| SimplyRCS | Bandwidth | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-message price | $0.0039 per RCS text segment, $0.0150 per card or media message, carrier fees at cost (pricing) | By contract; Bandwidth's pricing page could not be checked on 7 October 2026 |
| Go-live time | First verified US send targeted in 2 to 4 weeks | By contract; account-managed onboarding with a kickoff and phased launch. Bandwidth's site could not be checked on 7 October 2026 |
| Who files verification | SimplyRCS files the brand, 10DLC campaigns and RCS sender for you | Account-managed under contract; Bandwidth's site could not be checked on 7 October 2026 |
Bandwidth's site returned a security check on 7 October 2026, so the Bandwidth cells restate its contract-first model and give no figure.
Bandwidth is a US communications provider that owns a nationwide IP network and sells messaging and voice to enterprises and other CPaaS providers, mostly on contract. Its RCS rates are negotiated rather than published, and onboarding runs through an account manager with a kickoff and a phased launch. SimplyRCS is a US-only, RCS-led platform with its prices on the page: $0.0039 per RCS text segment, $0.0150 per card or media message, carrier fees passed through at cost on their own line, and no contract, monthly minimum or platform fee. SimplyRCS files the brand, 10DLC campaigns and RCS sender for you and targets a first verified US send in 2 to 4 weeks, over direct connections to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
No card. Your brand on a real handset in days. US Tier-1 carrier delivery through Signalmash, on published rates.
Bandwidth is a US communications provider that owns its own nationwide IP network and has some of the deepest carrier relationships in the country. Its motion is enterprise and wholesale: a contracted onboarding (account manager, contracting, a “Welcome to RCS” kickoff, then phased launch), with no transparent pricing and no self-serve sign-up.
SimplyRCS vs Bandwidth, line by line.
Every row, both sides. Search to jump to what matters, hover a row to focus it.
| Feature | SimplyRCS | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|
| SimplyRCS US-only; direct to AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile | Bandwidth US; owns its network | |
| SimplyRCS RCS, SMS, MMS, short code, toll-free, 10DLC, two-way | Bandwidth SMS, MMS, RCS, voice (wholesale-leaning) | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, bot canvas, blasts, templates, assets | Bandwidth Limited; some no-code | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, renders as Google Messages before send | Bandwidth - | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, shared inbox with routable queues | Bandwidth No (infrastructure) | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, application and full API, one price | Bandwidth API / infrastructure | |
| SimplyRCS REST API, signed webhooks, OpenAPI, self-serve keys | Bandwidth APIs | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, we prep & submit brand + campaigns for you | Bandwidth High-touch but enterprise/contract | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, unified queue with audit trail | Bandwidth Account-managed | |
| SimplyRCS 2-4 weeks (target) | Bandwidth Contract-first kickoff | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, on the website | Bandwidth No, contract | |
| SimplyRCS Carrier rates, no monthly platform fee; software free | Bandwidth Wholesale / negotiated | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, itemized at checkout, carrier fees on their own line | Bandwidth Contract-based | |
| SimplyRCS $0.0039 text segment; $0.0150 card or media | Bandwidth By contract; not published | |
| SimplyRCS $250 one-time RCS Sender ID setup and review (support; waived with Premium Support) / $0 to change | Bandwidth Contracted | |
| SimplyRCS $0 a month, software free; email support free, Premium Support optional at $250/mo | Bandwidth Enterprise contract; account-managed support |
Where the two differ.
Weigh both sides. The bar shows how the reasons stack up.
- Self-serve and published-price, start without a contract or a sales cycle.
- A complete no-code app and two-way inbox, not just network infrastructure.
- Mid-market friendly; Bandwidth targets enterprises and other CPaaS providers.
- White-glove approval that ends in a product you operate, not a wholesale integration.
- Itemized, transparent fees instead of a negotiated contract.
A comparison that only lists our strengths is not worth reading. These are things Bandwidth offers that SimplyRCS does not, stated as facts.
- Bandwidth owns and operates its own nationwide US IP network.
- Bandwidth sells wholesale carrier capacity to enterprises and to other CPaaS providers.
- Bandwidth sells voice alongside messaging.
- Bandwidth negotiates contract terms and volume pricing per customer, with account-managed onboarding.
What Bandwidth charges for RCS
Bandwidth does not publish an RCS rate card. Rates come through an account manager as part of a negotiated contract, so there is no public number to compare against ours and we will not invent one.
What Bandwidth has published is the fee structure around the rate. When we read it on 9 September 2026, its documentation covered RCS for Business fees and surcharges, noted that SMS and RCS rich text are billed per segment while other message types are billed per message, set out carrier specifics such as a T-Mobile rich media fee that covers a set message size with a per-megabyte charge above it, and announced new Spectrum RCS for Business fees effective 1 January 2026.
| What you are billed for | Bandwidth | SimplyRCS |
|---|---|---|
| Per-message RCS rate | Not published, negotiated per contract | $0.0039 per text segment, $0.0150 per card or media message |
| Platform fee | Contracted | None; software free, no monthly agent fee |
| Carrier fees | Passed through, documented publicly | Passed through at cost, on their own line |
| Large media | T-Mobile charges per megabyte above its size allowance | Carrier fees passed through at cost, on their own line |
| Commitment | Enterprise contract | None, no contract or monthly minimum |
Read on 9 September 2026 in Bandwidth's published fee documentation; Bandwidth's site returned a security check on 7 October 2026 and could not be rechecked. Verify current pricing with Bandwidth directly.
If you are running a quote against us, the questions that make the comparison real are these: what is the per-message rate for rich text against rich media, is there a minimum monthly commitment or annual volume tier, what does the contract do at renewal, and are carrier surcharges passed through at cost or marked up. A negotiated rate is set per customer and per volume, which also makes it harder to forecast before the contract is signed. Our rates are on the pricing page and every surcharge is itemised, as described in billing transparency.
What migration involves
Moving from Bandwidth covers three things: the numbers, the registrations behind them, and a cutover window that fits your contract.
- Numbers. SimplyRCS ports your US long codes, toll-free numbers and short codes from Bandwidth. Long codes and toll-free numbers carry no carrier migration fee. