Pro Email Marketing Team’s Take

Are you wondering if Braze is the right platform for your customer engagement needs?

In this detailed Braze review, we’ve broken down everything — from features and usability to pricing, integrations, and compliance.

Braze Overview

Braze is a customer engagement platform that helps brands send personalized messages across email, push, SMS, and in-app.

It’s known for real-time data handling and cross-channel automation — especially useful if you’re running mobile-first or product-led growth strategies.

Braze tends to attract larger teams with developers onboard. If you’ve got the resources, it’s a strong tool for multi-channel campaigns. If you don’t… it can feel like a bit much.

Since this is a full review, I’ll walk you through how Braze stacks up on automation, ease of use, integrations, pricing, and whether it’s actually worth it for your setup.

Let’s get into it 👇 👇

Our Team’s Experience With Braze

We’ve used Braze on a few large projects over the past couple of years, mostly with teams running complex, multi-channel campaigns at scale. When we first looked into it, we were impressed by how much it could do: email, push, SMS, in-app messages.

But as we started using it more, the reality set in.
It’s not just powerful, sometimes it’s also too heavy.

The setup takes time, implementation usually needs developer help, and even basic things like updating a journey or syncing data can feel like a project of its own.

That’s not a bad thing if you have the team for it. But for most of our day-to-day work, where we need to move faster and launch without blockers, we tend to lean on lighter tools like Encharge. It’s just easier when the goal is to build, test, and ship without waiting on anyone else.

Braze definitely has its place, but it’s not a tool we’d use for every client or every use case. Hopefully this review helps you figure out if it’s right for you, or not.

Braze Pricing: How Much Does Braze Cost?

Here’s the thing with Braze: you won’t find pricing on their site.
And that usually means one thing — it’s expensive.

Most teams report paying somewhere between $60,000 and $100,000 per year, depending on your setup. There’s no free plan, and you can’t just sign up and start.

You’ll need to talk to sales, go through a demo, and wait for a custom quote.

It’s not just the pricing that’s slow. Implementing Braze takes time — around 4 months on average — and most teams don’t see ROI until well into their second year.

If you’re planning to use Braze, here’s what you’re really paying for:

• Monthly active users (MAUs) — not contacts or emails sent
• Data points — custom events cost more
• Onboarding and support — paid separately
• Advanced features — like in-app messaging or predictive tools

Most users say they got about 10% off by negotiating, but you’ll need to push hard.
There’s not a ton of flexibility unless you’re signing a long contract.

Braze is built for B2B teams with budget and patience. If you just want to send smarter emails and move fast, there are better options out there — and Encharge is one of them.

Braze Pricing Score: 1/5

Braze’s Core Features & Use Cases

1. Customer Journey Orchestration

Braze’s journey builder (called “Canvas Flow”) lets you map out campaigns across email, push, in-app messages, and more.

It’s a visual editor where you can:

• Trigger messages based on user behavior
• A/B test different paths
• Set delays and wait conditions
• Add entry/exit rules based on real-time data

Canvas Flow works great once it’s live, but building anything complex can feel clunky.
Expect some trial and error — especially if you’re used to simpler tools.

Pro Tip: Braze is better when you already know what your customer journey looks like. It’s not ideal for quick experiments.

Braze CJO Score: 4.5/5

2. Real-Time Segmentation

Braze lets you segment users based on live events, not just attributes.

That means you can:

• Target users who viewed a product but didn’t buy
• Trigger emails based on scroll depth or session length
• Create dynamic audiences that change in real-time

This is one of Braze’s biggest strengths.

But it also means you’ll need a clean data setup and maybe an engineer to help you get started.

Braze Segmentation Score: 5/5

3. Multi-Channel Messaging

Email is just one piece of what Braze does.

You can also send:

• Push notifications (iOS & Android)
• In-app messages
• SMS
• Webhooks
• WhatsApp (via integration)

Braze works best when you’re hitting users across multiple touchpoints.
If you’re email-only, it’s probably overkill.

That’s why you’re better off using multiple tools for specific purposes, such as Encharge for email marketing and Braze for SMS marketing or other specific channels.

