One of the most effective ways to reach users in our mobile applications is undoubtedly push notifications. These notifications are a critical tool for drawing users back to the app, announcing new content, or informing them about important updates. But which path should we take to send these notifications? Should we opt for ready-made solutions like Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM), or build our own infrastructure? In this post, I will delve into these two approaches. Drawing from my own experiences, I will make concrete comparisons on topics such as cost, flexibility, performance, and manageability. The Importance and Fundamental Principles of Push Notifications Push notifications are an indispensable feature for every app developer who wants to maintain continuous communication with their users in today's mobile ecosystem. I've seen them significantly increase a user's engagement rate.…