messages.dev vs Sendblue

messages.dev supports 30 of the 77 features compared here, and Sendblue supports 58.

Feature comparison

Feature	messages.dev	Sendblue
iMessage messaging
iMessage	Supported	Supported
Group chats	SupportedSend into existing groups once someone in them has messaged; receive group messages.	BetaGroup API is in beta on select plans. AI Agent plan can only reply in existing groups.
Group management	Not supportedDocs say Apple does not let third-party software create groups; no member endpoints.	BetaAdd and remove participants in iMessage groups via the beta groups API.
Group name and photo	Not listed	SupportedRename groups and set group photos on supported lines.
Mentions	Not listed	Not listed
Tapbacks	SupportedSix tapbacks; reaction.added and reaction.removed webhooks.	PartialSend classic tapbacks or any emoji. No inbound reaction events documented.
Threaded replies	Supportedreply_to with a message ID or GUID.	Supportedreply_to on V2 iMessage lines, in direct and group chats.
Typing indicators	SupportedSending works; inbound typing events are not delivered yet.	SupportedSend and receive. iMessage 1:1 only, not in groups.
Read receipts	PartialYou can mark chats read; inbound read receipts are not delivered yet.	PartialCan mark chats read (1:1). Outbound statuses stop at DELIVERED, with no read status.
Edit and unsend	Not listedNot in the endpoint list in llms.txt.	Not supportedDocs say editing is not supported via API and delete does not unsend.
Message effects	Not listed	Supported13 send_style values.
Animated text effects	Not listed	Not listed
Stickers	Not listed	Not listed
Formatted text	Not listed	Not listed
Attachments	SupportedOne uploaded file per message.	SupportedUp to 100MB on iMessage, 5MB on SMS.
Live Photos	Not listed	Not listed
Rich link previews	Not listed	PartialDocs say links expand only after the recipient saves your contact.
Voice messages	SupportedNative waveform voice messages; inbound memos include Apple's transcription.	SupportedSend .caf files to render as inline voice notes.
Contact cards	SupportedSDK helper builds the vCard, photo included.	SupportedSend .vcf files via media_url.
Polls	Not listed	Not listed
Chat backgrounds	Not listed	Not listed
Location sharing	Not listed	SupportedFind My request, read and live watch. Dedicated iMessage lines only.
iMessage apps	Not listed	SupportedApp Cards for your own Messages extension. V2 lines, not on the free plan.
Live app cards	Not listed	PartialUpdates go out as new messages in the same App Card session; Sendblue says the original is not edited.
Sender name and photo	Not listed	SupportedName and Photo Sharing profile per line, shared into direct iMessage chats.
FaceTime calls	Not listed	PartialOutbound FaceTime audio over WebRTC (Agora). Needs a purchased FaceTime line.
Delivery status	PartialOutbox status pending, claimed, sent or failed; no separate delivered or read state.	SupportedStatus callbacks from REGISTERED through SENT or DELIVERED.
iMessage availability check	Not listed	SupportedLookup API checks a phone number or email for iMessage.
Focus and Notify Anyway	Not listed	Not listed
Numbers and delivery
Managed lines	SupportedTerms say messages.dev runs the Mac hardware, Apple IDs and carrier links for each line.	Supported
Dedicated numbers	Supported$99/mo per line with a dedicated number.	Supported
Shared numbers	SupportedShared sandbox line, 50 messages a day, only to your own paired phone.	SupportedFree sandbox uses a shared number with verified contacts only.
Bring your own number	Not listed	PartialOnly by porting the number in, which adds 3 to 5 days.
Line pooling	PartialMultiple lines supported, but you choose the line per user in your own code.	SupportedNumber pooling with sticky sending. Automatic line selection needs account enablement.
SMS fallback	Not listedLines can be iMessage, SMS or auto; fallback behaviour is not documented.	Supported
RCS fallback	Not listed	SupportediMessage, then RCS, then SMS. RCS on V2 lines.
Outbound-first messaging	Not supportedContact-first: the recipient must message your line before you can send.	SupportedFull outbound on Enterprise or Blue Ocean; Free and AI Agent plans are inbound-first
Calls on the iMessage number	Not listed	SupportedDashboard calls and FaceTime from the texting number; API calls via your Twilio caller ID.
