Best Bird Alternatives in 2026

Photon leads this list with support for 75 of the 77 features we compare. Each entry shows what it adds over Bird, its starting price and a full side-by-side comparison.

The product you are replacing

Bird

Email, SMS, WhatsApp and Apple Messages APIs

Starting price

$0.0035 per US outbound SMS segment plus carrier fees

Free plan

Free email tier of 1,000 emails a month; free shared Inbox

Visit BirdRead more

1. 

   Photon

   Open-source agent framework with managed iMessage

   Starting price

   $25/month (Pro)

   Free plan

   Free: shared iMessage lines, up to 10 users (2.0 beta: 25 shared iMessage assignments and $100 credit)

   #1What it adds over Bird

   • iMessage
   • Group chats
   • Group management
   • Group name and photo
   • Mentions

   Compare with Bird

   Visit PhotonRead more
2. 

   Linq

   iMessage, RCS and SMS API with flat monthly pricing

   Starting price

   $260/month (Pro)

   Free plan

   Hobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, used through the CLI

   #2What it adds over Bird

   • iMessage
   • Group chats
   • Group management
   • Group name and photo
   • Mentions

   Compare with Bird

   Visit LinqRead more
3. 

   Blooio

   One API for iMessage, WhatsApp and Apple Messages

   Starting price

   $39/month (Starter, shared number)

   Free plan

   Free trial: 20 messages total on a shared number, no credit card

   #3What it adds over Bird

   • iMessage
   • Group chats
   • Group management
   • Group name and photo
   • Tapbacks

   Compare with Bird

   Visit BlooioRead more
4. 

   Sendblue

   iMessage API and CRM texting for sales and agents

   Starting price

   $100/month per line

   Free plan

   Free sandbox: shared number, up to 10 verified contacts, no webhooks

   #4What it adds over Bird

   • iMessage
   • Group chats
   • Group management
   • Group name and photo
   • Tapbacks

   Compare with Bird

   Visit SendblueRead more
5. 

   LoopMessage

   iMessage, SMS, RCS and WhatsApp on one number

   Starting price

   $59.99/month per sender (Light)

   Free plan

   Sandbox: $0, 5 contacts, testing only; free shared plan for schools and non-profits

   #5What it adds over Bird

   • iMessage
   • Group chats
   • Group management
   • Group name and photo
   • Tapbacks

   Compare with Bird

   Visit LoopMessageRead more
6. 

   Chert

   iMessage and FaceTime numbers for AI agents

   Starting price

   $25/month (Shared)

   Free plan

   24-hour trial: 10 messages and 10 FaceTime minutes on a shared line

   #6What it adds over Bird

   • iMessage
   • Group chats
   • Group management
   • Group name and photo
   • Tapbacks

   Compare with Bird

   Visit ChertRead more
7. 

   BlueBubbles

   Free, open-source iMessage bridge you host on a Mac

   Starting price

   Free

   Free plan

   Free and open source (Apache-2.0)

   #7What it adds over Bird

   • iMessage
   • Group chats
   • Group management
   • Group name and photo
   • Mentions

   Compare with Bird

   Visit BlueBubblesRead more
8. 

   MessageBlue

   iMessage API for agents, with bring-your-own-number

   Starting price

   $100/month per line

   Free plan

   $0 with your own number and Mac, all features, limited seats

   #8What it adds over Bird

   • iMessage
   • Group chats
   • Group management
   • Tapbacks
   • Typing indicators

   Compare with Bird

   Visit MessageBlueRead more
9. 

   Twilio

   Global CPaaS for SMS, RCS, WhatsApp and voice

   Starting price

   $0.0083 per US SMS segment

   Free plan

   30-day free trial, no card, with 100 SMS and 75 voice minutes

   #9What it adds over Bird

   • Line pooling
   • Custom channel providers
   • Streaming replies
   • Uptime SLA

   Compare with Bird

   Visit TwilioRead more
10. 

    Telnyx

    Low per-part SMS pricing with carrier fees at cost

    Starting price

    $0.004 per US SMS part plus carrier fee

    Free plan

    Trial account with $5 testing credit

    #10What it adds over Bird

    • Line pooling
    • OpenTelemetry
    • Streaming replies
    • Uptime SLA

    Compare with Bird

    Visit TelnyxRead more
11. 

