MessageBird
performance benchmarks
Browse MessageBird's observed SMS API response time, error rates, and incident history over the last 90 days.
Live performance metrics
Real-world performance data from messages sent through Knock
| Message volume | Growth | Status page updates (30d) | Status page updates (90d) |
|---|---|---|---|
<1M | 7th of 7 ↑ | 4 | 12 |
From January 3rd to April 2nd, Knock routed <1M messages through MessageBird. For adoption, MessageBird ranks 7th of 7 providers based on new channel connections, with adoption accelerating over the period. MessageBird reported 12 status page updates over the last 90 days, 4 of which were in the last 30 days.
Response time
Response time measures how long MessageBird takes to accept an SMS API request from Knock, including connection overhead and any automatic retries. Lower values mean faster message hand-off.
| Median (p50) | p90 | p95 | p99 |
|---|---|---|---|
311ms | 407ms | 432ms | 535ms |
From January 3rd to April 2nd, MessageBird averaged a daily median response time (p50) of 311ms across all days in the range, meaning half of all SMS API requests on a typical day complete in under 311ms. The 99th percentile averaged 535ms, with a peak daily p99 of 7528ms. This is slightly higher than some providers, which may reflect additional processing MessageBird performs on message acceptance.
Error rate
Error rate tracks the ratio of 5xx responses and timeouts to total SMS API requests. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
| Avg. daily error rate | Highest daily rate | Peak error date | Zero-error days | Days above 0.01% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0.00% | 0.00% | Jan 3 | 79 | 0 |
From January 3rd to April 2nd, MessageBird averaged a 0.00% daily error rate for 5xx responses and timeouts, with the highest single-day error rate reaching 0.00%. This is one of the lowest error rates among providers on Knock, indicating strong reliability and consistent uptime. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
About these metrics: Data represents messages sent through Knock to MessageBird during the specified period. Response time measures time from Knock to provider acceptance. Error rate includes only provider 5xx responses and timeouts.
Recent MessageBird incidents
Recent status page incidents for MessageBird
Started Mar 31, 2026 — Resolved Mar 31, 2026
Mar 31, 15:47 CEST Resolved - This incident has been resolved.Mar 31, 14:25 CEST Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. Affected customers are advised to retry their campaigns.Mar 31, 13:29 CEST Identified - We are currently investigating an issue impacting campaigns activated in the EP Marketing Suite within the last 30 minutes. Affected campaigns are failing approximately 10 minutes after activation. Our team is actively working on a fix.
Started Mar 24, 2026 — Resolved Mar 24, 2026
Mar 24, 15:37 CET Resolved - This incident has been resolved.Mar 24, 15:16 CET Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results.Mar 24, 14:49 CET Investigating - We are currently investigating this issue.
Started Mar 23, 2026 — Resolved Mar 23, 2026
Mar 23, 10:34 CET Resolved - This incident has been resolved.Mar 23, 09:42 CET Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results.Mar 23, 08:29 CET Investigating - Flows and Journeys are impacted. We are investigating this issue.
Started Mar 11, 2026 — Resolved Mar 11, 2026
Mar 11, 16:07 CET Resolved - This incident has been resolved.Mar 11, 14:52 CET Investigating - We are currently investigating processing delays impacting a subset of flows & journeys configured with contact-added-to-list triggers.
Started Feb 24, 2026 — Resolved Feb 24, 2026
Feb 24, 01:10 CET Resolved - This incident has been resolved.Feb 24, 01:00 CET Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results.Feb 24, 00:49 CET Update - We are continuing to work on a fix for this issue.Feb 23, 23:43 CET Identified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.Feb 23, 23:30 CET Investigating - We are currently observing problems with our MMS service resulting in failed messages sending to US based routes. We are investigating the situa
Pricing calculator
| Plan | Per message | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Local number | $0.0003 | $31 |
Bird (formerly MessageBird) publishes per-country rate cards rather than a single headline price. US outbound SMS via local numbers costs $0.00031 per message, with short codes at $0.0009 and toll-free at $0.00147. Carrier surcharges apply on top. International rates vary widely by destination.
US carrier surcharges
All US A2P SMS sent via 10DLC incurs mandatory carrier fees on top of the provider base rate. Most providers pass these through at cost.
| Carrier | Outbound SMS | Inbound SMS |
|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile | $0.0045 | $0.0025 |
| AT&T | $0.003 | $0.003 |
| Verizon | $0.004 | $0.00 |
| US Cellular | $0.005 | $0.00 |
Compare MessageBird with other providers
About MessageBird
MessageBird (now Bird) is an omnichannel communications platform with global SMS coverage and a unified messaging API.
Pros
- Strong global coverage with direct carrier connections in 190+ countries
- Unified API across SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, and other channels
- Visual flow builder enables non-technical users to create messaging workflows
- Now part of Bird, offering an expanded platform for customer engagement
Cons
- Pricing is published as per-country rate cards rather than simple headline rates, making comparison harder
- Rebranding to Bird has caused some confusion in documentation and branding
- Smaller developer community compared to Twilio
Frequently asked questions
What is MessageBird?
MessageBird is an SMS provider commonly used for omnichannel customer communications, global transactional sms, marketing campaigns across channels. MessageBird (now Bird) is an omnichannel communications platform with global SMS coverage and a unified messaging API.
How much does MessageBird cost?
Bird (formerly MessageBird) publishes per-country rate cards rather than a single headline price. US outbound SMS via local numbers costs $0.00031 per message, with short codes at $0.0009 and toll-free at $0.00147. Carrier surcharges apply on top. International rates vary widely by destination. MessageBird does not offer a permanent free tier.
How fast is MessageBird?
Based on real-world data from messages sent through Knock, MessageBird accepts SMS API requests with a median response time of 311ms (p50) and 535ms at the 99th percentile.
How reliable is MessageBird?
From January 3rd to April 2nd, MessageBird showed an error rate of 0.00% for 5xx responses and timeouts across <1M messages sent through Knock. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
What are the pros and cons of MessageBird?
Key strengths include strong global coverage with direct carrier connections in 190+ countries and unified api across sms, whatsapp, telegram, and other channels. On the other hand, pricing is published as per-country rate cards rather than simple headline rates, making comparison harder and rebranding to bird has caused some confusion in documentation and branding.
Does MessageBird work with Knock?
Yes. Knock has a native MessageBird integration that enables you to send SMS notifications through MessageBird as part of a cross-channel workflow. You can combine MessageBird with other channels like in-app feeds, push, email, and Slack from a single API call.
Use MessageBird with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate MessageBird alongside other notification channels, manage templates, and orchestrate cross-channel workflows from a single platform.