What's the Difference Between Omnichannel & Multichannel

In the discussion of messaging strategies, multichannel and omnichannel are often used interchangeably, though they have distinct differences crucial for effective messaging infrastructure. Multichannel messaging allows communication through various channels like email, SMS, and push notifications, each operating independently without coordination or shared state, which can lead to message duplication and inconsistent user experiences. In contrast, omnichannel messaging integrates these channels to work in unison, sharing read states, employing intelligent routing, and centralizing user preferences, thus ensuring a seamless and unified user interaction. While the terms have been blurred by marketing, the distinction becomes important when evaluating messaging platforms or building infrastructure, as true omnichannel systems provide cross-channel synchronization, dynamic routing, and a single view of message history, which are essential for reducing message fatigue, ensuring consistent delivery preferences, and simplifying debugging. Platforms like Courier, Braze, and Customer.io offer varying degrees of omnichannel coordination, catering to different needs ranging from marketing orchestration to developer-focused messaging infrastructure.