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It's a split decision.
Choose Bird if your application needs to send email, SMS, WhatsApp, Apple Messages or voice through one API and workspace, with REST, SDKs, webhooks, a CLI and MCP. Choose Sendbird if you are building in-app chat and want MAU-based plans, moderation, translation or a path to enterprise server options. Their pricing models and product scopes differ: Bird charges by channel and usage, while Sendbird tiers around monthly active users. Compare the channel features you need before choosing.
01Side by side
| Bird | Sendbird | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Channel usage; some products require monthly wallet funding | Monthly MAU plans; overage fees may apply |
| Free tier | Free email and Realtime tiers; limits vary | 1,000 MAUs; 20 peak connections; unlimited messages |
| Self-hosting | Self-hostable; confirm which components can run there | Enterprise offers shared or dedicated servers |
| API and SDKs | REST, SDKs, webhooks; Node.js, Python, Go, PHP | Communications API; homepage shows a Swift call example |
| CLI and docs | CLI and MCP included; API errors have fix guidance | Homepage shows an API example, not a CLI |
| Integrations | MCP, REST, SDKs, webhooks and serverless examples | Homepage presents its communications API and delight.ai |
| Deployment model | Communications APIs and dashboard; self-hosting is listed | Enterprise offers dedicated or shared server |
| Data export | Export terms aren't published | Pro includes data export; Enterprise add-on available |
Bird Choose Bird if
- Choose Bird if you send across several customer messaging channels.
- Choose Bird if REST, webhooks, CLI and MCP fit your workflow.
- Choose Bird if channel-based usage pricing suits your traffic.
Sendbird Choose Sendbird if
- Choose Sendbird if your product needs in-app conversation infrastructure.
- Choose Sendbird if MAU tiers match your chat product's growth.
- Choose Sendbird if you need Pro data export or translation.
02Pricing at real usage
Bird has no single subscription price for its channel APIs. Email sending plans include free and paid options, with monthly wallet funding from $15; Apple Messages starts at $100 in monthly funding. US outbound long-code SMS is listed at $0.0035 per segment, plus carrier fees. US WhatsApp marketing messages are $0.005 each, plus Meta fees. Voice rates vary by destination and duration. Usage draws from the Bird balance, and unused balance carries forward.
Sendbird's free trial allows up to 1,000 MAUs and 20 peak connections, with unlimited monthly messages and no overages. Starter covers 5,000 MAUs and costs $399 monthly or $349 per month with annual billing. Pro covers 5,000 MAUs at $599 monthly or $499 with annual billing. Both include 30,000 free in-app business messages. MAU overage fees may apply; Sendbird does not publish the amount. Enterprise pricing is custom.
03API, SDKs and integration
Bird exposes communications APIs and lists REST, webhooks, MCP and SDKs, with examples for Node.js, Python, Go, PHP and serverless. Its developer tools include a CLI, and SDKs, CLI and MCP are included while API usage is billed separately. Bird's homepage describes sandbox scenarios for deliveries, bounces and spam complaints, signed-webhook verification and retries that avoid duplicate sends. The dashboard also handles templates, event-driven workflows and voice call flows.
Sendbird describes its offering as a communications API for conversation infrastructure. Its homepage shows a SendBirdCall example in Swift that places a call using SendBirdCall.dial. It also presents delight.ai, an AI concierge for customer experiences across the customer journey. The homepage does not name integrations or a CLI. The examples establish a communications API and a Swift calling path, but they do not describe the same multichannel email and SMS workflow Bird presents.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Neither vendor states an open-source licence for these products. Bird is listed as self-hostable, but its core offer is also a communications API and workspace; ask which components can run in your environment and how updates are delivered. Sendbird lists dedicated or shared server options for Enterprise, which is not the same as a documented self-hosted deployment.
Sendbird includes data export with Pro and lists Enterprise data export as an add-on; Enterprise add-on pricing is not published. Bird does not publish data-export terms in its product pages. Before committing, ask both vendors about conversation history, contact and template export formats, and what remains accessible after cancellation. Switching effort will depend on how much application logic, workflow configuration and customer data relies on vendor-specific APIs.
Questions people ask
What is the Sendbird company?
Sendbird provides communications APIs for conversation infrastructure and an AI platform called delight.ai. The company describes delight.ai as an AI concierge for personalized customer experiences across the customer journey. Its homepage says its communications infrastructure powers billions of conversations every month.
How much does Sendbird cost?
Sendbird's free trial allows up to 1,000 MAUs, 20 peak connections and unlimited messages, with no overages. Starter costs $399 monthly or $349 per month with annual billing. Pro costs $599 monthly or $499 with annual billing. Enterprise pricing is custom.
Is Bird an alternative to GetStream?
Bird is an option to compare if you need customer messaging APIs, including email, SMS, WhatsApp, Apple Messages and voice. Sendbird focuses on conversation infrastructure. Whether either fits a GetStream use case depends on the channels and conversation features your application needs.
Who are Sendbird's main competitors?
Bird is one product to compare with Sendbird, particularly for applications that need multichannel outbound messaging as well as APIs and developer tools. The right comparison set depends on whether you need in-app conversations, customer messaging across channels, AI customer experiences or a combination.