NotiGrid vs Knock: Complete Comparison for 2026

NotiGrid vs Knock: Complete Comparison

An in-depth 2026 comparison of two leading notification infrastructure platforms

Choosing the right notification platform can significantly impact your development velocity, operational costs, and user experience. Both NotiGrid and Knock help teams orchestrate multi-channel notifications across Email, SMS, Push, and more.

However, these platforms take fundamentally different approaches:

• NotiGrid: Developer-first, code-centric, startup-friendly pricing
• Knock: In-app feeds, visual workflow builder, enterprise features

This comprehensive guide examines the key differences across pricing, features, developer experience, and use cases to help you make the right choice.

Quick Comparison Summary

Pricing Comparison

Pricing is often the deciding factor for startups and growing companies.

NotiGrid Pricing

NotiGrid pricing is designed for startups:

Overage: 0.0002 USD per notification

Knock Pricing

Knock pricing targets larger organizations:

Key differences:

• Knock's Starter tier costs 13x more than NotiGrid's Pro
• Knock includes in-app feed as a core feature
• NotiGrid offers more granular pricing tiers for growing startups

Cost Analysis: 100K Notifications/Month

NotiGrid saves approximately 80% annually for similar notification volumes.

Developer Experience

NotiGrid Developer Experience

NotiGrid is built for developers who prefer code over GUIs:

TypeScript-First SDK

import { NotiGrid } from '@notigrid/sdk'
 
const notigrid = new NotiGrid({
  apiKey: process.env.NOTIGRID_API_KEY
})
 
// Create a multi-step notification channel
await notigrid.channels.create({
  name: 'user-signup',
  steps: [
    {
      order: 0,
      type: 'email',
      templateId: 'welcome-email',
      integrationId: 'ses-production'
    },
    {
      order: 1,
      type: 'slack',
      templateId: 'team-notification',
      integrationId: 'slack-webhook',
      delay: 300 // 5 minutes after email
    }
  ]
})
 
// Send notification with variables
await notigrid.notify({
  channelId: 'user-signup',
  to: 'user@example.com',
  variables: {
    userName: 'Jane',
    planName: 'Pro',
    signupDate: '2025-12-10'
  }
})

Key DX features:

• Full TypeScript types and autocompletion
• Lightweight SDK (~50KB)
• Clear error messages with actionable suggestions
• Instant feedback via real-time logs
• No GUI required for any operation

Knock Developer Experience

Knock's API offers a comprehensive, feature-rich approach:

import { Knock } from "@knocklabs/node"
 
const knock = new Knock(process.env.KNOCK_API_KEY)
 
await knock.notify("welcome-workflow", {
  recipients: ["user_123"],
  data: {
    userName: "Jane",
    planName: "Pro"
  }
})

Key DX features:

• Visual workflow designer for non-developers
• SDKs for Node, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP
• In-app feed React components
• Preference center UI components
• More setup required for advanced features

DX Verdict

Choose NotiGrid if you prefer code-first workflows and quick iteration. Choose Knock if your team needs visual tools or in-app notification feeds.

Workflow Capabilities

NotiGrid Workflows

NotiGrid workflows are defined in code as JSON structures:

// Complex workflow with conditional fallback
const urgentAlertChannel = await notigrid.channels.create({
  name: 'urgent-alerts',
  steps: [
    {
      order: 0,
      type: 'push',
      templateId: 'urgent-push',
      integrationId: 'fcm',
      retries: 2
    },
    {
      order: 1,
      type: 'sms',
      templateId: 'urgent-sms',
      integrationId: 'twilio',
      delay: 120, // 2 minutes if push not acknowledged
      retries: 3
    },
    {
      order: 2,
      type: 'email',
      templateId: 'urgent-email',
      integrationId: 'ses',
      delay: 300, // 5 minutes escalation
      retries: 2
    }
  ]
})

Workflow features:

• Multi-step sequences with delays
• Automatic retries with exponential backoff
• Provider failover (SES to SendGrid to Resend)
• Dead-letter queue for failed notifications
• Full audit trail

Knock Workflows

Knock offers a visual workflow designer:

Visual builder features:

• Drag-and-drop steps
• Conditional branching (if/else logic)
• Batch and digest notifications
• Delays and scheduling
• Channel routing based on preferences

Workflow code example:

await knock.workflows.trigger("order-update", {
  recipients: ["user_123"],
  data: {
    orderId: "ORD-456",
    status: "shipped"
  }
})

Workflow Verdict

Choose NotiGrid if you want version-controlled, code-first workflows. Choose Knock if product managers need to modify workflows without code.

Channel Support and Integrations

NotiGrid Integrations

Knock Integrations

Key Integration Differences

Knock's In-App Feed

Knock includes a notification feed component that displays in-app notifications with pre-built React components:

import { KnockFeedProvider, NotificationFeed } from "@knocklabs/react"
 
function App() {
  return (
    <KnockFeedProvider
      apiKey={process.env.KNOCK_PUBLIC_API_KEY}
      feedId="in-app-feed"
      userId="user_123"
    >
      <NotificationFeed />
    </KnockFeedProvider>
  )
}

This is useful if you need a notification feed similar to Facebook or GitHub.

