7 best Customer.io alternatives to supercharge your engagement in 2025

So, you’re using Customer.io. It’s a well-known name in customer engagement for a reason. But if you’re reading this, chances are you’re starting to feel some growing pains. Maybe it’s the tricky setup that has your marketing team waiting on developers, the pricing that seems to balloon with your contact list, or the fact that it’s just not built for the hands-on customer support you want to provide.

Whatever the reason, you’re looking for a change. You need a tool that does more than just send messages; you need one that solves actual business problems without causing a headache to manage.

This guide cuts through the noise and gets straight to the point. We’ll look at the best Customer.io alternatives out there, from e-commerce workhorses to all-in-one CRMs and even some clever AI tools for support. Let’s find the right fit for your business.

What are customer engagement platforms?

In simple terms, customer engagement platforms are tools that help you talk to your customers through channels like email, SMS, and in-app notifications. They work by tracking what people do, like which pages they visit, what buttons they click in your app, or what they’ve bought in the past.

Based on that data, the platform can trigger automated, personalized messages. For example, when someone signs up for a trial, it can kick off a welcome email series. If they leave something in their cart, it can send a friendly reminder. The whole point is to send the right message to the right person at the right time. When done well, these interactions feel helpful, not spammy, and can make a real difference in keeping users around.

Why look for Customer.io alternatives?

While Customer.io is a capable tool, it has a few common quirks that push people to look for other options, especially as their companies start to grow.

• It can be a bit of a maze. Setting up detailed, behavior-based campaigns often feels like it requires a technical degree. This can really slow things down for marketing teams who just want to get a campaign out the door.

• The price can sting. The pricing model can get expensive fast as your subscriber list grows. Some folks also get hit with unexpected fees for extra features, API calls, or getting help from support.

• The interface feels dated. Let’s be honest, the email editor and segmentation tools aren’t as slick or intuitive as some of the newer kids on the block. That friction can add up over time.

• It’s not really built for support. Customer.io is a marketing tool at its heart. If your customer relationships are built on great support conversations, you’ll find its ability to automate or learn from those interactions is pretty limited.

How we chose the best Customer.io alternatives

To put this list together, we didn’t just look at feature lists. We focused on what actually matters to a growing business. Our goal was to find tools that fix the main frustrations with Customer.io while bringing something unique to the table.

Here’s what we looked for:

• Ease of use: Could a non-technical person jump in and get things done?

• Pricing transparency: Is the pricing straightforward? No hidden costs or confusing tiers.

• Key use case: Is it built for e-commerce, SaaS, B2B, or something else? Specialization is often a good thing.

• Integration capabilities: How well does it play with the other tools you’re already using, like helpdesks and CRMs?

• AI and automation power: How smart are its features for creating personalized and efficient customer experiences?

At a glance: Comparing the top Customer.io alternatives

Tool	Best For	Key Feature	Starting Price	G2 Rating
eesel AI	Support-driven customer engagement	AI that learns from past tickets & knowledge bases	$299/mo	N/A
Klaviyo	E-commerce brands	Deep Shopify & e-commerce integrations	Free, then $45/mo	4.6/5
ActiveCampaign	Small to mid-sized businesses	Combined email marketing and CRM	$29/mo (billed annually)	4.5/5
Ortto	Data-driven marketing teams	Unified CDP and journey analytics	$169/mo (billed annually)	4.4/5
Encharge	SaaS & online businesses	Behavior-based email automation	$79/mo (billed annually)	4.7/5
HubSpot	All-in-one marketing and sales	Integrated CRM platform	Free, then $20/mo	4.4/5
Braze	Enterprise and mobile-first companies	Cross-channel messaging at scale	Custom	4.5/5

The 7 best Customer.io alternatives for 2025

Alright, let’s dive into the details. Here’s a closer look at the platforms that can take the place of Customer.io and better match what your business needs.

1. eesel AI

Most Customer.io alternatives are all about marketing automation. eesel AI looks at the problem from a totally different angle. It focuses on the moments that truly define a customer’s experience: their support interactions. It’s an AI platform that hooks into your helpdesk (like Zendesk or Intercom) and all your company knowledge to handle frontline support automatically. If your customer loyalty lives and dies by the quality of your support, eesel AI is a game-changer that actually solves problems instead of just sending messages.

This workflow illustrates how eesel AI automates the customer support process, making it one of the top Customer.io alternatives for support-driven businesses.

Rather than spending your time building marketing flows, you can set up an AI agent to resolve common tickets instantly, draft replies for your human agents, or triage issues on its own. It connects all your knowledge sources, from past tickets and macros to docs in Confluence and Google Docs, to give answers that are accurate and in context. This helps turn your support desk from a cost center into a powerful tool for keeping customers happy.