    Vonage

    Messages API for SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, Viber and email

    Starting price

    $0.00860 per US SMS on a long virtual number, plus carrier fees

    Free plan

    Free credit at signup with no card, and a free Messages API Sandbox capped at 100 messages a month

    #11What it adds over Bird

    • Line pooling
    • Custom channel providers
    • Streaming replies
    • Uptime SLA

    Compare with Bird

    Visit VonageRead more
12. 

    Infobip

    Global CPaaS and Apple Messages for Business provider

    Starting price

    $0.0075 to $0.0083 per US SMS (indicative)

    Free plan

    60-day free trial, no card, up to 100 messages per channel to your verified number

    #12What it adds over Bird

    • Custom channel providers
    • Streaming replies

    Compare with Bird

    Visit InfobipRead more
13. 

    Sinch

    CPaaS with 13 messaging channels in one API

    Starting price

    $0.0078 per US 10DLC SMS, plus carrier fees

    Free plan

    Free developer account with an SMS sandbox and test credit

    #13What it adds over Bird

    • Custom channel providers
    • Streaming replies
    • Uptime SLA

    Compare with Bird

    Visit SinchRead more
14. 

    Claw Messenger

    iMessage for personal AI agents, no Mac needed

    Starting price

    $5/month for 250 messages

    Free plan

    7-day free trial, card required

    #14What it adds over Bird

    • iMessage
    • Group chats
    • Group management
    • Tapbacks
    • Threaded replies

    Compare with Bird

    Visit Claw MessengerRead more
15. 

    messages.dev

    TypeScript-first iMessage, RCS and SMS API

    Starting price

    $99/month per line

    Free plan

    Sandbox: 50 messages a day to your own paired phone

    #15What it adds over Bird

    • iMessage
    • Group chats
    • Tapbacks
    • Threaded replies
    • Typing indicators

    Compare with Bird

    Visit messages.devRead more
16. 

    Texting Blue

    Shared team iMessage inbox on your own iPhone number

    Starting price

    $19/month per number

    Free plan

    3-day free trial

    #16What it adds over Bird

    • iMessage
    • Delivery status
    • SMS fallback
    • No per-message fees

    Compare with Bird

    Visit Texting BlueRead more
17. 

    Apple Messages for Business

    Apple's official business chat in the Messages app

    Starting price

    Free from Apple; MSP fees vary

    Free plan

    Apple charges nothing; an MSP is still required

    #17What it adds over Bird

    • iMessage
    • Tapbacks
    • Typing indicators
    • Stickers
    • Attachments

    Compare with Bird

    Visit Apple Messages for BusinessRead more

Bird vs the top alternatives

Bird next to the 4 alternatives that support the most features on our list.