NotiGrid's Slack Integration

NotiGrid offers deeper Slack integration:

• Rich message formatting with blocks
• Interactive components (buttons, select menus)
• Thread replies
• Channel and DM support
• Bot user customization

Templates and Personalization

NotiGrid Templates

Templates are code-based with variable substitution:

await notigrid.templates.create({
  name: 'order-shipped',
  type: 'email',
  subject: 'Your order [orderId] has shipped!',
  body: `
    <h1>Great news, [customerName]!</h1>
    <p>Your order #[orderId] is on its way.</p>
 
    <div style="background: #f3f4f6; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px;">
      <p><strong>Tracking Number:</strong> [trackingNumber]</p>
      <p><strong>Carrier:</strong> [carrier]</p>
      <p><strong>Estimated Delivery:</strong> [deliveryDate]</p>
    </div>
 
    <a href="[trackingUrl]">Track Your Package</a>
  `,
  variables: ['orderId', 'customerName', 'trackingNumber', 'carrier', 'deliveryDate', 'trackingUrl']
})

Knock Templates

Knock provides a visual template designer:

• Drag-and-drop blocks
• Markdown support
• Liquid templating
• Multi-channel preview
• Localization support

Template Verdict

Preference Management

Knock Preferences (Strength)

Knock excels at user preference management:

// Set user preferences
await knock.users.setPreferences("user_123", {
  channel_types: {
    email: true,
    sms: false,
    in_app_feed: true
  },
  workflows: {
    "marketing": {
      channel_types: { email: false }
    }
  }
})

Built-in preference center UI components make this easy to integrate.

NotiGrid Preferences

NotiGrid handles preferences via API:

// Preferences managed at channel level
await notigrid.subscribers.update({
  subscriberId: 'user_123',
  preferences: {
    email: true,
    sms: false,
    slack: true
  }
})

More flexible but requires custom UI.

Reliability and Observability

Both Platforms Offer

• Delivery status tracking
• Per-message logs
• Provider response capture
• Retry mechanisms
• Webhook notifications for events

NotiGrid Observability

• Real-time log streaming
• Simple, developer-focused dashboard
• Full API access to logs
• DynamoDB-backed for scale

Knock Observability

• Detailed event timeline
• User-level activity tracking
• Analytics dashboards
• Message explorer
• Enterprise debugging tools

Use Case Recommendations

Choose NotiGrid If You:

• Are a startup or small team optimizing for speed
• Prefer code-first developer workflows
• Need strong Slack integration for team notifications
• Want predictable, low pricing
• Value quick setup (15 minutes to first notification)
• Need backend-driven notification orchestration

Choose Knock If You:

• Need an in-app notification feed as a core feature
• Want preference management with built-in UI
• Have product managers who need visual workflow tools
• Require batch and digest notifications
• Have budget flexibility for higher pricing
• Need enterprise SSO and compliance features

Migration Considerations

Migrating from Knock to NotiGrid

1. Export workflows - Convert visual workflows to code-based
2. Map integrations - NotiGrid supports most Knock providers
3. Recreate templates - Define in TypeScript/JSON
4. Build preference UI - Replace Knock's preference center
5. Test in parallel - Run both systems during migration

Migration Support

NotiGrid offers free migration consulting for teams moving from Knock or other platforms. Contact support@notigrid.com for assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NotiGrid cheaper than Knock?

Yes, significantly. NotiGrid's Pro plan costs 19 USD/month vs Knock's Starter at 250 USD/month for similar notification volumes. For 100K notifications monthly, NotiGrid saves approximately 80% annually.

Does NotiGrid have an in-app notification feed?

Not currently. NotiGrid focuses on backend-to-channel delivery (Email, SMS, Slack, Push, Webhooks). For in-app notifications, you would build a custom solution or use NotiGrid webhooks to populate your own feed component.

Which platform is better for startups?

NotiGrid is designed specifically for startups with its low pricing, quick setup, and code-first approach. Most teams send their first notification within 15 minutes.

Can I use both platforms together?

Yes, some teams use Knock for in-app notifications and preference management while using NotiGrid for email/SMS/Slack delivery to optimize costs and leverage each platform's strengths.

Which has better workflow capabilities?

Knock has a more mature visual workflow builder with advanced features like batching and digests. NotiGrid offers powerful code-based workflows that are easier to version control and test.

Summary

Bottom line: Most early-stage teams and developer-focused companies will ship faster and save money with NotiGrid. Teams needing in-app notification feeds, preference centers, and visual workflow builders may prefer Knock.

Next Steps

• NotiGrid vs Courier Comparison - Compare with another alternative
• Getting Started with NotiGrid - Send your first notification
• Email vs Slack vs SMS Guide - Choose the right channels
• API Documentation - Full API reference

Need Help Deciding?

Email: support@notigrid.com Schedule a Demo: notigrid.com/demo Documentation: docs.notigrid.com