If you're choosing between Attentive, Braze, Klaviyo, and Insider for customer engagement and marketing automation, you need facts, not sales pitches. We used QBack to analyze 4,784 G2 reviews, dozens of Reddit threads, and pricing pages to give you the real story behind each platform.

This comparison covers G2 ratings, detailed pricing breakdowns, top pain points reported by actual users, and how each platform positions itself. Whether you're a mid-market ecommerce brand, an enterprise with high message volumes, or a DTC startup scaling SMS, this guide helps you make a data-driven decision.

Which Platform Has the Best G2 Rating?

Insider: 4.8/5 (1,209 reviews)

Insider leads with a 4.8/5 rating based on 1,209 reviews on G2. It's recognized for its AI-native approach to omnichannel personalization.

Top Pros:

• Customer engagement / multi-channel — 288 mentions
• Ease of use / user-friendly — 269 mentions
• SMS / innovative campaigns — 237 mentions
• Customized journeys / personalization — 230 mentions
• Automation features — 201 mentions

Top Cons:

• Steep learning curve — 106 mentions
• Time-consuming onboarding — 47 mentions
• Poor customer support (some cases) — 44 mentions
• Complexity / difficult learning — 42 mentions
• Integration issues with non-standard platforms — 40 mentions

Notable Reviews:

• "Great platform to expand market share by 20%. Loved it!" - Buket O. (G2 Reviews)
• "Our Multi-channel marketing is streamlined with Insider's comprehensive suite of tools" - Defne P. (G2 Reviews)
• "Achieved 5X ROI with Insider's product recommendations and marketing automation" - Oanh L. (G2 Reviews)

Attentive: 4.6/5 (1,068 reviews)

Attentive ties with Klaviyo at 4.6/5, with 1,068 reviews on G2. Known for its patented two-tap sign-up and SMS expertise.

Top Pros:

• Ease of use
• Segmentation
• List growth
• Deliverability
• Customer success/onboarding

Top Cons:

• Expensive/pricing
• Missing features/reporting issues
• Occasional product bugs

Notable Reviews:

• "Great overall experience... gave us the tools we needed to make successful business decisions... Easy to use and gave our team all of the data..." - Bill L. (G2/Capterra Reviews)
• "Attentive is an integral part of our marketing strategy!" - Justin P., Director of Ecommerce (Capterra)
• "No real downside... other than it being more expensive compared to some competitors." - Multiple reviewers (G2/Capterra)

Klaviyo: 4.6/5 (1,124 reviews)

Klaviyo also scores 4.6/5 with 1,124 reviews on G2. It's the go-to for ecommerce brands needing deep Shopify integration.

Top Pros:

• Ease of use — 102 mentions
• Powerful automation / email marketing — 85 mentions
• Easy campaign/flow creation — 53 mentions
• Integrations (3rd-party / ecommerce) — 51 mentions
• Easy integration / setup — 50 mentions

Top Cons:

• Expensive / pricing concerns — 48 mentions
• Steep learning curve / complexity — 34 mentions
• Lacks robust CRM/reporting for B2B — 33 mentions
• Customer support issues — 29 mentions
• Limited features for some use cases — 25 mentions

Notable Reviews:

• "I love how organized and user-friendly Klaviyo is. The templates are so easy to use. Once it's set up, campaigns can be made in minutes." - Casey H., Small Business, 5.0/5 (G2 Reviews)
• "Easy to send emails and make specific lists and segments. Very detailed and awesome. Best email platform." - Musa N., Small Business, 5.0/5 (G2 Reviews)
• "I am 83 and ripped off by Klaviyo and lost $3000 due to bad setup" - Thomas D. (G2 Reviews)

Braze: 4.5/5 (1,383 reviews)

Braze has the most reviews (1,383) with a 4.5/5 rating on G2. Positioned for enterprise mobile-first brands.

Top Pros:

• Ease of Use / Intuitive interface — 430 mentions
• Customer Support — 205 mentions
• Intuitive / user-friendly — 202 mentions
• Helpful / easy to use — 168 mentions
• Features / multi-channel campaigns — 158 mentions

Top Cons:

• Missing features / limitations — 169 mentions
• Steep learning curve / onboarding — 168 mentions
• Segmentation complexities — 126 mentions
• Reporting capabilities limited — 93 mentions
• Poor/inconsistent customer support (some) — 72 mentions

Notable Reviews:

• "Very good and user friendly CRM platform." - Alessandra G. (G2 Reviews)
• "The new-age capabilities offered by braze such as intelligent timing, AI assistant for liquid, AI Copywriting assistant are the gamechanger." - Alex B. (Capterra)

How Much Do These Platforms Really Cost?

