TL;DR
Bird SMS API starts at $0.00331 per outbound US message and $0.003 per inbound US message, making it one of the lowest entry-level SMS API prices. There's a free plan (5 SMS/day) for testing, and the Pro plan ($49/month) includes 1,000 SMS credits.
This post breaks down Bird SMS pricing for 2025 and 2026, what drives up your bill, and how Bird stacks up to other SMS API providers.
Bird SMS Pricing Overview
Bird uses a two-part pricing model:
- Platform plan fee (monthly subscription)
- Per-message fee (pay-as-you-go, on top of your plan)
| Plan | Monthly cost | SMS included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 SMS/day |
| Pro | $49 | 1,000 SMS/month |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom volume |
After you exceed your included SMS, you pay per message:
- Outbound SMS (US): $0.00331/message
- Inbound SMS (US): $0.003/message
Bird lists CRM/Marketing Automation pricing in EUR on their detailed rate page, but these USD figures are for the API/developer tier. For the latest rates, check bird.com/en/pricing/sms as carrier and exchange rates can change.
Pricing Breakdown: SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, and Email
SMS
US outbound SMS: $0.00331/message. International rates vary:
| Country | Outbound rate (approx.) |
|---|---|
| United States | ~$0.00331 |
| United Kingdom | ~€0.036 |
| Australia | ~€0.009 |
| Germany | ~€0.056 |
| India | varies by route |
| Brazil | ~€0.047 |
Note: US/Canada messages may have additional carrier fees (10DLC, toll-free). See the hidden costs section.
MMS
MMS costs more than SMS and is available for US/Canada numbers. Expect 3–5x the SMS rate, depending on your plan. Check bird.com/en/pricing/sms for current MMS rates.
WhatsApp pricing has two components:
- Bird processing fee (per 1,000 messages):
| Volume | Fee per 1,000 messages |
|---|---|
| 1 to 1,000 | $0.001 |
| 1,001 to 100,000 | $0.005 |
| 100,001 to 500,000 | $0.0045 |
| 500,001+ | $0.004 |
- Meta passthrough fee (conversation-based):
- Marketing: $0.0250
- Utility: $0.0034
- Authentication: $0.0034
Bird passes Meta fees through at cost.
Email via Bird’s API starts at $0.001/email for low volumes. Pro plan includes 10,000 emails/month.
Voice
Voice API pricing is usage-based and country-specific. US outbound calls: ~$0.013–$0.015/min. Inbound slightly less. For high volume, contact Bird sales.
What Affects Your Bird Bill
Several factors can increase your actual cost:
1. Country and Carrier Routing
US SMS is cheap, but sending to Germany (~€0.056), Bangladesh (~€0.208), or Burundi (~€0.269) can be 10–80x the US rate. Always check Bird’s country rate sheet before estimating international spend.
2. Number Type
The phone number type you use changes costs:
- Long codes (10DLC): Standard US numbers; require brand/campaign registration.
- Short codes: 5–6 digit numbers, high throughput, higher rental ($500–$1,000/month).
- Toll-free: Lower monthly cost, moderate throughput.
Rental fees are on top of per-message rates.
3. Message Length and Encoding
- Standard SMS: 160 GSM-7 chars.
- Over 160 chars = multiple segments, each billed.
- Unicode (emoji/accented/non-Latin): 70 chars per segment. A single emoji in a 200-char message could result in 3 segments billed instead of 2.
4. Channel Mix
If you use fallback routes (e.g., WhatsApp if SMS fails), you’ll be charged for both. Model the cost impact before activating multi-channel flows in Bird’s Flow Builder.
5. Volume
No public tiered discounts for SMS volume. High-volume senders (millions/month) should negotiate custom Enterprise rates.
Hidden Costs and Fees
Bird is transparent, but watch these line items:
US Carrier Fees (10DLC)
US carriers require brand/campaign registration for A2P SMS:
- Brand registration: One-time fee (~$4–$44)
- Campaign registration: ~$10/month per campaign
- Per-message surcharge: Extra cents per message
These are set by carriers, not Bird, and are passed through at cost.
Phone Number Rental
- Long code: $1–$2/month
- Toll-free: $2–$3/month
- Short code: $500–$1,000/month
Inbound Webhooks and Processing
Inbound SMS triggers the inbound rate ($0.003/message for US). Opt-out/help replies count as inbound.
Platform Subscription
The $49/month Pro plan is fixed overhead. If you send low volumes, focus on per-message rates; for high volumes, the included 1,000 SMS may be a small fraction.
How Bird Compares to Alternatives
| Provider | US outbound SMS | US inbound SMS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bird | $0.00331 | $0.003 | Lowest base rate; omnichannel |
| Twilio | $0.0079 | $0.0079 | Higher base; huge ecosystem |
| Telnyx | ~$0.004 | ~$0.001 | Competitive; carrier-direct |
| Plivo | $0.0055 | $0.0005 | Lower inbound; simpler platform |
Bird offers the lowest US outbound base rate. Twilio is >2x at entry level, but volume discounts can close the gap for enterprises. If you want minimal SMS API overhead, Telnyx/Plivo are simpler. Bird is best for omnichannel (SMS, WhatsApp, email) with automation.
How to Get Started with Bird
- Create a free account at bird.com. Free plan: 5 SMS/day, no credit card required.
- Register your brand/campaign for US 10DLC compliance via the dashboard. Approval takes 1–3 business days.
- Provision a phone number (US long code) via the dashboard or Numbers API.
- Make your first API call. Bird uses REST/JSON. Example:
curl -X POST "https://api.bird.com/v1/messages" \
-H "Authorization: AccessKey YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"originator": "+1YOURNUMBER",
"recipients": ["+1DESTINATION"],
"body": "Hello from Bird SMS API!"
}'
See docs.bird.com for SDKs (Node.js, Python, PHP, Go, Java, Ruby) and webhook setup.
Conclusion
Bird SMS API is the lowest-cost base rate among major US providers ($0.00331/message). Free plan lets you test without a credit card; Pro covers 1,000 SMS/month at $49.
Watch out for: US 10DLC fees, number rental, and international message rates which can be much higher. Always build these into your cost model.
Pro tip: Use Apidog to test your Bird integration—build requests, manage environments, and chain tests before going live.
FAQ
What is the Bird SMS API price per message in the US?
$0.00331 per outbound US SMS, $0.003 per inbound. Additional 10DLC carrier fees apply.
Is Bird the same as MessageBird?
Yes. MessageBird rebranded to Bird in 2023. The API may still reference MessageBird in docs.
Does Bird charge for inbound SMS?
Yes, $0.003 per inbound US message. Replies like opt-out or help count as inbound.
What is the Bird free plan?
5 SMS/day, 10 emails/day, 15 AI agent messages/day. Public API access, no credit card required.
How does Bird SMS pricing compare to Twilio?
Bird ($0.00331) is cheaper than Twilio ($0.0079) for US outbound. At 100,000 messages/month, Bird costs ~$331, Twilio ~$790 (before Twilio’s volume discounts).
Are there hidden fees with Bird SMS?
Yes: US 10DLC brand/campaign fees, per-message carrier surcharges, phone number rental, and higher international rates.
How do I test the Bird SMS API without sending real messages?
Use Apidog Smart Mock to simulate API responses. You can also use Bird’s sandbox tools for test messages. Apidog lets you chain requests and assert on responses without touching production.
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