Feature	Bird	Photon	Linq	Blooio	Sendblue
iMessage messaging
iMessage	Not supportedNo iMessage support	SupportedManaged cloud lines, or your own Mac with the local provider	Supported	Supported	Supported
Group chats	Not supported	SupportedOn the Business plan (dedicated lines)	SupportedPro plan. Up to 31 recipients. No read or delivery receipts in groups.	Supported	BetaGroup API is in beta on select plans. AI Agent plan can only reply in existing groups.
Group management	Not supported	SupportedCreate groups and add, remove or leave members; Business plan (dedicated lines)	SupportedAdd and remove participants and leave a group, iMessage groups only, 3-member minimum.	PartialCreate groups by API. Adding or removing members is marked coming soon (returns 501).	BetaAdd and remove participants in iMessage groups via the beta groups API.
Group name and photo	Not supported	SupportedRename groups and set group photos; Business plan (dedicated lines)	SupportedSet display_name and group_chat_icon on group chats.	SupportedRename groups and set or remove group icons.	SupportedRename groups and set group photos on supported lines.
Mentions	Not supported	SupportedSend @mentions in multipart messages and read mention ranges on inbound	SupportedGroup chats only. Notifies iMessage recipients even in a muted chat.	Not listedA guide index lists mentions, but no mention field is documented.	Not listed
Tapbacks	Not supported	SupportedSix native tapbacks plus emoji reactions, send and receive	SupportedSix classic tapbacks or any emoji, send and receive via reaction webhooks.	SupportedAdd or remove tapbacks on any message; inbound reactions arrive as message.reaction events.	PartialSend classic tapbacks or any emoji. No inbound reaction events documented.
Threaded replies	Not supported	Supported	Supportedreply_to with optional part_index. iMessage only.	Supportedreply_to on sends.	Supportedreply_to on V2 iMessage lines, in direct and group chats.
Typing indicators	Not supported	Supported	SupportedSend and receive, in direct and group chats. iMessage only.	SupportedSend, and receive typing.started and typing.stopped events.	SupportedSend and receive. iMessage 1:1 only, not in groups.
Read receipts	Not supported	SupportedMark chats read and receive read events; group receipts are best-effort	SupportedMark chats read and receive message.read. One-to-one chats only.	SupportedMark chats read and receive message.read events.	PartialCan mark chats read (1:1). Outbound statuses stop at DELIVERED, with no read status.
Edit and unsend	Not supported	SupportedEdit within 15 minutes and unsend within 2 minutes (Apple limits)	PartialEdit text up to 5 times within 15 minutes. Delete does not unsend from the recipient's device.	Not listed	Not supportedDocs say editing is not supported via API and delete does not unsend.
Message effects	Not supported	SupportedAll bubble and screen effects, including invisible ink	Supported11 screen and 4 bubble effects.	Supportedeffect field on text sends.	Supported13 send_style values.
Animated text effects	Not supported	SupportedPer-range effects such as bloom, shake, explode and jitter	Supportedtext_decorations animations: big, small, shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom, jitter.	Not listed	Not listed
Stickers	Not supported	SupportedPlace image stickers on any bubble with position, scale and rotation; sticker events inbound	SupportedPeel emoji or images onto messages, send stickers, or place them inline in text.	Not listed	Not listed
Formatted text	Not supported	SupportedMarkdown rendered as native bold, italic, underline and strikethrough	SupportedBold, italic, underline and strikethrough ranges, plus animated text. iMessage only.	SupportedMarkdown bold, italic, underline and strikethrough sent as iMessage rich text.	Not listed
Attachments	Not supported	SupportedFiles up to 100 MiB by default, including Live Photos	SupportedUp to 10MB by URL, 100MB with pre-upload.	Supported	SupportedUp to 100MB on iMessage, 5MB on SMS.
Live Photos	Not supported	SupportedHEIC still plus MOV companion uploaded as one Live Photo	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed
Rich link previews	Not supported	Supportedrichlink() asks Messages to render its own preview	Supportedlink parts render as rich previews on iMessage and RCS.	Supportedrich_link bubbles with image and title overrides.	PartialDocs say links expand only after the recipient saves your contact.