You can always mix and match these tools! Sometimes it’s even more cost-efficient rather than going for just one tool that doesn’t do everything right.

Braze Multi-Channel Score: 3.5/5

4. Personalization + Dynamic Content

With Braze, you can personalize pretty much anything — subject lines, content blocks, CTAs — based on real-time user data.

It supports:

• Liquid templating
• Custom events and properties
• Dynamic paths inside Canvas

This is super powerful, but not very beginner-friendly.

It shines with a technical team behind it.

Looking for powerful personalization without the learning curve? Encharge gives you dynamic content, custom events, and real-time behavior targeting — all without needing to write a single line of Liquid.

You can build advanced flows, segment by actions, and personalize emails visually — no devs required. It just works.

Braze Personalization Score: 4/5

5. Metrics

Braze gives you good visibility into campaign performance, funnel drop-off, and cohort retention — especially for mobile-heavy apps.

But some users report that:

• Reports aren’t always easy to customize
• Dashboards can feel rigid
• You may need to export data for deeper analysis

This is Useful if you’re tracking product behavior, not just email metrics.

Braze Analytics Rating: 3/5

6. Best Use Cases for Braze

Braze isn’t for everyone — but it is a great fit if you:

• Run a mobile-first product (like a delivery app or fintech tool)
• Have a dedicated dev or data team
• Want to run push + email + in-app flows from one place
• Care about real-time, event-based messaging over broadcasts

Braze packs a lot of power, but you’ll feel the friction if you don’t have a tech team.

It’s built for scale, not speed — and if your main channel is just email, you’ll end up paying for stuff you won’t use.

Braze Features Score: 4/5

Braze Inteface: Hard or Easy To Use?

Braze’s interface looks clean and modern at first glance — but once you start building, things get more complicated.

Some users say it’s “fairly user-friendly and easy to access,” and basic tasks like setting up a simple campaign or segment feel smooth. The drag-and-drop email builder is nice to look at — but when journeys get complex, the UI starts to feel clunky and hard to follow.

One G2 reviewer put it like this: “Managing action credits and understanding billing related to different message type could be more transparent within the interface”

Another noted that even finding simple features sometimes requires too many clicks — the back button, for example, is in a weird spot and throws off navigation.

Braze is usable once you’re familiar with it, but it’s not beginner-friendly. You’ll likely need internal training or support to get the most out of it.

It’s clearly built for teams with technical chops — not marketers who want to launch fast without friction.

Braze UI Score: 3/5

Braze Compliance: GDPR, SOC-2, HIPAA etc

Braze ticks most of the major boxes when it comes to data privacy and compliance. It’s built for enterprise clients, so strong security standards are baked in from the start.

The platform is:

• SOC 2 Type 2 certified
• ISO 27001 certified
• HIPAA-compliant
• Fully aligned with GDPR, using EU Standard Contractual Clauses and Privacy Shield frameworks

They also work with third-party security firms to run audits and validate their setup.

If you’re handling sensitive customer data — especially in healthcare, finance, or the EU — Braze checks the right legal boxes.

That said, there’s no public-facing transparency report or deep breakdown of how data flows inside the platform — which some companies now expect.

Braze is compliant where it matters, and likely good enough for most mid-market and enterprise teams. But a little more transparency around internal practices would take it from “meets standards” to “best in class.”

Braze Compliance Score: 5/5

Braze’s Integrations

Braze plays well with others — and that’s one of its biggest strengths.

The platform connects with 140+ technology partners, covering everything from CDPs and analytics to push platforms, e-commerce tools, loyalty programs, and personalization engines.

So if your team already uses tools like Amplitude, Segment, Mixpanel, Shopify, or AWS, you’ll be able to sync your data and keep things flowing.

You can also build custom workflows through Braze’s open APIs or use partner-built extensions for things like deep linking, template management, or advanced reporting.

That said, it’s not a plug-and-play setup.

Some integrations will need dev time, especially for more complex data flows or tracking events across multiple channels.

Braze has a strong integration ecosystem that supports deep use cases.
Just don’t expect instant setups — some wiring under the hood is usually required.

