SendiventvsEmail-OnlyApproach
Email works. But is it enough for modern product notifications?
- Email, SMS, Slack today (Push & WhatsApp on roadmap)
- Right channel for each message type
- Supports urgent vs non-urgent flows
- User preference support
- Simple, single channel
- Everyone has email
- Lower initial complexity
- Established patterns
Choose Sendivent if...
- You have urgent notifications that need immediate attention
- Your users or team live in Slack more than their inbox
- Email deliverability is a concern for critical messages
- You want to let users choose how they're notified over time
?Choose Email-Only Approach if...
- Email truly is sufficient for all your notifications
- You're just starting and want to keep things extremely simple
- Your users don't use or expect other channels
| Feature | Sendivent | Email-Only Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Multiple channels (email, SMS, Slack) | Inbox only |
| Urgency handling | SMS for urgent (push later) | All notifications treated the same |
| Team notifications | Native Slack channels | Email to individuals or lists |
| Complexity | Slightly higher, but one API for all | Lowest possible |
| Engagement | Optimized per channel | Competes with everything else in inbox |
What email alone misses
Email is comfortable. Everyone has it. The infrastructure is mature. But email-only has blind spots:
Urgency (SMS)
A "payment failed" email sits unread for 4 hours. An SMS gets read in 3 minutes. For time-sensitive alerts, email-only costs you money.
Internal (Slack)
Your team shouldn't hunt through individual inboxes for "new high-value signup" alerts. That's what #sales-alerts channels are for.
Mobile (Push — as you grow)
Users don't check email constantly, but push notifications appear instantly on their devices. As your product matures, adding push for real-time updates becomes a natural next step — you don't want to rebuild your notification system to get there.
User choice
Some users want SMS for urgent alerts, email for receipts. Email-only can't accommodate preferences.
When multi-channel matters
Consider adding channels when:
- Time-sensitive notifications need immediate attention
- Your users live in Slack and check it more than email
- Deliverability issues mean important emails aren't reaching users
- User feedback asks for notification preferences
The right channel for the job
Different notifications deserve different channels:
| Notification | Best Channel |
|---|---|
| Order confirmation | |
| Payment failed | SMS + Email |
| New team signup | Slack (#sales) |
| Password reset | |
| Shipping update | Email (push as you grow) |
| Security alert | SMS |
Starting multi-channel
You don't need to boil the ocean. Start with:
- Keep email as your default
- Add SMS for truly urgent alerts
- Add Slack for team-relevant notifications
Sendivent makes this easy — same API, different channels.
The honest answer
Email-only works for many products. But if you're hitting limitations — missed urgent alerts, team communication gaps, engagement problems — multi-channel is the solution. Sendivent makes the transition painless.
Ready to go beyond email? Create a free account and add SMS for urgency and Slack for your team using the same event API. Keep email as your default today and grow into push and WhatsApp when it makes sense.
Last compared: January 2026
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