Bird (formerly MessageBird) review
Bird (formerly MessageBird) is an SMS API and gateway provider. MessageBird now trades as Bird. US long code and toll-free messages cost 0.35c each, read September 8, 2026, with no monthly minimum and pay as you go from a prepaid wallet. There is no free SMS trial; production sending needs a payment method and a verified sender. Our overall score is 5.67 out of 10.
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.
Bird cost at your volume
$3.50 in message charges a month, at 0.35c (long code (10DLC))
The same rule prices Bird on the versus pages and the price guides: the band, top-up or number type your volume reaches, from Bird's own US rates read 8 September 2026. Number rental and carrier fees are billed on top and sit in the tables below.
Bird scores
| Value for money | 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 6 | |
| Reliability | 2 | |
| Reputation | 6.5 | |
| Compliance | 8.5 | |
| Customer service | 3 | |
| Gateway fit | 6.25 |
Six criteria, equally weighted, each scored out of 10 from Bird's own published pages (how we rate). The gateway fit score counts eight published API features and is not part of the overall score.
Bird US rates
| As published | Price | How it compares |
|---|---|---|
| Long code | 0.35c | Lower than every other provider's lowest US rate (32 compared) |
| Toll-free | 0.35c | Lower than every other provider's lowest US rate (32 compared) |
| Short code | 0.70c | Lower than 27 of 32 other providers' lowest US rates, level with 2 |
| Long code rental | $1.00 a month for a US local number | Billed on top of message charges |
| Toll-free number rental | $2.00 a month | Billed on top of message charges |
Read from Bird's own US pricing page on 8 September 2026. By number type. Each row is read against the lowest published US rate of every other provider we price. Source.
Bird fees, trial and support
| What | Bird | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 10DLC registration fees | Brand registration $4.50 per submission; campaign vetting $15.00 per submission; campaign fee $1.50 to $30.00 a month by use case (most use cases $10.00, low volume $1.50, charity $3.00, agents and franchises $30.00), billed every 3 months. Passed through at cost. | Read Source 1 |
| Toll-free verification | Required; Bird files toll-free verification from the dashboard. No verification fee was recorded on the fees page. | Read Source 1 |
| Carrier fees | Billed on top per message by carrier. US long code outbound: AT&T $0.0035, T-Mobile $0.0045, Verizon $0.0045, US Cellular $0.0050, others from $0.0035. Separate toll-free and short code tables. | Read Source 1 |
| Free trial | No free SMS. A test API key is issued at once; production sending needs a payment method and a verified sender. The free tier is email only. | Read Source 1 |
| Minimum plan or spend | No SMS plan, no platform fee, no monthly minimum. Pay as you go from a funded prepaid wallet. Account plan tiers (free, startup, growth, enterprise) exist but their prices are not published. | Read Source 1 |
| API and SDKs | Yes, REST API. SDKs: TypeScript, Python, Go, PHP, plus a CLI and an MCP server. Batch endpoint up to 100 messages a call. | Read Source 1 |
| Web app | Yes. The dashboard has an SMS app (Messages, Templates, Metrics, Senders, Destinations) and, as of 22 September, campaigns and broadcasts that can be scheduled to an audience. | Read Source 1 |
| Integrations named | Zapier, n8n, Postman, Bird CLI, Bird MCP Server, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Replit, Lovable, The Campaign Registry | Read Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 |
| Support channels | Email to support@bird.com, plus sales contact and demo forms, documentation, knowledge base and status page. No phone, chat or ticket portal published. | Read Source 1 |
| Support hours | Not published | Read Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6 Source 7 Source 8 Source 9 |
| SOC 2 | SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 3 listed in the Trust Center; reports behind an access request | Read Source 1 |
| ISO 27001 | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 listed in the Trust Center; certificate behind an access request | Read Source 1 |
| HIPAA | Not published | Read Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 |
| Opt-out handling (TCPA) | Automatic STOP, HELP and START handling with a queryable suppression list; US rules stated: opt-in consent, quiet hours 8 AM to 9 PM recipient local time | Read Source 1 |
| 10DLC registration | Brand and campaign registration with The Campaign Registry handled in the dashboard; status readable by API | Read Source 1 |
| Founded | 2011 | Read Source 1 |
| Head office | Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Bird B.V., Keizersgracht 268) | Read Source 1 |
| US contracting entity | US SMS customers contract with Bird B.V. (Netherlands law). Bird.com Inc. (Delaware, notices address Bethesda, Maryland) is the US counterparty only for Email and Email Analytics. | Read Source 1 |
| Ownership | MessageBird renamed itself Bird on 1 February 2024. Same company (Bird B.V., founded 2011 by Robert Vis and co-founders); messagebird.com redirects to bird.com. | Read Source 1 |
| Uptime or SLA | Not published | Read Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6 |
| Trustpilot | 1.6 out of 5 from 22 reviews | Read Source 1 |
Not published means Bird's own pages were checked on that day and state no figure. Nothing here is carried over from the earlier version of this review.
When Bird fits
Choose Bird when your developers will send through the REST API with SDKs for TypeScript, Python, Go and PHP, plus a batch endpoint that handles up to 100 messages a call. Bird offers an RCS channel with automatic SMS fallback, with US availability not stated, read September 28, 2026, and our RCS business messaging guide covers that channel. It fits a pay as you go budget: no platform fee, no monthly minimum, US local numbers at $1.00 a month and toll-free numbers at $2.00 a month, both read September 9, 2026. It also fits teams that want 10DLC registration handled in the dashboard and campaign status readable by API.
When to look elsewhere
Look elsewhere when you need a free SMS trial, because Bird offers none as of September 22, 2026, and its free tier covers email only. Reliability scored 2 out of 10, and Bird does not publish an uptime figure as of September 9, 2026. Customer service scored 3 out of 10, with no phone, chat or ticket portal published. Trustpilot shows 1.6 out of 5 from 22 reviews, read September 21, 2026, and short code rental pricing is not published.
Bird compared
Bird questions
How much does MessageBird cost for SMS?
MessageBird cost for SMS starts at 0.35c per US long code or toll-free message, read September 8, 2026, with carrier fees billed on top. A US local number rents for $1.00 a month, read September 9, 2026.
Is MessageBird free to use?
MessageBird is not free for SMS. A test API key is issued at once, but production sending needs a payment method and a verified sender, and the free tier covers email only, read September 22, 2026.
What is the difference between MessageBird and Bird?
The difference between MessageBird and Bird is the name only. MessageBird renamed itself Bird on February 1, 2024, and messagebird.com redirects to bird.com. The company, Bird B.V., is the same entity.
Does Bird have a dashboard for sending SMS?
Bird has a dashboard SMS app with Messages, Templates, Metrics, Senders and Destinations, plus campaigns and broadcasts that you schedule to an audience, read September 22, 2026.