Voice messages	Not supported	Supported	SupportedDedicated voice memo endpoint renders the native iMessage voice bubble.	SupportedA single audio file is sent as a native voice memo.	SupportedSend .caf files to render as inline voice notes.
Contact cards	Not supported	SupportedvCard or structured contacts, plus the bot's own native contact card	SupportedSend .vcf files as media parts.	Not listedAttachments accept other files, but .vcf is not named. Name and Photo cards are documented.	SupportedSend .vcf files via media_url.
Polls	Not supported	SupportedCreate, vote, add options and receive poll events; all managed plans	SupportedCreate, add options, vote and read tallies, with poll webhooks. Not as a chat's first message.	SupportedSend, vote and read results, with poll webhooks.	Not listed
Chat backgrounds	Not supported	Supported	SupportedColor, animated or photo backgrounds, in direct and group chats.	SupportedImage backgrounds only.	Not listed
Location sharing	Not supported	SupportedFind My requests and live location; Business plan	SupportedRequest, read and stop Find My shares. Live location is a $79/mo add-on on Pro.	PartialReads Find My locations of contacts already sharing. Location access is provisioned on request.	SupportedFind My request, read and live watch. Dedicated iMessage lines only.
iMessage apps	Not supported	SupportedCustom and live app cards; iMessage mini apps on the Business plan	SupportedPro plan. Cards from your own Messages extension, or Linq-hosted cards (Experiences).	SupportedCustom bubbles for your own iMessage app extension, sent and received.	SupportedApp Cards for your own Messages extension. V2 lines, not on the free plan.
Live app cards	Not supported	SupportedEdit an app card in place and render live UI without a new bubble	SupportedUpdate App Card replaces a delivered iMessage app or Experience card in place.	Not supportedDocs say a send cannot continue an app session; each bubble starts a new one.	PartialUpdates go out as new messages in the same App Card session; Sendblue says the original is not edited.
Sender name and photo	Not supported	SupportedShares the agent's name and photo automatically; Business plan	SupportedContact card API sets name and photo, shared per chat via Name and Photo Sharing.	SupportedSet name and avatar per number and share the card into a chat.	SupportedName and Photo Sharing profile per line, shared into direct iMessage chats.
FaceTime calls	Not supported	Not listed	Not supportedDocs say the API does not place or answer calls.	PartialOn request for dedicated lines. Docs say the FaceTime API is disabled for now (returns 501).	PartialOutbound FaceTime audio over WebRTC (Agora). Needs a purchased FaceTime line.
Delivery status	Not supported	SupportedSent, delivered, read and send-error fields per message	Supportedsent, delivered, read and failed webhooks. Groups report sent only.	Supported	SupportedStatus callbacks from REGISTERED through SENT or DELIVERED.
iMessage availability check	Not supported	SupportedCheck if a number or email can get iMessage, SMS or RCS before sending	Supportedcheck_imessage and check_rcs endpoints.	SupportedLive per-number iMessage, SMS and RCS capability lookup.	SupportedLookup API checks a phone number or email for iMessage.
Focus and Notify Anyway	Not supported	SupportedCheck if a recipient has Focus on, then trigger Notify Anyway	Not listed	SupportedRead a contact's Focus status and send Notify Anyway. Direct chats only.	Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines	Not supportedNo iMessage support	SupportedSpectrum Cloud runs the Mac fleet; no Mac needed	Supported	SupportedPre-warmed numbers claimed self-serve from the dashboard.	Supported
Dedicated numbers	SupportedLocal, mobile, toll-free and short code numbers by country	Supported$250 per line per month on Business	SupportedPaid lines are dedicated. Provisioned by Linq, no self-serve number API.	Supported	Supported
Shared numbers	SupportedBird-managed shared short codes; built-in SMS templates pick the sender	SupportedFree and Pro route each user through a managed shared pool	SupportedFree Hobby tier uses a Shared Line, inbound-first, 20 contacts.	SupportedStarter and Commercial Shared use managed shared pools.	SupportedFree sandbox uses a shared number with verified contacts only.
Bring your own number	PartialWhatsApp coexistence and verified voice caller IDs only; no hosted SMS found	SupportedYour own Apple ID when self-hosting on a Mac, and your own number for WhatsApp Business	Not listed	PartialiMessage only by porting on dedicated plans. Your own Twilio number can carry SMS.	PartialOnly by porting the number in, which adds 3 to 5 days.
