BlueBubbles vs LoopMessage

BlueBubbles supports 45 of the 77 features compared here, and LoopMessage supports 53.

Feature comparison

Feature	BlueBubbles	LoopMessage
iMessage messaging
iMessage	SupportedRuns on your own Mac (or macOS VM) signed in to iMessage	Supported
Group chats	SupportedSend and receive by chat GUID	SupportedSend and receive in iMessage groups; not available in the sandbox.
Group management	SupportedCreate groups, add and remove members; Private API (SIP disabled)	SupportedCreate groups (needs the Init conversations add-on) and add or remove members.
Group name and photo	SupportedRename and set group photo (macOS 11+); Private API (SIP disabled)	SupportedSet group name (32 characters max) and photo with PATCH.
Mentions	SupportedMention parts in multipart messages; Private API (SIP disabled)	Not listed
Tapbacks	SupportedReceiving works without it; sending needs the Private API (SIP disabled)	SupportedSix tapbacks or any emoji; inbound reactions arrive as message_reaction webhooks.
Threaded replies	SupportedReply by message GUID and part; Private API (SIP disabled), macOS 11+	Supportedreply_to_id on send; inbound webhooks carry a thread object.
Typing indicators	SupportedSend and receive; Private API (SIP disabled)	SupportedUp to 60 seconds; fails if the chat had no two-way activity in the last 5 minutes.
Read receipts	SupportedReceive delivered and read receipts; marking chats read needs the Private API	PartialYou can mark chats read; no read event is documented for your outbound messages.
Edit and unsend	SupportedPrivate API (SIP disabled), macOS 13+	SupportedEdit within 15 minutes, unsend within 2 minutes of sending.
Message effects	SupportedBubble and screen effects via effectId; Private API (SIP disabled)	Supported13 bubble and screen effects via the effect field.
Animated text effects	Not listed	SupportedMarkup for shake, nod, explode, ripple, bloom and jitter.
Stickers	BetaReceiving works today; sending and placing is Pro for the unreleased 2.x server	PartialInbound messages can have type sticker; sending stickers is not documented.
Formatted text	BetaBold, italic, underline, strikethrough in unreleased code; macOS 15+, Private API	SupportedBold, italic, underline, strikethrough and text sizes in iMessage.
Attachments	Supported	SupportedUp to 10 public HTTPS file URLs per message.
Live Photos	PartialReceived Live Photos can be downloaded; sending is not documented	Not listed
Rich link previews	SupportedSending rich links needs the Private API (SIP disabled)	SupportedLinks get rich previews by default; preview: false sends plain text.
Voice messages	SupportedisAudioMessage flag sends a waveform voice message	SupportedSend audio files as voice messages; inbound audio is transcribed.
Contact cards	Not listed	Supportedcontact_file adds a vCard to the message.
Polls	BetaBlueBubbles Pro for the unreleased 2.x server, macOS 26+; not in a public release	Not listedA helpdesk article lists polls among features, but no poll API is documented.
Chat backgrounds	Beta	Not listed
Location sharing	PartialReads Find My device and friend locations; no in-chat location sharing documented	PartialInbound messages can have type location; sending a location is not documented.
iMessage apps	PartialReceives Digital Touch and handwriting previews; sending app bubbles not documented	Not listed
Live app cards	Not listed	Not listed
Sender name and photo	SupportedShare your iCloud contact card with a chat; Private API (SIP disabled), macOS 11+	Not listedDocs suggest sending a vCard so recipients see your name and photo.
FaceTime calls	SupportedStart, answer and leave calls via FaceTime links; Private API. Pricing page moves it to 2.x Pro	Not supportedFaceTime API is in progress on the roadmap; today only an inbound FaceTime call webhook.
Delivery status	SupportedWebhooks for message updates (delivered, read) and message errors	Supportedmessage_delivered and message_failed webhooks, plus a status lookup by ID.
iMessage availability check	SupportediMessage and FaceTime availability by address; Private API (SIP disabled)	PartialThrough LoopLookup, a separate LoopMessage service.
Focus and Notify Anyway	SupportedRead a contact's Focus status and notify for silenced messages; Private API, macOS 12+	Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines	Not supportedYou run your own Mac or macOS VM	SupportedDedicated senders run on hardware LoopMessage rents to you.
Dedicated numbers	Not supportedNot offered; uses your own Apple ID	SupportedPhone number option is +$15/mo per dedicated sender; email senders also offered.
Shared numbers	Not supported	SupportedShared senders for AI assistant use from $20/mo; free sandbox for testing.
Bring your own number	SupportedYour own Apple ID; a phone number can be linked to it	PartialYou can port a US number in; your own Apple IDs are not accepted.
Line pooling	Not listed	SupportedSender pools balance new contacts across senders and match replies to the right one.
SMS fallback	Not listedNot documented; FAQ says SMS is unsupported, the fit quiz says forwarded texts work	SupportedPaid add-on, +$15/mo per dedicated sender; included on shared plans.