Pros:

• Live in minutes: The setup is genuinely self-serve. You can integrate your helpdesk with a single click, which is a world away from the weeks of onboarding many other platforms require.

• Trains on your real knowledge: It learns directly from your past support tickets, so its responses sound like your brand and are accurate from day one.

• Test without the risk: A cool simulation mode shows you exactly how the AI would have handled past tickets before you even turn it on. It’s a no-risk way to see the value you’ll get.

• Clear pricing: No per-resolution fees. You get predictable monthly or annual plans that don’t punish you for being busy.

The eesel AI simulation mode, a key feature that makes it a strong choice among Customer.io alternatives, shows how the AI would have handled past support tickets.

Cons:

• It’s not a tool for sending marketing newsletters or promotional campaigns.

• Its focus is squarely on support and service channels, not top-of-funnel marketing.

Pricing:

eesel AI offers simple pricing without charging you per ticket.

• Team Plan: $299/month ($239/month billed annually) for up to 1,000 AI interactions, 3 bots, and AI Copilot for your team in Slack and your helpdesk.

• Business Plan: $799/month ($639/month billed annually) for up to 3,000 AI interactions, unlimited bots, and adds the ability to train on past tickets, use AI for triage, and run bulk simulations.

• Custom Plan: For teams that need advanced automations, custom integrations, and unlimited interactions.

2. Klaviyo

If you run an e-commerce store, especially on Shopify, Klaviyo is probably already on your radar. It’s a master at using purchase data and browsing behavior to create super-relevant email and SMS campaigns. While Customer.io is more of a generalist, Klaviyo is a specialist. It comes with ready-to-go automation flows for abandoned carts, welcome emails, and win-back campaigns that you can get running in no time. Its tight integration with e-commerce platforms gives you access to rich customer data without a complicated setup.

Pros:

• Flawless integration with Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.

• Excellent segmentation based on what people buy and how they shop.

• Combines email and SMS marketing in one place.

Cons:

• The cost can climb quickly as your contact list and sending volume increase.

• It’s not the best fit for businesses outside of e-commerce, like SaaS or B2B.

Pricing:

Klaviyo’s price is based on your contact count and how many messages you send.

• Free Plan: Up to 250 contacts with 500 monthly email sends and 150 SMS/MMS credits.

• Email Plan: Starts at $45/month for 1,001-1,500 contacts and 15,000 email sends.

• Email + SMS Plan: Starts at $60/month for 1,001-1,500 contacts, 15,000 emails, and 1,250 SMS/MMS credits.

3. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a fantastic choice for small to mid-sized businesses that need more than just an email tool. It bundles a very capable automation builder with a built-in CRM, letting you connect your marketing and sales efforts without duct-taping tools together. Where Customer.io is all about messaging, ActiveCampaign helps you manage the entire customer journey, from the first time someone visits your site to the final sale. Its visual workflow builder is often praised for being easier to use for complex campaigns.

Pros:

• Comes with an integrated CRM and sales automation tools.

• Offers advanced segmentation and lead scoring.

• More affordable starting price than many of its competitors.

Cons:

• Might be overkill for people who just need to send a simple newsletter.

• Doesn’t have native support for mobile push or in-app messages.

Pricing:

ActiveCampaign’s pricing changes with your contact count and plan. For 1,000 contacts (billed annually):

• Starter: $29/month for basic email marketing and automation.

• Plus: $49/month adds landing pages, forms, and more integrations.

• Pro: $149/month includes predictive sending and site messages.

• Enterprise: Custom pricing for more advanced reporting and a dedicated contact.

4. Ortto

Ortto is for teams who want all their customer data, analytics, and messaging in one spot. Think of it as a customer data platform (CDP) and a marketing automation tool rolled into one. This setup lets you build really detailed customer journeys based on a complete picture of every interaction. If you feel like Customer.io’s reporting and data tools are holding you back, Ortto’s powerful analytics and no-code dashboard builder will be a breath of fresh air.

Pros:

• Unifies a CDP with journey automation and analytics.

• The visual, no-code journey builder is a breeze to use.

• Supports email, SMS, and in-app messages.

Cons:

• It’s quite a bit pricier than other options, which might put it out of reach for smaller companies.

• Has fewer out-of-the-box integrations than a platform like HubSpot.

Pricing:

Ortto’s pricing is based on contacts and features.

• Starter: Starts at $169/month (billed annually) for 5,000 contacts.

• Professional: Starts at $509/month (billed annually) for 10,000 contacts, adding surveys and web push.

