BlueBubbles vs Inkbox
Compare BlueBubbles and Inkbox side by side: iMessage features, channels, developer tools, pricing and compliance, checked on each provider's own site.
BlueBubbles
Free, open-source iMessage bridge you host on a Mac
- Starting price
- Free
- Free plan
- Free and open source (Apache-2.0)
Inkbox
Email, phone, iMessage and A2A identity for AI agents
- Starting price
- $25/month (Developer); $167/month for a dedicated iMessage number (Startup)
- Free plan
- Free: 3 identities, shared iMessage up to 2,000 messages a month and 3 recipients at a time
BlueBubbles supports 45 of the 77 features compared here, and Inkbox supports 45.
Where BlueBubbles is ahead
- Group name and photo
- Mentions
- Edit and unsend
- Stickers
- Formatted text
- Live Photos
- Rich link previews
- Voice messages
and 9 more in the table below.
Where Inkbox is ahead
and 9 more in the table below.
Feature comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| iMessage messaging | ||
| iMessage | ||
| Group chats | ||
| Group management | ||
| Group name and photo | Not listed | |
| Mentions | Not listed | |
| Tapbacks | ||
| Threaded replies | ||
| Typing indicators | ||
| Read receipts | ||
| Edit and unsend | Not listed | |
| Message effects | ||
| Animated text effects | Not listed | Not listed |
| Stickers | Not listed | |
| Formatted text | Not listed | |
| Attachments | ||
| Live Photos | Not listed | |
| Rich link previews | Not listed | |
| Voice messages | Not listed | |
| Contact cards | Not listed | |
| Polls | Not listed | |
| Chat backgrounds | Not listed | |
| Location sharing | Not listed | |
| iMessage apps | Not listed | |
| Live app cards | Not listed | Not listed |
| Sender name and photo | ||
| FaceTime calls | Not listedCalls run over iMessage lines, but the docs do not say whether they are FaceTime. | |
| Delivery status | ||
| iMessage availability check | ||
| Focus and Notify Anyway | Not listed | |
| Numbers and delivery | ||
| Managed lines | ||
| Dedicated numbers | Not supportedNot offered; uses your own Apple ID | |
| Shared numbers | Not supported | |
| Bring your own number | Not listed | |
| Line pooling | Not listed | |
| SMS fallback | Not listedNot documented; FAQ says SMS is unsupported, the fit quiz says forwarded texts work | |
| RCS fallback | Not listed | |
| Outbound-first messaging | ||
| Calls on the iMessage number | ||
| Other channels | ||
| SMS | ||
| RCS | ||
Not supportedNot offered | Not supportedNot offered | |
| Telegram | Not supported | Not supported |
| Slack | Not supported | |
Not supported | ||
| Phone calls | Not supportedNot offered; FaceTime only | |
| Apple Messages for Business | Not supportedNot offered | Not supportedNot offered |
| Unified channel API | ||
| Developer tools | ||
| REST API | ||
| TypeScript SDK | ||
| Python SDK | ||
| Other SDKs | ||
| CLI | Not listed | |
| Webhooks | ||
| Signed webhooks | ||
| MCP server | ||
| Open source | ||
| Self-hosting | Not listed | |
| Local testing | Not listed | Not listed |
| Custom channel providers | Not listed | Not listed |
| Event replay | ||
| OpenTelemetry | Not listed | Not listed |
| No-code integrations | Not listed | |
| CRM integrations | Not listed | Not listed |
| Built for AI agents | ||
| Agent framework | Not listed | |
| Agent framework integrations | Not listedOnly community projects are listed, such as a ChatGPT agent and Clawdbot | |
| Streaming replies | Not listed | Not listed |
| Agent group chats | Not listed | Not listedAgents can reach each other over A2A tasks, but not in group chats. |
| Human handoff | Not listed | |
| Audit logs | Not listed | Not listed |
| Message history API | ||
| Plans and compliance | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Public pricing | ||
| No per-message fees | ||
| Uptime SLA | Not listed | |
| Isolated infrastructure | ||
| SOC 2 Type II | Not listedSelf-hosted; compliance is up to whoever runs the Mac | Not listed |
| GDPR | Not listed | Not listedThe DPA names the CCPA only; GDPR is not mentioned. |
Checked on each provider's own site and docs on 2026-10-25. “Not listed” means the provider does not mention it.
Pricing
BlueBubbles
The software is free and open source; an optional BlueBubbles Pro subscription for the upcoming 2.x server costs $3/month, $30/year or $55 once.
Pricing model: free self-hosted software, optional Pro subscription
SourceInkbox
Free covers 3 identities with shared iMessage; Developer is $25 a month with a VoIP number; Startup is $167 a month with one dedicated iMessage number; Enterprise is custom. SMS/MMS and call minutes over allowance cost $0.03 each.
Pricing model: monthly plans with allowances, plus per-unit SMS/MMS and call-minute overage
SourceWhich should you choose?
Choose BlueBubbles if you need group name and photo, mentions, edit and unsend and stickers.
Choose Inkbox if you need contact cards, managed lines, dedicated numbers and shared numbers.
Frequently asked questions
BlueBubbles supports 45 of the 77 features compared here, and Inkbox supports 45. BlueBubbles adds group name and photo, mentions, edit and unsend, stickers and formatted text. Inkbox adds contact cards, managed lines, dedicated numbers, shared numbers and line pooling.
BlueBubbles: The software is free and open source; an optional BlueBubbles Pro subscription for the upcoming 2.x server costs $3/month, $30/year or $55 once. Inkbox: Free covers 3 identities with shared iMessage; Developer is $25 a month with a VoIP number; Startup is $167 a month with one dedicated iMessage number; Enterprise is custom. SMS/MMS and call minutes over allowance cost $0.03 each.
Inkbox does not list group name and photo on its site or in its docs.
Inkbox does not list mentions on its site or in its docs.
Inkbox does not list edit and unsend on its site or in its docs.