Attentive Pricing

Attentive pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed. Third-party estimates provide these guidelines:

Estimated Pricing:

• Base/platform fee: ~$300/month
• Per-SMS fee: ~$0.01
• MMS fee: ~$0.02–$0.03
• Minimum quarterly spend: $2,000–$3,000

Pricing Model:

• Usage-based (pay per message + subscriber count)
• Discounts for bundling channels (SMS + email)
• AI Pro and AI Grow: Flat monthly fees
• AI Journeys: Pay-per-click

Hidden Costs:

• Carrier passthrough fees
• Short code leasing or setup fees
• Premium AI tools charges
• Potential onboarding/support fees

True Cost Analysis: Costs "add up quick" per Reddit users. Enterprise pricing means smaller businesses may find Attentive prohibitively expensive. No transparent public pricing creates uncertainty.

Braze Pricing

Braze pricing is quote-based with no public tiers. You must contact sales for pricing.

Estimated Pricing:

• Third-party estimates: $60,000–$200,000+ per year
• Usage metrics: Data points/events, monthly active users/sessions, channels

What's Typically Included:

• Multi-channel messaging (email, push, in-app, SMS)
• Canvas journey orchestration
• Segmentation & personalization (Liquid)
• Analytics & reporting
• Integrations/partners
• Braze AI features

Hidden Costs:

• Data-point / event usage billing (heavy volume increases costs)
• Add-on fees for certain channels/integrations
• Premium support
• Onboarding/implementation services
• Professional services/consulting
• External reporting/analytics tools

True Cost Analysis: "Braze looked slick but honestly too expensive for what i needed" - Reddit user. Pricing "escalates with usage" and is "enterprise-only" per multiple Reddit discussions.

Klaviyo Pricing

Klaviyo pricing is transparent and tiered, but costs can escalate quickly.

Pricing Tiers:

• Free: 0–250 active profiles — $0/month

  • 500 monthly email sends
  • 150 monthly SMS/MMS credits

• Email-only tiers:

  • 251–500 profiles — $20/month
  • 501–1,000 — $30/month
  • 1,001–1,500 — $45/month
  • 1,501–2,500 — $60/month
  • 3,501–5,000 — $100/month
  • 6,501–10,000 — $150/month

• Email + SMS combined tiers:

  • 251–500 profiles (150 SMS credits) — $20/month
  • 501–1,000 (1,250 SMS credits) — $45/month
  • 1,001–1,500 (2,500 SMS credits) — $70/month
  • 1,501–2,500 (3,750 SMS credits) — $95/month

Add-ons:

• Reviews: $25/month (250 orders) to $20,000/month (1M orders)
• CDP / Advanced Data Platform: $500/month (up to 100K profiles)
• Marketing Analytics: Custom quotes

What's Included:

• Customer profiles with all-time data
• 350+ built-in integrations
• Built-in reporting dashboards
• Generative AI content features
• Multi-channel segmentation and automation
• Email support (varies by plan)
• Mobile push channel
• Klaviyo Academy and help center

Hidden Costs:

• SMS credits include estimated carrier fees
• SMS credits do not roll over month-to-month
• Add-ons billed separately
• Profile-based billing can create "price cliffs"
• Enterprise / custom pricing for large accounts

True Cost Analysis: "Klaviyo's new pricing model feel like a gut punch for small businesses" - Reddit user. Many report switching to cheaper alternatives (Omnisend, MailerLite) due to price hikes.

Insider Pricing

Insider pricing is customized with no public tiers. Must request demo for pricing.

Estimated Pricing:

• Basic: ~$4,800/month for 100,000 monthly users
• Average: ~$48,000/year
• Can reach: $100,000+/year

What's Typically Included:

• CDP
• Web/app personalization
• Architect journey builder
• Messaging channels (SMS/WhatsApp/email)
• AI features
• Implementation & consulting

Pricing Variables:

• Monthly Active Users (MAUs)/usage
• Feature set selection
• Negotiated contract terms

Hidden Costs:

• Implementation services/professional services
• Integrations/custom connectors
• High volume messaging costs (SMS/WhatsApp)
• Taxes
• Separate implementation fees

True Cost Analysis: Custom pricing makes budgeting difficult. Implementation requires "strong internal support/engineering for complex integrations" per Reddit users.

What Are the Top Pain Points for Each Platform?