Line pooling	Not supportedNo sender pool; the sender is set per send	SupportedBusiness: auto-scale adds lines and a routing endpoint balances users	SupportedManaged load balancing (Pro): send without from and Linq picks and fails over lines.	SupportedNumber pools and channel priorities; a contact keeps one number in a pool.	SupportedNumber pooling with sticky sending. Automatic line selection needs account enablement.
SMS fallback	Not supportedNo iMessage support; RCS and push can fall back to SMS	SupportedOn every plan per pricing; carrier rules apply to fallback traffic	Supported	Supported	Supported
RCS fallback	Not supportedNo iMessage support	Supported	SupportedOrder is iMessage, then RCS, then SMS.	Supported	SupportediMessage, then RCS, then SMS. RCS on V2 lines.
Outbound-first messaging	SupportedBusiness-initiated SMS; WhatsApp needs approved templates	SupportedBusiness plan, up to 50 new contacts per line per day	SupportedFree Hobby tier is inbound-first. Docs recommend inbound-first flows to avoid flagging.	SupportedShared plans cap new conversations per day. Inbound plan is reply-only.	SupportedFull outbound on Enterprise or Blue Ocean; Free and AI Agent plans are inbound-first
Calls on the iMessage number	Not supportedNo iMessage support	SupportedPlace and receive SIP calls from the line people already text	PartialAPI forwards inbound calls on the line; outbound needs caller-ID masking via another provider.	SupportedVoice calling and call forwarding on Commercial and Enterprise Dedicated lines.	SupportedDashboard calls and FaceTime from the texting number; API calls via your Twilio caller ID.
Other channels
SMS	PartialSMS only in the API; outbound MMS not supported yet (media_urls reserved)	BetaStandalone SMS and MMS numbers with 10DLC in the 2.0 beta; SMS fallback on iMessage lines today	Supported	SupportedFrom the iMessage line, or through your own Twilio account.	Supported
RCS	BetaPrivate beta with limited access	PartialSent on the iMessage line when the recipient cannot get iMessage	Supported	SupportedRCS fallback on numbers, plus an RCS for Business channel type.	SupportedV2 lines.
WhatsApp	Supported	SupportedWhatsApp Business, one-to-one, on the Business plan	BetaSeparate WhatsApp API in beta. Access by request, no SLA.	SupportedWhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API) on the v4 API.	Not supportedNot offered
Telegram	PartialVerify one-time passcodes only, through Telegram Gateway	Supported	Not supportedNot offered	Not supportedNot offered	Not supported
Slack	Not listed	Supported@spectrum-ts/slack provider on npm and GitHub	Not supported	Not supported	Not listed
Email	SupportedIncludes the SparkPost email platform	BetaYour own domain with DKIM, SPF and inbound MX in the 2.0 beta	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email handles.	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to email handles.	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email addresses.
Phone calls	SupportedVoice over SIP trunks, with call sequences	SupportedSIP calls on iMessage lines; the 2.0 beta adds calls on SMS numbers	PartialAPI does not place or answer calls; it forwards inbound calls. Calling lives in the Linq Blue app.	PartialVoice calling and forwarding on dedicated plans. No calling API documented.	PartialNo native calling API. Dashboard calls, outbound via your Twilio caller ID, inbound forwarding.
Apple Messages for Business	Supported	BetaListed as available in the 2.0 beta	Not listedAI context page mentions it, but no product page or docs were found.	SupportedBlooio says it is an official Apple Messages for Business MSP.	Not supportedNot offered
Unified channel API	PartialOne REST API and SDK, but each channel has its own send endpoint and payload	SupportedOne Spectrum SDK across channels, and one REST model in the 2.0 beta	PartialiMessage, RCS and SMS share one API. WhatsApp is a separate API with its own keys and SDKs.	Supportedv4 API covers iMessage, SMS, RCS, WhatsApp and Apple Messages for Business.	SupportedOne API for iMessage, RCS and SMS, the only channels offered.
Developer tools
REST API	Supported	SupportedREST API for projects and lines; sending over REST in the 2.0 beta	Supported	Supported	Supported
TypeScript SDK	Supported@messagebird/sdk on npm	Supportedspectrum-ts, plus low-level iMessage and WhatsApp SDKs	Supported@linqapp/sdk	Supported@blooio/sdk	Supportedsendblue on npm.
