So, you’re running a growing business and you keep hearing that you need a customer engagement platform. Maybe you’re looking at Braze or one of its many competitors—Customer.io, Iterable, MoEngage, HubSpot, you name it. The sales pitches all sound the same, and honestly, they all promise the moon. How do you cut through the noise and pick what actually works for your team, your budget, and your goals?
This guide is for business owners, marketers, and product folks who want real answers, not buzzwords. Let’s break it down, step by step.
Step 1: Figure Out What You Actually Need (Not What the Vendors Say You Need)
Before you start comparing features and pricing tables, get clear on your goals. Otherwise, you’ll end up buying a Swiss Army knife when all you needed was a screwdriver.
Ask yourself: - Do you need to send emails, push notifications, SMS, or all of the above? - Is personalization important, or do you mostly need batch-and-blast messaging? - Do you want deep analytics, or are you fine with simple reports? - Who on your team will actually use the platform (marketers, engineers, product managers)?
Pro tip:
Write down your “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.” Be ruthless about what you can live without. Most platforms try to wow you with features you’ll never use.
Step 2: Get Real About Your Tech Stack and Data
Most customer engagement tools promise “easy integration.” In reality, connecting your app, website, CRM, and analytics can be a headache.
Check: - Do you have developers who can handle a complex integration, or do you need something plug-and-play? - What systems do you need to connect (e.g., Shopify, Segment, your own database)? - Does your data live in silos, or is it already centralized? - Are you planning to scale up (think: more users, more data, more channels) soon?
Don’t ignore:
- The ongoing work of keeping data clean and mapping events/attributes.
- API limits or extra costs for syncing lots of data—these can creep up fast.
Step 3: Compare Features That Actually Matter
Forget the 50-page feature lists. Focus on the basics you’ll actually use.
Core features to compare: - Messaging Channels: Email, push, SMS, in-app, web push, etc. Not all platforms do all well—Braze is strong on mobile push and in-app, for example, but you might need third-party add-ons for SMS. - Segmentation & Personalization: How easy is it to target users based on real actions? Can you do true “if this, then that” logic, or is it just basic filters? - Journey/Workflow Builder: Is it visual and intuitive, or will you need a manual to build a simple drip campaign? - A/B Testing: Do you get actionable results, or just vanity stats? - Reporting & Analytics: Can you tie messages to real revenue, or just open/click rates? - Deliverability: How good are their email/SMS deliverability rates? (Ask for real data, not just assurances.)
Ignore (for now): - AI-powered predictions, unless you genuinely have the data and the need. - “Gamification” and “advanced loyalty modules” unless your business is already mature in those areas.
Reality check:
Most platforms do the basics well enough. The devil is in how easy it is for you to use them, and whether they break when you try to do something slightly out of the ordinary.
Step 4: Test the User Experience (Yours, Not Just the Customer’s)
A lot of demos look slick because they’re pre-canned. The real test is: how fast can your team run a campaign, set up a segment, and check results?
What to do: - Ask for a sandbox or free trial. Don’t settle for a pre-recorded demo. - Try building a real campaign end-to-end: import a list, set up a trigger, send a message, and check the report. - See how easy it is to make changes on the fly—especially if you’re not a developer. - Check documentation and support resources. Are they actually helpful, or just marketing fluff?
Pro tip:
Have the actual people who’ll use the tool test it—not just the most technical person on your team.
Step 5: Don’t Get Burned by Pricing Surprises
Most customer engagement platforms use tricky pricing: monthly minimums, charges per user/message, “premium” add-ons, etc. It’s easy to get stuck with a bill that’s double what you planned.
What to ask: - Is pricing based on active users, sent messages, or both? - Are there extra fees for SMS, additional channels, or integrations? - What happens if you grow fast—do you suddenly jump up to the next pricing tier? - How long is the contract, and what are the terms for leaving?
Watch out for: - Annual contracts with auto-renewal clauses. - “Custom” pricing that changes after the first year. - Data overage fees.
Braze’s approach:
Braze is notorious for being “enterprise-priced”—great for big brands, but not cheap for startups. You’ll often need to talk to a salesperson just to get a quote. This isn’t always bad, but make sure you’re not paying for features you won’t use.
Step 6: Judge the Support and Community (It Matters More Than You Think)
No matter how good the platform, you’ll run into snags. How fast can you get help?
Evaluate: - Is there real, human support during your time zone? - What’s the usual response time? - How active are the user forums or Slack communities? - Are there plenty of third-party resources, case studies, and tutorials (not just vendor-produced content)?
Why this matters:
Small companies often get worse support than big enterprise customers. Make sure you’re not left hanging if something breaks on a Friday afternoon.
Step 7: Think About Long-Term Flexibility and Lock-In
Switching platforms is painful. Get a sense of how trapped you’ll be once you start.
Ask: - Can you export your data easily if you decide to leave? - Are integrations open (APIs, webhooks), or only available if you pay more? - Is it easy to add new channels or features later, or are you boxed in?
Red flags: - “All-in-one” platforms that try to do everything but end up mediocre at most. - Custom scripting or workflows that only work inside the platform. - Proprietary data formats that make migration a nightmare.
Step 8: Weigh the Real-World Trade-Offs
No platform is perfect. Here’s a quick, honest take on Braze vs. the field:
Braze: - Pros: Powerful for mobile and multi-channel, slick interface, great for companies with strong product/engineering resources. - Cons: Pricey, can be overkill if you don’t need advanced features, developer-heavy integration.
Customer.io / Iterable / MoEngage / Others: - Often cheaper, sometimes simpler, but may lack some deep features or scalability. - Some tools are easier for non-technical marketers; others skew toward developers.
What to ignore: - Awards, badges, and “magic quadrant” rankings. They don’t predict your experience. - Case studies from companies 10x your size.
Summary: Keep It Simple, Stay Nimble, and Iterate
Don’t let flashy demos or sales pressure push you into a tool you don’t need. The right platform is the one your team will actually use, that fits your budget, and that won’t box you in as you grow.
Start with the basics, run a real-world trial, and don’t be shy about asking tough questions. If a platform feels too complicated or expensive for your stage, trust your gut—you can always upgrade later. There’s no prize for picking the fanciest tool on day one. Focus on what moves the needle for your business, and you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches down the road.