Braze vs CleverTap (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Braze and CleverTap share a 2.0 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CleverTap
Customer engagement platform for push, email, SMS and WhatsApp
Which one is for you
Pick Braze if
- Fits if you message many people across email, push and SMS and have a team to run it
- Makes sense if you want one contract covering channels, data and AI
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as Braze says it has none
- Skip it if you want a price before a sales call, since none is published
- Watch out: Action Credits are one pool, so a WhatsApp message costs 5 credits against 1 for an SMS
- Skip it if you run a small list, as the pages are written for big programs
- Watch out: which editions include single sign-on provisioning is not itemized
Pick CleverTap if
- Fits if you run an app and want retention messaging across several channels
- Works for teams that price by monthly active users
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you grow: $85 at 5,000 users becomes $550 at 40,000
- Skip it if you need Pro features, whose price is only given on a demo
- Watch out: Core excludes add-ons and taxes, which are charged on top
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as there is only a 30-day trial
- Watch out: AI features draw on a token allowance
How we grade them
| 2.0GPABrazeFair | 2.0GPACleverTapFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published. A contract combines an edition, monthly active users, Action Credits and services, so there is no figure to set against what the category charges. | CCore is $85 a month for up to 5,000 monthly active users, $275 at 20,000 and $550 at 40,000, which is above what most email tools charge. Pro and Ultimate are sold through a demo. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free plan. A free trial is offered, but its length and whether it needs a card are not stated on the page. | DA 30-day trial on Core with billing starting after it, so it is a D and no free plan. |
| Features | BEmail, push, SMS, WhatsApp and more, with journeys, a data platform and AI tools, across four editions. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | BOmnichannel messaging, segmentation, analytics, experiments and orchestration. Automated segmentation and send-time optimisation are on Pro. |
| Ease of use | CWeb, sold through sales, with journeys and data to set up. No rating on record. | CNo store rating on record. You connect your app and data first, and build your own campaigns. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no integration list on record on the pages read, though SAML single sign-on is listed under trust. | CWeb only. The listing names WhatsApp as the one integration. |
| Best for | large brands sending across many channels | retention messaging for apps and sites, from $85 a month |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Braze and CleverTap. How we grade
Where they differ
- CleverTap also covers reports.
At a glance
| Braze | CleverTap | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $85 per month for up to 5,000 monthly active users |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial offered; its terms are not stated on the pricing page | 30-day free trial on the Core plan; billing starts after the trial |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Braze | CleverTap |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | clevertap.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Braze
- No prices are published; the contract combines an edition, monthly active users, Action Credits and services.
- Braze says it has no free plan, though trials, startup programs and entry plans exist through its team.
- Action Credits are one pool across channels; the page's example is 1 credit for an SMS and 5 for a WhatsApp message.
- SAML and single sign-on are listed under trust and infrastructure; which editions have provisioning is not itemized.
CleverTap
- Pro and Ultimate have no published price; they are reached through a demo request.
- Core is priced by monthly active users, with steps to 100,000 and a 100,000+ option that shows no price.
- Core excludes add-ons and taxes, which are charged on top.
- AI features draw on tokens; each plan includes a starting allowance.
Key features
Braze
- Cross-channel messaging
- Email, push, SMS, MMS and RCS, WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, LINE, in-app messages, banners and content cards are all listed in every edition.
- Journey orchestration
- Campaigns and Canvases build multi-step journeys, with engagement testing and experimentation and frequency capping.
- Data platform
- Cloud data ingestion, custom data and catalogs, data transformation and zero-copy segmentation feed messaging from one customer profile.
- BrazeAI tools
- BrazeAI Operator, Agent Console, generative AI and a content optimizer are in every edition; predictive AI starts at Pro.
- Four Platform Editions
- Braze Go, Select, Pro and Enterprise add orchestration, security and provisioning, advanced AI and enterprise infrastructure.
CleverTap
- Omnichannel messaging
- Push notifications, email, WhatsApp, in-app messages, web messaging, RCS and SMS from one platform.
- Segmentation and analytics
- Real-time behavioral segments plus analytics; Pro adds automated segmentation and in-depth insights.
- Campaign orchestration
- Builds omnichannel journeys; Pro adds send-time and channel optimization.
- Experimentation
- Built-in experimentation on Core, with AI-driven optimization named on higher plans.
- CleverAI tokens
- AI features such as content and image creation draw on tokens, with a starting allowance included in each plan.
- Promos and loyalty
- A rewards management product for promotions and loyalty programs.
Plans
Braze
Pricing could not be confirmed. See braze.com.
CleverTap
Core$85
per month for up to 5,000 monthly active users
Omnichannel engagement, behavioral segmentation, experimentation and analytics. $275 a month at 20,000 users, $550 at 40,000. A sale is shown.
ProCustom
Everything in Core plus automated segmentation, in-depth insights, send time and channel optimization and personalization across touchpoints. Sold through a demo.
UltimateCustom
Everything in Pro plus agentic orchestration, predictions and recommendations, and up to 10 years of data retention. Sold through a demo.
Ways to pay less
Braze
No public discounts listed.
CleverTap
- Other savings
Sale on the Core plan
At the time of reading, the pricing page advertised 75% off the Core plan for 12 months, or 50% off for 6 months; the price afterwards reverts to the regular monthly price. No end date was stated beyond a countdown.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Braze or CleverTap?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Braze has no price we could confirm, and CleverTap starts at $85 per month for up to 5,000 monthly active users.
Which has a free plan, Braze or CleverTap?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Braze nor CleverTap has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.