iBlueText vs MessageBlue
Compare iBlueText and MessageBlue side by side: iMessage features, channels, developer tools, pricing and compliance, checked on each provider's own site.
iBlueText
Hosted or self-hosted iMessage lines with iPhone lookup
- Starting price
- $29/month (self-hosted, 1 line); $99/month per hosted line
- Free plan
- No-card trial: 100 lookups, 10 verifications and 10 iMessages; self-hosted 3-day trial
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
iBlueText supports 43 of the 77 features compared here, and MessageBlue supports 38.
Where iBlueText is ahead
- Threaded replies
- Message effects
- Rich link previews
- Contact cards
- Sender name and photo
- FaceTime calls
- Shared numbers
- RCS fallback
and 4 more in the table below.
Where MessageBlue is ahead
Feature comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| iMessage messaging | ||
| iMessage | ||
| Group chats | Not listedNot mentioned in the API docs | |
| Group management | Not listed | |
| Group name and photo | Not listed | Not listed |
| Mentions | Not listed | Not listed |
| Tapbacks | ||
| Threaded replies | Not listed | |
| Typing indicators | ||
| Read receipts | ||
| Edit and unsend | Not listed | Not listed |
| Message effects | Not listed | |
| Animated text effects | Not listed | Not listed |
| Stickers | Not listed | Not listed |
| Formatted text | Not listed | Not listed |
| Attachments | ||
| Live Photos | Not listed | Not listed |
| Rich link previews | Not listed | |
| Voice messages | ||
| Contact cards | Not listed | |
| Polls | Not listed | Not listed |
| Chat backgrounds | Not listed | Not listed |
| Location sharing | Not listed | Not listed |
| iMessage apps | Not listed | Not listed |
| Live app cards | Not listed | Not listed |
| Sender name and photo | Not listed | |
| FaceTime calls | Not listedInbox video call button is marked coming soon; voice calls need the team to enable. | |
| Delivery status | ||
| iMessage availability check | ||
| Focus and Notify Anyway | Not listed | Not listed |
| Numbers and delivery | ||
| Managed lines | ||
| Dedicated numbers | ||
| Shared numbers | Not listed | |
| Bring your own number | ||
| Line pooling | ||
| SMS fallback | ||
| RCS fallback | Not listedMarketing pages say SMS or RCS fallback; docs only describe SMS. | |
| Outbound-first messaging | ||
| Calls on the iMessage number | Not listedInbox voice call button says to contact the team; number used is not stated. | |
| Other channels | ||
| SMS | ||
| RCS | Not listedMentioned only as a fallback on marketing pages. | |
Not supportedNot offered | ||
| Telegram | Not supportedNot offered | Not supported |
| Slack | Not supported | Not supported |
Not supported | Not supported | |
| Phone calls | Not supportedNot offered; calls are FaceTime audio only | Not listedInbox voice call button says to contact the team; call type and number not stated. |
| Apple Messages for Business | Not supportedNot offered | Not supportedNot offered |
| Unified channel API | ||
| Developer tools | ||
| REST API | ||
| TypeScript SDK | Not listedNone found; docs say no SDK is needed | |
| Python SDK | Not listed | |
| Other SDKs | Not listed | |
| CLI | Not listed | Not listedThe API page mentions a CLI, but none is documented. |
| Webhooks | ||
| Signed webhooks | ||
| MCP server | ||
| Open source | Not listed | |
| Self-hosting | ||
| Local testing | Not listed | |
| Custom channel providers | Not listed | |
| Event replay | ||
| OpenTelemetry | Not listed | Not listed |
| No-code integrations | ||
| CRM integrations | ||
| Built for AI agents | ||
| Agent framework | Not listed | |
| Agent framework integrations | Not listed | Not listedSite says it works with LangChain and the Vercel AI SDK via webhooks; no official integration. |
| Streaming replies | Not listed | Not listed |
| Agent group chats | Not listed | Not listed |
| Human handoff | ||
| Audit logs | ||
| Message history API | ||
| Plans and compliance | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Public pricing | ||
| No per-message fees | ||
| Uptime SLA | ||
| Isolated infrastructure | ||
| SOC 2 Type II | Not listed | |
| GDPR | Not listedPrivacy policy mentions GDPR rights where applicable; no DPA found | Not listed |
Checked on each provider's own site and docs on 2026-10-25. “Not listed” means the provider does not mention it.
Pricing
iBlueText
Hosted lines cost $99 a month each plus a one-time setup fee from $249, self-hosted Bridge plans run from $29 a month for 1 line to $999 for 100 lines, and lookups cost $0.005 each.
Pricing model: flat per line, plus prepaid credits for lookups and verifications
SourceMessageBlue
Free when you bring your own number on your own Mac; a dedicated line is $100 a month on Startups & SMB, and Business and Enterprise are contact sales.
Pricing model: flat per line
SourceWhich should you choose?
Choose iBlueText if you need threaded replies, message effects, rich link previews and contact cards.
Choose MessageBlue if you need group chats, group management, TypeScript SDK and local testing.
Frequently asked questions
iBlueText supports 43 of the 77 features compared here, and MessageBlue supports 38. iBlueText adds threaded replies, message effects, rich link previews, contact cards and sender name and photo. MessageBlue adds group chats, group management, TypeScript SDK, local testing and agent framework.
iBlueText: Hosted lines cost $99 a month each plus a one-time setup fee from $249, self-hosted Bridge plans run from $29 a month for 1 line to $999 for 100 lines, and lookups cost $0.005 each. MessageBlue: Free when you bring your own number on your own Mac; a dedicated line is $100 a month on Startups & SMB, and Business and Enterprise are contact sales.
MessageBlue does not list threaded replies on its site or in its docs.
MessageBlue does not list message effects on its site or in its docs.
MessageBlue does not list rich link previews on its site or in its docs.