Braze Integrations Score: 4/5

Pros & Cons of Braze: Honest List

Braze vs The Market: How Does Braze Compare To Alternatives?

Braze is built for big teams with complex needs.

But for most companies, especially SaaS and startups, it’s too slow to launch, too expensive, and too dev-heavy.

Feature	Encharge	Braze	Others (HubSpot etc)
Ease of Use	Simple and marketer-friendly	Complex UI, not beginner-friendly	Often built for sales teams
Email Automation	Built for SaaS, fast to set up	Powerful but buried in complexity	OK, but not behavior-first
Multi-Channel Messaging	Email, SMS, webhooks	Email, push, in-app, SMS, more	Mostly email, limited cross-channel
Setup Time	Hours to go live	Weeks or months with dev help	Varies — usually a slow ramp-up
Pricing Transparency	Public and affordable	No public pricing, starts ~60K/yr	Often hidden behind sales calls
Integrations	Zapier, native apps, open API	140+ partners, but setup-heavy	Decent, but often surface-level
Collaboration	Built-in tagging, shared flows	Roles and permissions only	Some notes, but rarely workspace-friendly

Why Encharge is the better call for most teams

Encharge was made for fast-moving companies that don’t want to waste time chasing down devs or fighting tool complexity. If you want to launch campaigns quickly, automate behavior-based flows, and stay focused on growth, Encharge makes more sense.

It works out of the box.
It doesn’t cost a lot to get started.
And you won’t need three engineers just to build a welcome flow.

Verdict: Is Braze Really Worth It?

If you’re a large team with engineers on call, a big budget, and complex cross-channel needs, Braze will get the job done. It’s powerful, flexible, and trusted by enterprise brands for a reason.

But for most teams? It’s overkill.

Braze takes too long to implement, costs too much upfront, and demands way more technical setup than most marketers want to deal with.

If you’re just trying to launch email automations, personalize journeys, and move fast without hiring extra help — you’ll outgrow Braze’s complexity before you even get to use it fully.

That’s why a lot of growth teams are switching to Encharge. It’s easier to use, faster to launch, and actually built around what SaaS companies need most: behavior-based emails that convert.

Why You Can Trust This Review

Braze FAQs

1. What is Braze used for?

Braze is used to send personalized messages across multiple channels — like email, push notifications, SMS, and in-app messages — based on user behavior.

It helps companies:

• Automate customer journeys (welcome flows, retention campaigns, etc.)
• Trigger messages in real time based on events (like opening an app or abandoning a cart)
• Personalize content using user data and custom attributes
• Manage multi-channel communication in one place

It’s mostly used by enterprise brands that need deep data integration, mobile-first messaging, and cross-functional collaboration between marketing, product, and engineering teams.

2. What are the disadvantages of Braze?

Here are the main disadvantages of Braze:

• No public pricing – You’ll need to contact sales, and it typically starts around $60K/year.
• Long setup time – Most teams report taking months to implement fully.
• Developer required – You’ll likely need engineering help to set up events, integrations, and advanced flows.
• Complex UI – The interface becomes hard to manage as your journeys grow.
• Overkill for email-only teams – If you just want email automation, Braze is too much tool for the job.
• Limited built-in collaboration – No real shared workspaces or commenting features for teams.

It’s a powerful platform, but not built for speed or simplicity. Best for large teams with technical resources.

3. Is Braze a CRM tool?

Not exactly. Braze is often called a marketing CRM, but technically it’s a customer engagement platform — not a traditional CRM.

Here’s the difference:

• A CRM (like Salesforce or HubSpot) is built to track contacts, manage deals, log calls, and support sales teams.
• Braze is built to send automated, personalized messages across channels — email, push, SMS, and in-app — based on user behavior.

You can think of Braze as the tool that takes CRM data and turns it into action — but it’s not where you manage your pipeline or close deals.

Summary: Braze supports CRM use cases from the marketing side, but it’s not a full CRM. Most companies use it alongside a real CRM like Salesforce.

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Thank you so much for reading this,
David Ch
Head of Marketing at Encharge