RCS fallback	Not listed	SupportedSame add-on uses RCS instead of SMS when the device supports it.
Outbound-first messaging	SupportedCreate DMs; new group chats need the Private API	PartialInit conversations add-on (+$30/mo), warm-up and recent opt-in required; no cold messaging.
Calls on the iMessage number	PartialFaceTime only, via links on the same Apple ID (Private API); no phone calls	PartialInbound cell calls to the sender number are forwarded (add-on); no outbound calls.
Other channels
SMS	PartialOnly via Text Message Forwarding from an iPhone; FAQ still says SMS is not supported	SupportedSet channel to sms; needs the SMS/RCS add-on.
RCS	PartialOnly via Text Message Forwarding from an iPhone on the same Apple ID	SupportedSet channel to rcs; needs the SMS/RCS add-on.
WhatsApp	Not supportedNot offered	SupportedAdd-on, +$10/mo, on the same phone number and API.
Telegram	Not supported	Not supportedPlanned on the roadmap, not available yet.
Slack	Not supported	Not listed
Email	Not supported	Not listed
Phone calls	Not supportedNot offered; FaceTime only	PartialInbound cell calls are forwarded to a number you choose (add-on); no call API.
Apple Messages for Business	Not supportedNot offered	Not supportedNot offered; the helpdesk contrasts LoopMessage with it.
Unified channel API	PartialForwarded SMS and RCS land in the same chat API as iMessage; no other channels	SupportediMessage, SMS, RCS and WhatsApp on one number and one API.
Developer tools
REST API	SupportedServer password passed as a query parameter	Supported
TypeScript SDK	Not supportedNo official SDK; docs list only a community Java wrapper	PartialNo own SDK; Twilio's SDKs work through the Twilio-compatible API.
Python SDK	Not supported	PartialNo own SDK; docs show Twilio's Python SDK pointed at the Twilio-compatible API.
Other SDKs	PartialCommunity Java wrapper (blueify) listed in the docs; not official	PartialNo own SDKs; Twilio's SDKs work through the Twilio-compatible API.
CLI	Not listed	Not listed
Webhooks	SupportedNew messages, updates, errors, group changes, typing and more (server 1.0+)	SupportedRetried up to 30 times over several hours.
Signed webhooks	Not supportedWebhooks are plain JSON POSTs with no signature header	PartialYou set an authorization header and verify it; no HMAC signature.
MCP server	PartialCommunity MCP server listed by BlueBubbles; not maintained by the team	PartialDocumentation-only MCP server; no access to your account or messages.
Open source	SupportedApache-2.0 (server, clients and Private API helper)	PartialOnly the n8n node is MIT on GitHub; the platform is closed.
Self-hosting	SupportedSelf-hosted only	Not listed
Local testing	Not listed	Not listedThe sandbox needs a real iPhone or Mac to message it.
Custom channel providers	Not listed	Not listed
Event replay	PartialCatch up by querying messages after a timestamp; 1.9.9 webhooks are not retried	PartialWebhook history API to fetch past events; no replay call.
OpenTelemetry	Not listed	Not listed
No-code integrations	PartialOfficial n8n node, manual install, last updated 2022	Supportedn8n, Zapier, Pipedream, HighLevel and LeadConnector.
CRM integrations	Not listed	SupportedHighLevel CRM and LeadConnector; no HubSpot or Salesforce found.
Built for AI agents
Agent framework	Not listed	Not listed
Agent framework integrations	Not listedOnly community projects are listed, such as a ChatGPT agent and Clawdbot	Not listed
Streaming replies	Not listed	Not listed
Agent group chats	Not listed	Not listed
Human handoff	Not listed	PartialPeople can reply from Slack, email or the embedded inbox; no agent handoff controls.
Audit logs	Not listed	PartialMessage, webhook and API request history kept; no account audit log found.
Message history API	SupportedQuery messages and chats straight from the Mac's Messages database	SupportedPaginated history per contact, filterable by date, direction and type.
Plans and compliance
Free plan	SupportedFree, open-source software	SupportedSandbox with 5 contacts; free shared plan for schools and non-profits.
Public pricing	SupportedPro: $3/month, $30/year or $55 lifetime	Supported
No per-message fees	SupportedFree; optional flat Pro subscription	SupportedUnlimited messages; plans cap unique active contacts per day.
Uptime SLA	Not supportedApache-2.0 software provided without warranty; uptime depends on your Mac	Not supportedHelpdesk says LoopMessage does not provide SLAs or contracts.
Isolated infrastructure	SupportedRuns entirely on your own Mac	SupportedA dedicated sender's number and server are allocated to you alone.
SOC 2 Type II	Not listedSelf-hosted; compliance is up to whoever runs the Mac	Not supportedHelpdesk says LoopMessage has not been through a SOC 2 audit.
GDPR	Not listed	SupportedHelpdesk says data is stored following GDPR.

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

Pricing

Which should you choose?

Choose BlueBubbles if you need mentions, Live Photos, polls and chat backgrounds.

Choose LoopMessage if you need animated text effects, contact cards, managed lines and dedicated numbers.

Frequently asked questions

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