• Business: Starts at $849/month (billed annually) for 10,000 contacts, adding mobile push and transactional messages.

• Enterprise: Custom pricing for dedicated support.

5. Encharge

Encharge was made with SaaS companies in mind. It’s all about triggering emails based on what users do (or don’t do) inside your product. If you’ve been frustrated by how much developer help is needed for Customer.io, you’ll appreciate that Encharge is built for marketers. It’s great for creating onboarding flows, trial-to-paid campaigns, and feature announcements. Plus, it integrates nicely with the typical SaaS tech stack, including tools like Stripe, Chargebee, and Intercom.

Pros:

• Tailor-made for the needs of SaaS businesses.

• Intuitive, drag-and-drop workflow builder.

• Transparent pricing without surprise fees for core features.

Cons:

• Doesn’t have a built-in CRM.

• Not the right tool for businesses outside the SaaS and digital product world.

Pricing:

Encharge bases its plans on your subscriber count.

• Growth: $79/month (billed yearly) for up to 2,000 subscribers.

• Premium: $129/month (billed yearly) for up to 2,000 subscribers. This adds integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce.

• Enterprise: Custom pricing for lists over 50,000 subscribers.

6. HubSpot Marketing Hub

HubSpot Marketing Hub is the way to go if you want to bring your marketing, sales, and service tools under one roof. It offers a little bit of everything: a solid CRM, email marketing, landing pages, and social media tools. While Customer.io is a specialized messaging tool, HubSpot wants to be the command center for all your customer-facing work. Its friendly interface makes it approachable for teams of any size, though its automation might not be as granular as some of the more specialized tools.

Pros:

• A true all-in-one platform with a great free CRM.

• Huge library of integrations and helpful educational content.

• Scales well from a small startup to a large enterprise.

Cons:

• The price can get very high, very quickly on the upper-tier plans.

• The email automation isn’t as nimble or real-time as dedicated tools.

Pricing:

HubSpot has a plan for just about everyone.

• Free Tools: Basic CRM, email marketing, and live chat.

• Starter: Starts at $20/month for small teams.

• Professional: Starts at $800/month (billed annually) and includes 2,000 contacts, but requires a $3,000 one-time onboarding fee.

• Enterprise: Starts at $3,600/month (billed annually) and includes 10,000 contacts, but requires a $7,000 one-time onboarding fee.

7. Braze

Braze is a beast of a platform built for large companies that are heavily focused on mobile. It’s designed to manage complex customer journeys across push notifications, in-app messages, email, and SMS at a massive scale. If you have a popular mobile app with millions of users, Braze provides the horsepower that Customer.io might struggle with. Its "Canvas" journey builder is a powerful way to map out and test campaigns with multiple steps and channels.

Pros:

• Top-notch for mobile engagement (push and in-app messages).

• Built to handle enterprise-level data and volume.

• Advanced A/B testing and personalization tools.

Cons:

• Pricing isn’t public, which is usually a sign that it’s very expensive and not for small businesses.

• It’s a complex tool that often requires dedicated developer time to set up and manage.

Pricing:

Braze uses custom pricing, so you’ll need to talk to their sales team for a quote. This is typical for enterprise software and means the cost will be tailored to your usage, like how many active users you have and the volume of messages you send.

How to choose the right Customer.io alternative

Switching platforms is a big move, so you want to get it right. Don’t get distracted by the tool with the longest feature list. Instead, think about what your business really needs.

1. Figure out your main goal. What are you trying to accomplish? Sell more products (Klaviyo), keep SaaS users engaged (Encharge), or answer customer questions faster (eesel AI)? Your number one priority will help you narrow down the list fast.

2. Be realistic about your team’s skills. Pick a tool your team can actually use without constant hand-holding. If you don’t have developers on call, a user-friendly option like ActiveCampaign or a self-serve platform like eesel AI makes a lot more sense than a complex enterprise suite.

3. Check your current tech stack. Make sure the new tool plays nicely with the software you already depend on, whether that’s your helpdesk, CRM, or e-commerce platform.

It’s about more than just sending emails

Choosing a Customer.io alternative isn’t about finding a new toy for your marketing team. It’s about finding a platform that actually supports your business goals and helps you have better conversations with your customers. While traditional marketing automation is fine for a lot of things, the biggest opportunities often come from solving customer problems quickly and efficiently.

Tools like eesel AI are rethinking what "customer engagement" means by focusing on support channels, the places where customers are already talking to you. By automating responses and providing instant answers, you can build the kind of loyalty that an email campaign could only dream of.

Ready to see how an AI-powered support platform can change your customer experience?

Start building a better customer experience with eesel AI