Novu

What is Novu?

Novu is an open source notification infrastructure platform for sending and managing messages across email, in-app, SMS, chat and push. It is built by Novu and combines a workflow engine and provider integrations. The problem it solves is fragmented notification code: teams define a workflow once, then let Novu handle delivery, preferences, retries and the activity feed instead of rebuilding those pieces for every channel.

Key features

• Multi-channel delivery. A single workflow can send email, in-app, SMS, chat and push notifications through connected providers.
• Workflow controls. Delay, digest and throttle steps let teams batch updates, wait before sending and limit how often a user hears from a product.
• Code-first workflows. The Novu framework lets developers define and version notification workflows in TypeScript instead of only through a dashboard.
• Inbox component. A React inbox gives users a notification feed, while separate preference components let them choose which channels to receive.
• Topics and multi-tenancy. Teams can group subscribers by topic and keep separate notification settings for each tenant in a multi-tenant product.
• Agent-focused features. The product line now includes Novu Copilot, an MCP server, an agent communication interface and an Agent Inbox for AI agents.

Who is Novu for?

Product and platform teams that send notifications from a web or mobile app and do not want to maintain separate code paths for each channel. It suits startups adding an in-app inbox for the first time, growth teams that need digests and preference controls, and larger companies that need role-based access, multiple environments and data residency.

Use cases

• Sending a welcome email, an in-app message and a push notification from one workflow.
• Batching activity updates into a daily or weekly digest instead of sending each event.
• Giving users a notification inbox with per-channel preferences inside a React app.

Pricing

Novu Cloud has a Free plan at $0 per month with 10,000 workflow runs, all channels, up to 20 workflows, two environments, 24-hour activity retention and up to three team members. Pro starts at $30 per month with 30,000 or more workflow runs, seven-day retention, no Novu branding and an advanced email editor. Team starts at $250 per month with 250,000 or more runs, up to ten environments, role-based access control and 600 requests per second. Enterprise pricing is custom and adds HIPAA support, SAML or OIDC single sign-on, directory sync and self-hosted deployment. See the official Novu pricing page.

What's new

Version 2.14.0 of the Novu framework was published on 28 September 2026. It added a Google Chat provider, inbound message edit and delete lifecycle support, a Photon iMessage channel through Spectrum Cloud, and a quote reply option. Read the framework 2.14.0 release notes.

Getting started

1. Create a free account at dashboard.novu.co.
2. Add a provider for the channel you want to use, such as email or push.
3. Create a workflow in the dashboard or define one with the framework package.

npm install @novu/nextjs

Alternatives

• Knock is a notification infrastructure platform with workflows and an in-app feed.
• Resend is an email API focused on transactional and product email.
• Loops combines marketing, product and transactional email for software companies.

FAQ

Is Novu free?

Yes, Novu Cloud has a free plan with 10,000 workflow runs per month, all channels, 20 workflows and up to three team members. Paid plans start at $30 per month.

What is Novu used for?

Novu is used to build and send multi-channel notifications from one workflow. It handles email, in-app, SMS, chat and push delivery, plus user preferences, digests and an activity feed.

Can I self-host Novu?

Yes. Novu is open source and can run on your own infrastructure. Enterprise self-hosting adds support, SSO and custom service levels.

Novu vs Knock?

Both provide notification workflows and an in-app feed. Novu is open source and offers a self-hosted option, while Knock is a managed notification platform. The right choice depends on whether you need to run the service yourself and which channels and compliance features you require.

Yes. Novu provides React components for an in-app inbox and notification preferences, plus framework packages for Next.js and other JavaScript stacks.