ignored the notification.

Receipts and Order Confirmations

Here email really excels. When it comes to transactional messages, such as receipts or order confirmations, people will be expecting an email. It is consistent, descriptive and can be referred to or printed out. Conversely, push notifications are too brief and can be easily ignored.

In the email marketing vs push marketing debate, email wins hands-down when it comes to post-purchase documentation. It aids in developing customer confidence as it gives a feeling of record and dependability.

Cart Abandonment

In the push notification vs email engagement context, combining both channels works best. Display a push message a few minutes after the user leaves your application or site to encourage a swift response. And then send an email reminder in case they have not taken action- maybe with a reward such as a discount or free delivery. This is a one-two combination that will keep your brand front and center in the mind of the customer without irritating them.

Rewards and loyalty

Push messages are ideal to communicate instant victories: “You have won a prize!” or “New benefit achieved!” They are current and thrilling.

However, when there is a need to elaborate on the reward program or provide a summary of points or even attach redemption instructions, then email is preferable. Consider push (in the short form) and email (in the long format).

Product Launches

Push can immediately inform the users of the app about a new product drop. However, to reach out more widely, to include those who do not use your app, email provides more space to provide the context of the launch, to showcase features, and to include pictures or links.

When comparing email vs push notifications, using both gives your product the widest and most effective exposure.

Read more:- How to Implement Push Notifications

Getting Started with Push Notifications

Before comparing push notifications vs email, it’s important to understand how to actually start using push effectively. Email is nothing new in the digital communication scene, but push provides real-time interactions – which can be particularly valuable in the mobile-first world we live in today.

Step 1: Create Your App

Push notifications only work if someone has your app installed. So, first step, get your app live. Platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce let you do this with tools like Twinr or other no code mobile app builder. No developers to hire and no need to reinvent the wheel.

Step 2: Set Up a Push Notification Platform

Once your app is ready, you’ll need a push service. Some app builders include this by default. If not, platforms like OneSignal or Firebase are popular choices. You’ll be able to set triggers, personalize messages, and send both manual and automated push campaigns.

Step 3: Automate the Right Moments

Apply push when cart is abandoned, when price is dropped, or when a reward is unlocked. Unlike email marketing vs push marketing, push shines in short, instant alerts that drive action.

Step 4: Test and Improve

Try different timings, messages, and formats. Monitor your push notification vs email engagement rates and refine accordingly.

Getting started is simple, and combining push with email gives you the best of both worlds.

Read More:- Best Push Notification Services & Tools In 2025

Final Thoughts

When it comes to push notifications vs email, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Push is fast, direct, and grabs attention instantly. Email, on the other hand, offers space for deeper communication and long-term engagement. Instead of debating email vs push notifications, focus on when to use each. Together, they can significantly improve your customer experience. 

Whether you choose email marketing or push marketing, the key is sending relevant, timely, and value-driven messages. Tools like Twinr make it easy to implement push notifications—no coding required, just smarter engagement.