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 | 5th of 7 → | 4 | 12 |
From February 15th to May 14th, Knock routed <1M messages through MessageBird. For adoption, MessageBird ranks 5th of 7 providers based on new channel connections, with adoption holding steady 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
328ms | 429ms | 454ms | 552ms |
From February 15th to May 14th, MessageBird averaged a daily median response time (p50) of 328ms across all days in the range, meaning half of all SMS API requests on a typical day complete in under 328ms. The 99th percentile averaged 552ms, 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% | Feb 15 | 80 | 0 |
From February 15th to May 14th, MessageBird averaged a 0.00% daily error rate for 5xx responses and timeouts, with the highest single-day error rate reaching 0.00%. This peak coincided with a major incident reported on MessageBird's status page (Data Platform Degraded Performance - US-WEST region). 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 May 13, 2026 — Resolved May 13, 2026
May 13, 15:33 CEST Resolved - This incident has been resolved.May 13, 14:25 CEST Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results.May 13, 14:16 CEST Identified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.May 13, 13:33 CEST Investigating - We are currently experiencing an issue where journeys are not displaying in the user interface. Journey runs are not affected and continue to execute normally. At this time, the issue is limited to the listing/viewin
Started May 12, 2026 — Resolved May 12, 2026
May 12, 16:16 CEST Resolved - This incident has been resolved.May 12, 15:58 CEST Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results.May 12, 15:41 CEST Investigating - We are currently experiencing delays in processing journeys. The team is actively working to increase processing speed and reduce delays.
Started May 8, 2026 — Resolved May 8, 2026
May 8, 12:55 CEST Identified - KPN Netherlands has reported issues with A2P delivery to a small subset of their customer base, which may cause messages to be delivered with a delay or not at all. We are working closely with their engineering teams to have this resolved.
Started May 1, 2026 — Resolved May 1, 2026
May 1, 23:37 CEST Resolved - This incident has been resolved.May 1, 23:14 CEST Identified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.May 1, 22:06 CEST Investigating - We are seeing elevated errors with conversations involving bots in the EU region and we are currently investigating this issue.
Started Apr 7, 2026 — Resolved Apr 7, 2026
Apr 7, 10:32 CEST Resolved - All backlog fully processed.Apr 7, 09:28 CEST Monitoring - We've identified the cause of the issue affecting wait steps in automations. A rapid spike in automation activity outpaced our infrastructure's autoscaling response, leading to a temporary processing backlog. Our systems have since scaled to meet demand and the backlog is expected to clear completely in 30mins.Apr 7, 07:49 CEST Investigating - We are currently investigating this issue.
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 328ms (p50) and 552ms at the 99th percentile.
How reliable is MessageBird?
From February 15th to May 14th, 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.