Attentive: Top 3 Concerns

1. Expensive / Costs Add Up Quickly ⚠️ Critical

Severity: High - Top complaint across G2 and Reddit

Evidence:

• "Attentive is solid but pricey af... the costs add up quick" - Reddit
• "No real downside... other than it being more expensive compared to some competitors." - Multiple G2 reviewers
• "I've heard their pricing is steep and they seem more into big enterprise than smaller shops." - Reddit

2. Over-Attribution / Inflated Performance Metrics

Severity: Medium-High - Impacts ROI analysis

Evidence:

• "Attentive intentionally over attributes performance to their program which leads to high spend and lower roas/ROI." - Reddit

Users report difficulty assessing true ROI due to aggressive attribution modeling.

3. Limited Features / Difficult Accessibility for Email

Severity: Medium - Compared to competitors like Klaviyo

Evidence:

• "Attentive definitely has better performance when it comes to SMS... Attentive is lacking a lot of features or to be more precise it has them but it's very difficult to access them or some of them need to be done by their team which takes longer." - Reddit
• Missing features/reporting issues — Top con on G2

Braze: Top 3 Pain Points

1. Expensive / Enterprise-Only Pricing ⚠️ Critical

Severity: High - Excludes SMBs and startups

Evidence:

• "Braze looked slick but honestly too expensive for what i needed." - Reddit
• "Platforms like Braze... cater towards enterprise (powerful but expensive)." - Reddit
• Third-party estimates: $60,000–$200,000+ per year

2. Steep Learning Curve / Onboarding Challenges

Severity: Medium-High - Delays time-to-value

• Steep learning curve / onboarding challenges — 168 mentions on G2

Complex features require significant training and ramp time.

3. Not a True ESP

Severity: Low-Medium - Technical limitation

Evidence:

• "Braze aren't actually an ESP. It's a capable marketing automation platform but it uses Sendgrid in the background for actually sending emails." - Reddit

Users needing native email sending may find this limiting.

Klaviyo: Top 3 Pain Points

1. Price Hikes / "Gut Punch" Pricing Model ⚠️ Critical

Severity: High - Drives churn to competitors

Evidence:

• "Is it just me, or does Klaviyo's new pricing model feel like a gut punch for small businesses?" - Reddit
• "I have had enough for Klaviyo planning to switch" - Reddit
• Expensive / pricing concerns — 48 mentions on G2

2. Profile-Based Billing / "Price Cliffs"

Severity: High - Unpredictable cost increases

Evidence:

• Price cliffs mentioned across Reddit discussions
• Poor list hygiene increases costs dramatically
• "That is really expensive. Do remember that Shopify takes a cut, something like 20% of whatever you pay to Klaviyo..." - Reddit

3. Customer Support Issues

Severity: Medium - Frustrating for SMBs

• Customer support issues — 29 mentions on G2
• "I am 83 and ripped off by Klaviyo and lost $3000 due to bad setup" - G2 review highlighting support failures

Insider: Top 3 Pain Points

1. Steep Learning Curve ⚠️ Critical

Severity: High - Top complaint across reviews

• Steep learning curve — 106 mentions on G2

Users report significant time investment to master the platform.

2. Time-Consuming Onboarding

Severity: High - Delays launch

• Time-consuming onboarding — 47 mentions on G2
• Requires "strong internal support/engineering for complex integrations" - Reddit

3. Integration Issues with Non-Standard Platforms

Severity: Medium - Limits flexibility

• Integration issues with non-standard platforms — 40 mentions on G2

Teams using less common tech stacks may face challenges.

How Do These Platforms Position Themselves?

Attentive: SMS + Email Specialist

Attentive positions as the AI-powered mobile marketing leader with patented two-tap sign-up technology. They target mid-market to enterprise ecommerce/retail brands needing rapid list growth and unified SMS+email orchestration.

Target Customers: Mid-market to large ecommerce and retail brands (8,000+ brands cited)

Key Messaging: "AI-powered mobile marketing platform with patented two-tap sign-up and enterprise-grade deliverability"

Competitive Attack: List growth speed (two-tap sign-up), mobile-first approach, strong customer support and onboarding, 150+ integrations

Braze: Mobile-First Enterprise Engagement

Braze positions as the customer engagement platform for enterprise brands with mature data stacks and high event volumes. They emphasize Canvas journey orchestration and real-time, data-driven personalization.