Python SDK	Supportedmessagebird-sdk on PyPI	Betaphotonhq-api on PyPI, for the 2.0 beta API	Supportedlinq-python	Supportedblooio on PyPI.	Supportedsendblue on PyPI.
Other SDKs	SupportedGo and PHP; Swift and Kotlin clients for Realtime only	SupportedGo client for Advanced iMessage; Rust and Go clients for the 2.0 API	SupportedOfficial Go SDK.	SupportedGo and Java SDKs.	PartialGo, Rust and Ruby packages, listed as community packages.
CLI	Supportedbird CLI with JSON output, also runs the MCP server locally	Supported@photon-ai/cli manages projects, lines, users and billing	Supported@linqapp/cli: signup, sending, and a local webhook listener.	Not listed	Supported@sendblue/cli: signup, messaging, contacts and webhooks.
Webhooks	Supported	Supported	Supported	Supported	Supported
Signed webhooks	SupportedStandard Webhooks, HMAC-SHA256	SupportedHMAC-SHA256, plus Standard Webhooks signatures	SupportedHMAC-SHA256, Standard Webhooks format, with replay protection.	SupportedHMAC-SHA256 with timestamp, rotatable secrets and delivery replay.	PartialSends your shared secret in an sb-signing-secret header. No HMAC signature.
MCP server	SupportedHosted at mcp.bird.com with OAuth, or local over stdio	SupportedHosted MCP server, plus an MCP server for the docs	Supported@linqapp/sdk-mcp with docs search and code execution tools.	SupportedHosted at mcp.blooio.com/v4.	Supportedsendblue-api-mcp via npx.
Open source	Not supportedClosed platform; SDKs, n8n node and agent skills are MIT-licensed	SupportedMIT: spectrum-ts, imessage-kit and most SDKs	PartialSDKs, CLI and adapters are Apache-2.0 or MIT on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.	PartialSDKs are Apache-2.0 on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.	PartialSDKs and CLI are MIT or Apache-2.0 on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	PartialOnly the PowerMTA email software is licensed for your own servers	SupportedRun the open-source core on your own Mac and number, no Spectrum Cloud	Not supportedLinq describes itself as fully managed, in contrast to self-hosted options.	Not supportedBlooio says it is not a self-hosted iMessage relay.	Not listedSold as a hosted service on Sendblue's Apple devices; self-hosting is not mentioned.
Local testing	PartialSimulated SMS destinations and an email sandbox, no handset needed; SMS tests are billed	SupportedTerminal chat UI provider, no phone or number needed	Not listedThe CLI streams webhooks locally, but tests still use a real phone.	Not listed	Not listed
Custom channel providers	Not listed	SupporteddefinePlatform plugs any interface into the same Spectrum API	Not listed	PartialYour own Twilio account can be added as an SMS channel under the same API.	Not listed
Event replay	SupportedReplay API for failed deliveries from a 3-day attempt log; 8 retries over about 27.5 hours	SupportedCatch up on events after a disconnect from a durable sequence	PartialRetries for 30 minutes; after that, re-fetch chats or ask Linq for a manual replay.	SupportedWebhook delivery logs with replay, plus an events feed to list past events.	PartialNo replay. Docs say to repair gaps by listing messages updated since a timestamp.
OpenTelemetry	Not listed	SupportedOpt-in messaging traces in spectrum-ts, and traces in the 2.0 beta dashboard	PartialW3C trace IDs on every response and webhook for OTel backends. No export of Linq spans by default.	Not listed	Not listed
No-code integrations	SupportedZapier app and verified n8n node; Make listed as coming soon	Supportedn8n community nodes and a Dify plugin	SupportedLinq Blue works as a GoHighLevel messaging provider. No n8n, Make or Zapier found for the API.	SupportedGoHighLevel, n8n, Make, Zapier and IFTTT.	SupportedZapier, Make and GoHighLevel. Docs FAQ says n8n resources are coming soon.
CRM integrations	SupportedAttio app; HubSpot and Salesforce connectors on the Engagement Platform	Not listed	SupportedVia Linq Blue: GoHighLevel, HubSpot and Salesforce.	SupportedGoHighLevel and HubSpot.	SupportedGoHighLevel, HubSpot, Salesforce, Close and Monday.com.
Built for AI agents
Agent framework	PartialAI Employees builder on the Engagement Platform (app.bird.com) only	SupportedSpectrum is a multi-channel agent framework with streaming replies	PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter and OpenClaw and Hermes plugins.	PartialNo own framework. Community Chat SDK adapter, plus plugins for Hermes Agent and eve.	PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter.
