# OneSignal vs Appcues: which do AI models recommend for in-app messaging, September 2026

GTM AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, In-app messaging and customer communications. Zero of twelve models named OneSignal first on the direct prompt; one named Appcues. Page: https://gtm-ai-index.com/customer/in-app-messaging-and-customer-communications/onesignal-vs-appcues/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OneSignal | 11% | #3 of 15 | 14% | 28 | 12 of 12 |
| Appcues | 2% | #7 of 15 | 23% | 35 | 12 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- GPT-5.4 mini: appcues first (first choices: Appcues) (alternatives: Intercom, Pendo, Userpilot)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Intercom) (alternatives: Appcues, Userpilot)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Intercom) (alternatives: Appcues, Chameleon, Gleap, Userpilot)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Intercom, Product Fruits) (alternatives: Appcues, Userpilot)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Userpilot) (alternatives: Appcues, Pendo)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: Userpilot) (alternatives: Appcues, Intercom, Product Fruits, UserGuiding)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Product Fruits, Userpilot) (alternatives: Appcues, Customer.io, Intercom, Pendo)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: Intercom) (alternatives: Customer.io, Product Fruits, Userpilot)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither named (first choices: Customer.io, Gleap, Userpilot) (alternatives: Front, Userflow)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither named (first choices: Stream Chat) (alternatives: CometChat, Intercom)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Userpilot) (alternatives: Intercom, Product Fruits)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named

## What the models said about OneSignal

- "Platforms Requiring Caution ... However, generally considered more secure than the platforms above" (Kimi K2, negative prompt, soft negative)

## What the models said about Appcues

- "Pendo and Appcues dominated this space, but they have grown increasingly expensive and complex" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, paraphrase prompt, soft negative)
- "Its native analytics are relatively shallow... Its pricing can also scale up quickly" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, direct prompt, soft negative)
- "Best overall for mid-market B2B product teams: Appcues if your main goal is onboarding, adoption, and lifecycle messaging" (GPT-5.4 mini, direct prompt, first choice)
- "The industry standard for mid-market SaaS; focuses on speed of deployment... Use Category 1 (Appcues/Userpilot)" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, comparative prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all twelve models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.