Target Customers: Mid-market to enterprise brands with mobile apps (media, streaming, ecommerce, travel, consumer services)

Key Messaging: "Build, orchestrate, and personalize cross-channel campaigns with Canvas journey orchestration and Liquid personalization"

Competitive Attack: Deep multi-channel orchestration, enterprise scalability (high API/event volume), professional services/CSM support, robust partner integrations

Klaviyo: Ecommerce DTC Platform

Klaviyo positions as the B2C customer data and marketing platform built for ecommerce. They emphasize their built-in CDP, Shopify integration depth, and revenue attribution analytics.

Target Customers: DTC/ecommerce brands and B2C businesses of all sizes (startups to enterprise)

Key Messaging: "Built-in customer data platform for real-time, behavior-driven personalization with deep ecommerce integrations"

Competitive Attack: Shopify integration, product-level recommendations, all-time customer profiles, revenue attribution, prebuilt automation flows

Insider: AI Personalization Powerhouse

Insider positions as the AI-native omnichannel platform with 12+ channel support and integrated CDP. They target high-growth mid-market to enterprise with global brand citations (Nike, Samsung, L'Oreal).

Target Customers: Mid-market to enterprise marketers and ecommerce/CX teams with high traffic and cross-channel needs

Key Messaging: "AI-native omnichannel Experience & Customer Engagement Platform with integrated CDP and 12+ channel orchestration"

Competitive Attack: Broadest channel support (WhatsApp, web/app personalization), AI intent/prediction engine, extensive templates, growth consulting services

Feature Comparison: What's Actually Included?

Strengths and Weaknesses Summary

Attentive

Strengths:

• Patented two-tap sign-up for rapid list growth
• Strong SMS deliverability and compliance
• AI-powered send time optimization and segmentation
• Unified SMS+email orchestration
• 150+ integrations
• Strong customer support and onboarding (per reviews)
• Identity resolution via Attentive Signal

Weaknesses:

• Expensive with costs that "add up quick"
• Over-attribution concerns affecting ROI analysis
• Limited email features vs competitors (Klaviyo)
• Difficult feature accessibility (some require Attentive team)
• Occasional product bugs
• Better suited for enterprise than SMBs

Braze

Strengths:

• Powerful Canvas journey orchestration
• Deep Liquid personalization capabilities
• Enterprise scalability (high API/event volume)
• Strong multi-channel support (email, push, in-app, SMS)
• Robust partner integrations
• Professional services/CSM support
• Strong training resources (Braze Academy)

Weaknesses:

• Expensive ($60K–$200K+/year)
• Steep learning curve and onboarding challenges
• Not a native ESP (uses SendGrid)
• Data-point billing can escalate costs
• Segmentation complexities
• Overkill for small businesses
• Some report limited reporting capabilities

Klaviyo

Strengths:

• Transparent tiered pricing (starts at $20/month)
• Built-in CDP with all-time customer profiles
• Deep Shopify and ecommerce integrations (350+)
• Revenue attribution analytics
• Product-level recommendations
• Prebuilt automation flows
• Generative AI content features
• Strong for email marketing

Weaknesses:

• Recent price hikes creating "gut punch" for SMBs
• Profile-based billing causes "price cliffs"
• SMS credits don't roll over
• Add-ons billed separately (Reviews, CDP, Analytics)
• Customer support issues reported
• Steep learning curve despite "ease of use" claims
• May be overkill for very small stores

Insider

Strengths:

• Highest G2 rating (4.8/5)
• Broadest channel support (12+ channels including WhatsApp)
• Strong web and app personalization
• Integrated CDP + orchestration
• AI intent/prediction engine
• Extensive prebuilt templates
• Growth consulting services
• 5X ROI examples in reviews

Weaknesses:

• Steepest learning curve (106 G2 mentions)
• Time-consuming onboarding (47 mentions)
• Custom pricing makes budgeting difficult
• Requires strong internal engineering support
• Integration issues with non-standard platforms
• Poor customer support in some cases
• High implementation costs

Key Insights: Common Themes Across All Platforms

1. Enterprise Pricing Excludes SMBs

Three of four platforms (Attentive, Braze, Insider) use custom/quote-based pricing that's prohibitively expensive for small businesses. Only Klaviyo offers transparent tiered pricing, but even Klaviyo faces SMB churn due to price hikes.

2. Learning Curves Are Universal

Every platform reports steep learning curves and onboarding challenges:

• Braze: 168 G2 mentions
• Insider: 106 G2 mentions
• Klaviyo: 34 G2 mentions

Expect 2-6 months to full proficiency regardless of vendor.

3. SMS vs. Omnichannel Trade-Off

SMS-First: Attentive excels at SMS but lags on email features and web personalization.

