15 Top Braze Alternatives for Omnichannel Customer Engagement: 2025 List

TL;DR

Braze is strong, but not always the best fit on cost, complexity, or retail-specific needs.

• Many users on G2 cite a steep learning curve and reporting limitations.
• Selection criteria in 2025: unified data, true omnichannel, AI-led personalization, loyalty, time-to-value, and TCO.
• We compare 15 proven alternatives by best for, standout features, and caveats.
• Voyado: retail-native CRM + loyalty + automation = faster activation, fewer add-ons.

Marketers have more choices than ever when it comes to customer engagement platforms. But choice doesn’t always make the decision easier.

Braze is a leading customer engagement platform, yet feedback shows it isn’t always the best match for every business.

Teams call out a steep learning curve, complex segmentation, and limited reporting. Add in the rising cost of add-ons, and it’s clear why many are exploring alternatives to Braze.

So what’s driving the search for Braze competitors?

Why teams look beyond Braze

Even as one of the most popular customer engagement platforms, Braze isn’t the right fit for every business.

Feedback from G2 reviews highlights a few recurring pain points that push teams to evaluate Braze competitors.

• Integration overhead and steep learning curve: Many users report that setting up Braze takes significant engineering effort. Even experienced marketers mention a steep learning curve, with advanced features and reporting described as overly complex.
• Pricing and total cost of ownership: Add-on creep is a common theme. Teams often find themselves paying extra for features like segmentation extensions, reporting, or support tiers.
• Retail-specific gaps: Braze was built as a generalist platform. That means loyalty triggers, in-store data, merchandising tie-ins, and promo logic often require partner tools or custom development. Platforms with built-in retail marketing automation address these gaps directly.
• Desire for simpler, marketer-owned orchestration: Teams looking for a user-friendly interface often find Braze’s workflows too technical. Some reviewers note that targeting the right customer segments feels more complicated than it should.
• Support frustrations: Several users point to slow response times or basic answers from customer support, which adds friction when scaling campaigns.

For many businesses, these challenges slow down time-to-value and make it harder to run personalized customer journeys across channels.

Retailers that get ahead with AI in retail find it easier to deliver relevance without relying on heavy engineering.

Here is our list of Braze alternatives.

1. Voyado: Retail native CRM, loyalty, and omnichannel

Best for: Omnichannel retailers that want one unified platform for CRM, loyalty, AI personalization, and automation.

Standout features:

• Unified customer profiles that bring together transactional and behavioral data
• Built-in loyalty engine with points, tiers, and rewards
• Lifecycle automation across email, SMS, push, in-app, web, and in-store
• Predictive segments and AI-powered insights to refine strategies
• Product and promo logic designed for retail, including merchandising tie-ins
• Native connectors for retail media and product discovery

Considerations: Voyado is a strong Braze marketing automation alternative for teams that want faster time to value and fewer add-ons.

Instead of stitching together multiple point solutions, marketers can activate campaigns directly inside a retail-focused platform.

Voyado also simplifies retail marketing automation by giving teams loyalty and engagement tools in one platform.

That is why many retailers exploring CRM for retail choose Voyado. It’s designed for their business model from day one.

2. Iterable: Enterprise cross-channel orchestration

Best for: Data-mature teams that need broad channel coverage and deep experimentation.

Standout features:

• Visual journey builder with flexible workflows
• Catalog-driven personalization and dynamic content
• Strong ecosystem of integrations

Considerations: Iterable is a powerful Braze competitor, but it often requires more engineering resources and carries a higher total cost of ownership.

3. CleverTap: Mobile-first engagement and analytics

Best for: App-centric brands focused on mobile push notifications and in-app messaging.

Standout features:

• Cohort and funnel analytics
• Intent-based segmentation
• Built-in A/B testing

Considerations: Although a popular Braze alternative for mobile-first teams, CleverTap‘s email and retail use cases often require add-ons.

4. MoEngage: Insights-led engagement

Best for: Multi-channel programs that rely on analytics tools and AI nudges.

Standout features:

• Predictive segmentation
• Flows across email, SMS, push, and in-app messaging
• Customer journey analytics with detailed insights

Considerations: MoEngage is a strong alternative to Braze, but retail loyalty and in-store data often depend on partner integrations.

5. Insider: AI personalization and engagement

Best for: Web and mobile apps that need advanced personalization and lifecycle messaging.

Standout features:

• On-site and in-app personalization
• Journey orchestration across multiple channels
• AI-powered predictive analytics

Considerations: Insider is often listed among Braze’s top competitors, but its broad stack can overlap with existing digital marketing tools.

6. Klaviyo: Ecommerce focused email and SMS

Best for: DTC and fast-moving e-commerce teams that want speed to launch.

Standout features:

• Deep integrations with Shopify and BigCommerce
• Prebuilt templates for faster campaign setup
• Strong email and SMS automation features

Considerations: Klaviyo is often listed among the top Braze competitors. It’s a great fit for e-commerce brands but not a full CRM, as loyalty and in-store data typically require partner tools.

You can also review the best Klaviyo competitors to understand where Klaviyo fits in the broader Braze alternatives landscape.

7. Customer.io: Data-driven messaging for lean teams

Best for: Product-led growth and developer-friendly teams.

Standout features:

• Event-based workflows
• Flexible APIs and liquid logic
• Strong support for behavioral data

Considerations: Customer.io is a Braze competitor well-suited for smaller teams that want precise marketing strategies without heavy engineering overhead.

