Cheapest SMS API providers in the US
At 10,000 texts a month, the cheapest SMS API on its published US rate is Bird (formerly MessageBird) at $35 in message charges (0.35c per SMS), then Telnyx at $40 and Bandwidth at $60. At 100,000 a month the cheapest is Bird at $350. Number rental and carrier fees come on top: with every published fee in, the cheapest month at 10,000 is Bird (formerly MessageBird) at $71 to $86.
Alain Grossbard OAM, with Justin Grossbard Updated How we rate Reader supported, we may earn a commission Reader supported. We may earn a commission when you sign up through a link on this page, and it never changes a score. How we make money.
The 15 SMS APIs by price at your volume
Showing all 15 SMS APIs.
| # | SMS API | Gateway fit | SDK languages | US numbers | Sandbox | Uptime SLA | Month at 10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bird (formerly MessageBird)Overall score 5.67 | 6.25 | TypeScript, Python, Go, PHP | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Not found | Not published | $71 to $86 0.35c per SMS |
| 2 | TelnyxOverall score 8.08 | 9.38 | Python, JavaScript/Node.js, Ruby, Go, Java, C#/.NET, PHP | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Partly | Published | $40 0.4c per SMS not in it: carrier fees (passed through at cost) and number rental (not published) |
| 3 | BandwidthOverall score 6.83 | 7.50 | PHP, C#, Node.js, Java, Ruby, Python | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Not found | Partly | $95 to $110 0.6c per SMS not in it: number rental (not published) |
| 4 | ClickatellOverall score 5.83 | 6.25 | Not captured | 10DLC, Short code | Yes | Published | $75.10 0.751c per SMS not in it: carrier fees (not captured) and number rental (not published) |
| 5 | PlivoOverall score 6.25$1,000 a month minimum (Enterprise plan) | 8.75 | Python, Node.js, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Go | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Not found | Published | $112.50 to $127.50 0.77c per SMS |
| 6 | SinchOverall score 8.00 | 10.00 | Node.js, Java, .NET, Python | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Yes | Published | $79 0.78c per SMS not in it: carrier fees (billed on top, amount not published) |
| 7 | InfobipOverall score 7.25 | 8.75 | PHP, Java, Python, C# | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Partly | Published | $116.80 to $131.80 0.818c per SMS not in it: number rental (not published) |
| 8 | TwilioOverall score 7.42 | 10.00 | Node.js, Python, C#, Java, Go, PHP, Ruby | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Yes | Published | $119.15 to $134.15 0.83c per SMS |
| 9 | VonageOverall score 6.58 | Not assessedsandbox, test mode or test credentials not read | Ruby, PHP, Python, .NET, Node.js, Java | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Not read | Published | $112.05 to $137.05 0.86c per SMS |
| 10 | Kudosity (formerly BurstSMS)Overall score 8.17 | Not assessedofficial sdks, sandbox, test mode or test credentials not read | Not captured | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Not read | Published | $155 1.5c per SMS |
| 11 | SMSGlobalOverall score 6.67 | 5.63 | PHP, .Net, Node | 10DLC | Yes | Not published | $190 1.9c per SMS not in it: carrier fees (not captured) and number rental (not published) |
| 12 | NotifyreOverall score 6.50 | Not assessedsandbox, test mode or test credentials not read | .NET, Node.js | 10DLC | Not read | Published | $216.40 2c per SMS |
| 13 | ClickSendOverall score 7.58 | 8.13 | PHP, C#, Node.JS, Python, Perl, Ruby, Go, ObjectiveC, Swift | 10DLC, Toll-free, Short code | Partly | Published | $253.57 2.08c per SMS |
| 14 | BulkSMSOverall score 5.17 | 3.13 | Not captured | 10DLC | Not found | Not published | $335 3.35c per SMS not in it: carrier fees (not captured) and number rental (not published) |
| MessenteOverall score 5.58 | 6.25 | Python, Node, PHP, Java, Ruby, .NET | Not stated | Partly | Not published | Not priced in US dollars |
Message charges are each provider's own published US rate for an outbound SMS on a long code at the volume you enter, read from its own US pricing page on 8 and 9 September 2026 (ClickSend 21 September). The month adds the cheapest published sending number and the carrier fees where the provider publishes them. At 10,000 texts, 7 of 14 priced SMS APIs publish every fee, 1 pass carrier fees through at cost, and 7 leave a fee unpublished, so their month is a floor. Messentepublishes no US dollar rate at this volume and is listed last.
Ranked by developer fit instead of price, the same SMS APIs are compared on the best SMS APIs. Every per message rate the providers publish, with its date, is on the SMS gateway price guide, and a month of bulk sending with number and carrier fees is priced on bulk SMS providers.