Other channels
SMS	SupportedSMS lines use the same endpoints; audio messages are iMessage only.	Supported
RCS	Not listedHomepage and terms mention RCS; the API docs do not document it.	SupportedV2 lines.
WhatsApp	Not supportedNot offered	Not supportedNot offered
Telegram	Not supported	Not supported
Slack	Not supported	Not listed
Email	Not supported	Not supportedNot offered. iMessage can be sent to Apple ID email addresses.
Phone calls	Not supported	PartialNo native calling API. Dashboard calls, outbound via your Twilio caller ID, inbound forwarding.
Apple Messages for Business	Not supported	Not supportedNot offered
Unified channel API	SupportediMessage and SMS lines share the same endpoints.	SupportedOne API for iMessage, RCS and SMS, the only channels offered.
Developer tools
REST API	Supported	Supported
TypeScript SDK	Supported@messages-dev/sdk, MIT.	Supportedsendblue on npm.
Python SDK	Not supportedOnly a TypeScript SDK; docs point other languages to the REST API.	Supportedsendblue on PyPI.
Other SDKs	Not supported	PartialGo, Rust and Ruby packages, listed as community packages.
CLI	Supportedmessages-dev CLI: send, list, manage webhooks and stream events.	Supported@sendblue/cli: signup, messaging, contacts and webhooks.
Webhooks	Supportedmessage.received, message.sent, reaction.added and reaction.removed.	Supported
Signed webhooks	SupportedHMAC-SHA256 over timestamp and raw body, 5-minute replay window.	PartialSends your shared secret in an sb-signing-secret header. No HMAC signature.
MCP server	Not listed	Supportedsendblue-api-mcp via npx.
Open source	PartialTypeScript SDK and CLI are MIT on GitHub; the service is closed.	PartialSDKs and CLI are MIT or Apache-2.0 on GitHub. The messaging platform is closed.
Self-hosting	Not listed	Not listedSold as a hosted service on Sendblue's Apple devices; self-hosting is not mentioned.
Local testing	PartialSDK builds signed test webhook deliveries; real messaging still needs your phone.	Not listed
Custom channel providers	Not listed	Not listed
Event replay	Not listed	PartialNo replay. Docs say to repair gaps by listing messages updated since a timestamp.
OpenTelemetry	Not listed	Not listed
No-code integrations	Not listed	SupportedZapier, Make and GoHighLevel. Docs FAQ says n8n resources are coming soon.
CRM integrations	Not listed	SupportedGoHighLevel, HubSpot, Salesforce, Close and Monday.com.
Built for AI agents
Agent framework	Not listed	PartialNo own framework. Maintains a Vercel Chat SDK adapter.
Agent framework integrations	Not listed	SupportedSendblue-maintained Vercel Chat SDK adapter.
Streaming replies	Not listed	Not supportedDocs say message editing is not supported via the API.
Agent group chats	Not listed	BetaA line can add another of your own dedicated lines to a group, via the beta groups API.
Human handoff	Not listed	SupportedShared team inboxes with assignment, and agents that escalate to a rep.
Audit logs	Not listed	PartialSecurity page says all API requests are logged. No customer-facing audit log documented.
Message history API	SupportedCursor-paginated chats and messages per line.	Supported
Plans and compliance
Free plan	SupportedSandbox: 50 messages a day to your own paired phone.	SupportedFree sandbox: shared number, up to 10 verified contacts, no webhooks.
Public pricing	Supported	SupportedAI Agent plan at $100/mo per line. Enterprise is custom.
No per-message fees	Supported$99/mo per line with unlimited messages.	Supported
Uptime SLA	PartialCustom SLAs on Enterprise only; terms say no formal uptime SLA at launch.	Supported99.99% uptime SLA on the Enterprise plan
Isolated infrastructure	SupportedDedicated infrastructure on the Enterprise plan	SupportedA dedicated HIPAA instance for HIPAA customers
SOC 2 Type II	Not supportedSite footer lists SOC 2 as in progress.	SupportedSOC 2 Type II, report on request.
GDPR	SupportedSite says GDPR compliant; a DPA is available on request.	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.

Pricing

Which should you choose?

Choose messages.dev if you need local testing.

Choose Sendblue if you need group management, group name and photo, message effects and rich link previews.

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