But retail native features like loyalty or POS integrations are limited.

8. Bloomreach Engagement: CDP and customer engagement

Best for: E-commerce businesses that want a customer data platform combined with messaging.

Standout features:

• Real-time customer segments
• Catalog awareness and personalization
• Web and app journey orchestration

Considerations: Bloomreach is a strong Braze alternative, especially for commerce brands. But as with many enterprise platforms, implementation can be more complex and time-consuming.

Take a look at the top Bloomreach competitors to see how Bloomreach Engagement stacks up against other platforms in the commerce space.

9. Salesforce Marketing Cloud: Enterprise suite

Best for: Global teams already on the Salesforce stack with complex governance needs.

Standout features:

• Journey Builder for complex customer journeys
• Ad sync and cross-channel campaigns
• Enterprise-grade controls and compliance

Considerations: Salesforce Marketing Cloud is a leading customer engagement platform and one of the top Braze competitors. But it often requires significant services support, longer time to value, and additional tools for loyalty or in-store logic.

10. Adobe Experience Platform: Data and content at scale

Best for: Enterprises that standardize on Adobe’s data and content stack.

Standout features:

• Real-time customer data platform
• AI-powered personalization and testing
• Deep content management integrations

Considerations: Adobe Experience Platform is a popular customer engagement platform for large enterprises. However, complexity and cost are high, often requiring dedicated resources to manage.

11. WebEngage: Unified engagement

Best for: Mid-market brands in APAC and MEA seeking value compared to heavy enterprise suites.

Standout features:

• Drag and drop journey designer
• Coverage across multiple channels
• Customer engagement analytics

Considerations: WebEngage is a strong Braze alternative but relies on a regional partner ecosystem. Retailers should validate in-store and POS integrations.

12. OneSignal: Push led with expanding channels

Best for: Developer-forward teams prioritizing push notifications and in-app messaging.

Standout features:

• SDKs for fast integration
• High deliverability rates
• Support for web push notifications

Considerations: OneSignal is an affordable alternative to Braze. Email and SMS features are improving, but still less mature than full suites.

13. Vero: Messaging for product teams

Best for: SaaS and product-led growth teams needing granular, event-based communications.

Standout features:

• Schema-driven campaign setup
• Versioned campaigns
• Strong support for automation features

Considerations: Vero is often considered among Braze’s top competitors for SaaS. But retail loyalty and in-store logic need external tools.

14. Attentive: SMS first with email expansion

Best for: US-centric e-commerce brands leaning into performance SMS.

Standout features:

• Compliance tooling for SMS campaigns
• Creator and UGC flows
• Email marketing features now expanding

Considerations: Attentive is a popular Braze alternative for SMS marketing. However, it is not a full CRM, and broader orchestration usually requires partner integrations.

15. Ortto: Journeys with lightweight CDP

Best for: Lean teams wanting an all-in-one platform without enterprise overhead.

Standout features:

• No code journey builder
• AI-assisted copy and reporting
• Basic customer data platform features

Considerations: Ortto is a flexible Braze competitor that works well for smaller teams. Retailers with advanced needs should validate loyalty, POS, and store logic features.

These fifteen Braze alternatives highlight just how broad the customer engagement platform market has become.

From mobile-first tools to enterprise suites, there is no shortage of choice. The real question is how to choose the right fit for your team.

How to choose a Braze alternative in 2025

With so many Braze competitors on the market, it helps to score each option against the same criteria.

Use this checklist to compare platforms:

Unified customer data

A customer data platform is critical for real-time profiles, identity resolution, and event capture.

Channel coverage

Confirm support for email, SMS, push notifications, in-app messaging, web, ad sync, and direct mail. Note which channels are native and which rely on partners.

Channel coverage should also include site search, since connecting discovery with campaigns can boost engagement.

AI and personalization

Retailers that get ahead with AI in retail can unlock predictive analytics, recommenders, and send time optimization at scale.

Retail essentials

Features like loyalty triggers, geo logic, product feeds, and inventory awareness are easier to manage with retail marketing automation.

Retailers that understand the importance of site search know how critical it is to link product discovery with loyalty and promotions.

Governance and scale

Look at roles, approvals, data residency, and API limits.

Time to value

Templates, WYSIWYG builders, and prebuilt e-commerce and POS connectors speed up launch.

Total cost of ownership

Always factor in licensing, MAU/MTU pricing, add-ons, and service requirements.

Evaluating each Braze alternative against these points makes it easier to shortlist the platforms that fit your customer engagement strategies.

Evaluating each Braze alternative against these points makes it easier to shortlist the platforms that fit your customer engagement strategies.

But scoring features is only part of the decision. The real test is how well a platform supports your customer journeys, your marketing teams, and your growth goals.

Final thoughts

Braze is a powerful customer engagement platform, but it isn’t always the best fit. A steep learning curve, rising costs, and retail-specific gaps push many teams to explore Braze alternatives.

Today’s best platforms go further. Tools with AI search and product recommendations make it easier to build personalized customer journeys. Unified data, automation features, and predictive analytics turn complex customer journeys into actionable insights.

Future-ready marketing teams are also testing AI search tactics to refine engagement strategies across multiple channels.

For retailers, Voyado brings CRM, loyalty, and omnichannel marketing together in one platform – removing complexity and speeding up time to value.

Ready to see it in action?

Book a demo and discover how Voyado unifies CRM, loyalty, and omnichannel marketing to drive customer engagement.