Blue Reacher vs Chert
Compare Blue Reacher and Chert side by side: iMessage features, channels, developer tools, pricing and compliance, checked on each provider's own site.
Blue Reacher
Managed iMessage lines for B2B sales, with API and MCP
- Starting price
- $199/month per line at 4+ lines; $249/month for 1 to 3 lines
- Free plan
- Free public sandbox key; simulator only, no real sends
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
Blue Reacher supports 50 of the 77 features compared here, and Chert supports 47.
Where Blue Reacher is ahead
- Threaded replies
- iMessage availability check
- Bring your own number
- RCS fallback
- RCS
- Phone calls
- MCP server
- Local testing
and 2 more in the table below.
Feature comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| iMessage messaging | ||
| iMessage | ||
| Group chats | ||
| Group management | ||
| Group name and photo | ||
| Mentions | Not listed | Not listed |
| Tapbacks | ||
| Threaded replies | Not listedHomepage mentions reply context; no reply-to field in the API docs. | |
| Typing indicators | ||
| Read receipts | ||
| Edit and unsend | Not listed | |
| Message effects | ||
| Animated text effects | Not listed | Not listed |
| Stickers | Not listed | Not listed |
| Formatted text | Not listed | |
| Attachments | ||
| Live Photos | Not listed | |
| Rich link previews | ||
| Voice messages | ||
| Contact cards | ||
| Polls | Not listed | |
| Chat backgrounds | Not listed | Not listed |
| Location sharing | Not listed | |
| iMessage apps | Not listed | Not listed |
| Live app cards | Not listed | Not listed |
| Sender name and photo | Not listedDocs say recipients see only the number until they save your contact card. | |
| FaceTime calls | ||
| Delivery status | ||
| iMessage availability check | Not listed | |
| Focus and Notify Anyway | Not listed | Not listed |
| Numbers and delivery | ||
| Managed lines | ||
| Dedicated numbers | ||
| Shared numbers | ||
| Bring your own number | Not listed | |
| Line pooling | ||
| SMS fallback | ||
| RCS fallback | Not listedHomepage says SMS or RCS fallback; API docs only describe SMS retry. | |
| Outbound-first messaging | ||
| Calls on the iMessage number | ||
| Other channels | ||
| SMS | ||
| RCS | Not listedMentioned only as a fallback on the homepage. | |
Not supportedNot offered | Not supportedNot offered | |
| Telegram | Not supported | Not supported |
| Slack | Not listed | |
Not supportedNot offered | ||
| Phone calls | Not supportedNot offered; calls are FaceTime only. | |
| Apple Messages for Business | Not supportedNot offered | |
| Unified channel API | ||
| Developer tools | ||
| REST API | ||
| TypeScript SDK | ||
| Python SDK | ||
| Other SDKs | ||
| CLI | ||
| Webhooks | ||
| Signed webhooks | ||
| MCP server | Not listed | |
| Open source | ||
| Self-hosting | Not listed | Not listedOnly the open-source FaceTime link connector runs on your own machine. |
| Local testing | Not listedSSE stream and dev inbox avoid a public webhook, but a real phone is still needed. | |
| Custom channel providers | Not listed | Not listed |
| Event replay | ||
| OpenTelemetry | Not listed | Not listed |
| No-code integrations | Not listed | |
| CRM integrations | ||
| Built for AI agents | ||
| Agent framework | ||
| Agent framework integrations | ||
| Streaming replies | Not listed | Not listed |
| Agent group chats | Not listed | Not listed |
| Human handoff | ||
| Audit logs | Not listed | |
| Message history API | ||
| Plans and compliance | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Public pricing | ||
| No per-message fees | ||
| Uptime SLA | Not listed | Not listed |
| Isolated infrastructure | ||
| SOC 2 Type II | Not listed | |
| GDPR |
Checked on each provider's own site and docs on 2026-10-25. “Not listed” means the provider does not mention it.
Pricing
Blue Reacher
Lines are $249 a month each plus a $449 activation fee, $199 a month each at 4 or more lines, or $1,949 per line per year with activation waived.
Pricing model: flat per line, no per-message fees
SourceChert
A free 24-hour trial includes 10 messages and 10 FaceTime minutes on a shared line; Shared is $25 a month and a dedicated line is $250 a month, but paid checkout is paused.
Pricing model: flat monthly per line, with usage limits
SourceWhich should you choose?
Choose Blue Reacher if you need threaded replies, iMessage availability check, bring your own number and RCS fallback.
Choose Chert if you need edit and unsend, Live Photos, polls and location sharing.
Frequently asked questions
Blue Reacher supports 50 of the 77 features compared here, and Chert supports 47. Blue Reacher adds threaded replies, iMessage availability check, bring your own number, RCS fallback and RCS. Chert adds edit and unsend, Live Photos, polls, location sharing and sender name and photo.
Blue Reacher: Lines are $249 a month each plus a $449 activation fee, $199 a month each at 4 or more lines, or $1,949 per line per year with activation waived. Chert: A free 24-hour trial includes 10 messages and 10 FaceTime minutes on a shared line; Shared is $25 a month and a dedicated line is $250 a month, but paid checkout is paused.
Chert does not list threaded replies on its site or in its docs.
Chert does not list iMessage availability check on its site or in its docs.
Chert does not list bring your own number on its site or in its docs.