VS
MessageBird vs Plivo
Two SMS providers, compared on price, features and ratings — so you can pick fast.
Updated July 2026
The verdict
MessageBird starts at $0.00331 versus Plivo's $0.0077. Plivo rates higher with developers (4.5 vs 4.1 on G2). Pick based on volume and team — the scorecard below breaks down where each one leads.
By the numbers
How do MessageBird and Plivo compare?
Leader highlighted · figures as of July 2026
Price per message · base US SMS rate
$0.00331
MessageBird
$0.0077
Plivo
G2 rating · out of 5
4.1
MessageBird
4.5
Plivo
Trustpilot · out of 5
1.3
MessageBird
3.6
Plivo
Scorecard
Feature by feature, how do they stack up?
| Capability | | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Price per SMS (US) | $0.00331 | $0.0077 |
| Pricing model | PAYG per message on top of monthly plans (Free 5 SMS/day, Pro $49/mo) | Pay-as-you-go per message; no required platform fee |
| Volume discounts | Yes | Yes |
| Channels | ||
| SMS | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| RCS | Yes | Yes |
| Voice | Yes | Yes |
| Routing & delivery | ||
| Carrier network | Direct-to-carrier (150+ countries, 240+ connections) | Direct carrier connections to 190+ countries |
| A2P 10DLC | Yes | Yes |
| Two-way messaging | Yes | Yes |
| Short codes | Yes | Yes |
| Toll-free | Yes | Yes |
| Number lookup | Yes | Yes |
| Developer experience | ||
| Official SDKs | Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, C#/.NET, Go | Python, Java, Node.js, Ruby, PHP, .NET, Go |
| Delivery webhooks | Yes | Yes |
| Test / sandbox | Yes | Yes |
| Compliance | ||
| SOC 2 | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA | No | BAA |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | No |
| Support | ||
| Support channels | Email/ticket, help center, status page; priority on higher plans | Email, phone, chat/Slack (paid tiers); docs on free tier |
| 24/7 support | — | Yes |
| Support SLA | — | 1-hour P1/P2 SLA on paid plans; 99.95% uptime |
Decision helper
Which should you choose?
Pick MessageBird
Pick Plivo
FAQ
Common questions
MessageBird starts at $0.00331 versus Plivo's $0.0077. Compare your expected monthly volume against the per-message rates above.
Keep comparing
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Why not both?
Use both behind one API.
Route MessageBird, Plivo, or both — and switch providers without changing your code. Courier sits in front of every channel.
Pricing, plans and feature availability as of July 2026 and may change. Ratings are aggregated from public review platforms. MessageBird is now Bird.
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