Agent framework integrations	PartialRoutes inbound messages to Claude Managed Agents and Grok Bot; no Vercel AI SDK, LangChain or Mastra	SupportedVercel Chat SDK, Mastra, LangChain, Convex and others	SupportedLinq-maintained Vercel Chat SDK adapter, plus OpenClaw and Hermes Agent plugins.	SupportedBlooio publishes Hermes Agent and eve channel plugins. The Chat SDK adapter is a community package.	SupportedSendblue-maintained Vercel Chat SDK adapter.
Streaming replies	Not listedNo edit or streaming API for SMS, WhatsApp or Apple Messages found; Realtime pub/sub serves your own app	SupportedAI output streams into one iMessage bubble, edited in place	Not supportedDocs say the Chat SDK adapter buffers streams into one final message.	Not listed	Not supportedDocs say message editing is not supported via the API.
Agent group chats	PartialWhatsApp groups API: create groups, share invite links, send and receive group messages	BetaAgents find other agents and add them to a group chat (2.0 beta)	Not listed	Not listed	BetaA line can add another of your own dedicated lines to a group, via the beta groups API.
Human handoff	SupportedFree shared Inbox; Apple Messages and WhatsApp guides cover AI to human handoff	BetaA person can reply in a conversation from the 2.0 beta Inbox	Not listed	PartialHandoff webhook events, documented for Apple Messages for Business chats.	SupportedShared team inboxes with assignment, and agents that escalate to a rep.
Audit logs	SupportedConfiguration and security changes, not message activity	BetaAPI logs and traces in the 2.0 beta dashboard	SupportedDashboard Activity page plus account-change webhooks with actor and origin.	PartialLists audit logging among internal security controls. No customer audit log documented.	PartialSecurity page says all API requests are logged. No customer-facing audit log documented.
Message history API	SupportedList endpoints for SMS, WhatsApp, email and Apple Messages conversations	SupportedList and get messages per chat	Supported	SupportedRetention runs 90 days to unlimited depending on plan.	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	SupportedFree email tier of 1,000 emails a month and free shared Inbox; SMS and WhatsApp are paid	SupportedUp to 10 users on shared lines	SupportedHobby: $0, up to 20 contacts, through the CLI.	PartialFree trial is 20 messages total on a shared number. Apple Messages for Business has a free sandbox.	SupportedFree sandbox: shared number, up to 10 verified contacts, no webhooks.
Public pricing	Supported	Supported	SupportedPro from $260/mo. Enterprise is custom.	SupportedNumber plans from $39/mo. Apple Messages for Business is custom, per monthly active user.	SupportedAI Agent plan at $100/mo per line. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	Not supportedBilled per message or segment from a prepaid balance	SupportedNo per-message fees for iMessage, WhatsApp or Telegram; SMS, voice and email are metered in the 2.0 beta	Supported	SupportedNumber plans are flat. Apple Messages for Business is billed per monthly active user.	Supported
Uptime SLA	Not supportedNo public SLA; terms exclude downtime liability unless an Order Form says otherwise	SupportedContractual SLA on the Enterprise plan	SupportedContractual SLAs on the Enterprise plan; marketing cites 99.95%	SupportedContractual SLA with a signed Enterprise Order Form; 99.9% uptime target	Supported99.99% uptime SLA on the Enterprise plan
Isolated infrastructure	PartialDedicated email IPs and IP pools only	SupportedEach line runs in an isolated, dedicated environment	SupportedDedicated lines across 4 data centers on paid plans; Hobby uses a shared line	PartialDedicated numbers are isolated to your workspace. No per-customer servers or devices described.	SupportedA dedicated HIPAA instance for HIPAA customers
SOC 2 Type II	PartialTrust Center lists a SOC 2 Type I report (Sept 30, 2026); site pages say Type 2	SupportedStated on photon.codes	SupportedType I and Type II, reports for 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026.	Not supportedTrust Center lists SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 as in progress.	SupportedSOC 2 Type II, report on request.
GDPR	SupportedDPA and subprocessor list published	SupportedPrivacy policy covers GDPR rights and SCC transfers	SupportedDPA covers GDPR and UK GDPR, with Standard Contractual Clauses.	SupportedTrust Center marks GDPR as passing.	SupportedPrivacy policy says Sendblue adheres to GDPR. DPAs on request.

Checked on each provider's own site and docs on 2026-10-25. “Not listed” means the provider does not mention it.