Omnichannel: Braze and Insider offer 12+ channels but require higher budgets and technical resources.

Middle Ground: Klaviyo balances email+SMS but WhatsApp and app personalization are missing.

4. Support Quality Varies Widely

All platforms have mixed support reviews:

• Attentive: Generally positive, but expensive
• Braze: Strong CSM when available, inconsistent otherwise
• Klaviyo: 29 G2 mentions of poor support
• Insider: 44 G2 mentions of poor support

Don't assume enterprise pricing guarantees great support.

5. Hidden Costs Are Universal

Every platform has hidden costs beyond base pricing:

• Attentive: Carrier fees, short codes, AI tool charges
• Braze: Data-point overages, implementation, professional services
• Klaviyo: Add-ons (Reviews, CDP, Analytics), SMS credit costs
• Insider: Implementation, custom connectors, messaging volume

Budget 20-40% above quoted pricing for true costs.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Choose Attentive if:

• SMS is your #1 channel (DTC/ecommerce focus)
• You need rapid list growth (two-tap sign-up)
• You have budget for enterprise pricing ($2K–$3K/quarter minimum)
• Strong deliverability and compliance are critical
• You value hands-on customer support

⚠️ Risk: Costs "add up quick"; over-attribution concerns; limited email features

Choose Braze if:

• You're enterprise with mature data infrastructure
• Mobile apps are central to your business
• You need Canvas-level journey orchestration
• High API/event volume scalability required
• Budget supports $60K–$200K+/year

⚠️ Risk: Expensive; steep learning curve; not a native ESP

Choose Klaviyo if:

• You're a Shopify or ecommerce brand
• You want transparent, tiered pricing (starts $20/month)
• Revenue attribution analytics are important
• You need a built-in CDP without integration
• Email marketing is your primary channel

✅ Best for: Mid-market DTC/ecommerce brands with Shopify

⚠️ Risk: Price hikes and "price cliffs"; SMS credits don't roll over

Choose Insider if:

• You need the broadest channel support (12+)
• Web/app personalization is critical
• You're enterprise with dedicated engineering resources
• Global brands with high traffic
• Budget supports $48K–$100K+/year

✅ Best for: Enterprise omnichannel personalization at scale

⚠️ Risk: Steepest learning curve; time-consuming onboarding; custom pricing

Final Verdict

There's no universal winner - each platform serves different needs and budgets:

• Best SMS-First: Attentive if budget allows; otherwise Klaviyo
• Best for Ecommerce: Klaviyo for transparency and Shopify integration
• Best for Enterprise Omnichannel: Insider for breadth; Braze for mobile-first
• Best for Mobile Apps: Braze with its Canvas orchestration

Most mid-market ecommerce brands will find Klaviyo offers the best balance of features, pricing transparency, and ecommerce-specific capabilities. Despite price hikes, it remains the most accessible enterprise-grade option.

Enterprise brands should pilot Insider (omnichannel breadth) vs. Braze (mobile-first depth) based on primary channel needs and existing tech stack.

Reality Check: All platforms require:

• 2-6 months to full proficiency
• Dedicated marketing ops or technical resources
• 20-40% budget buffer for hidden costs
• Willingness to negotiate contracts (except Klaviyo)

Don't choose based on G2 ratings alone. Prioritize your primary channel (SMS vs. email vs. omnichannel), budget constraints, and internal technical resources.

Sources & Links

Company Websites

• Attentive | Pricing
• Braze | Get Started
• Klaviyo | Pricing
• Insider | Request Demo

G2 Reviews

• Attentive G2 Reviews (4.6/5, 1,068 reviews)
• Braze G2 Reviews (4.5/5, 1,383 reviews)
• Klaviyo G2 Reviews (4.6/5, 1,124 reviews)
• Insider G2 Reviews (4.8/5, 1,209 reviews)

Reddit Discussions

Attentive:

• Attentive SMS experience
• Attentive vs Klaviyo for email
• Yotpo dumped SMS to Attentive
• Has anyone used Attentive text message marketing?

Braze:

• Has anyone used Braze as an ESP?
• From Salesforce Pardot to Braze advice?
• Braze, MoEngage, Bloomreach comparison
• Has anyone used Braze for customer communication?

Klaviyo:

• Klaviyo's price hike
• Klaviyo vs Omnisend
• Had enough of Klaviyo planning to switch
• Klaviyo price worth it?

Insider:

• Thoughts on useinsider.com
• Getting Insider feedback on sales/marketing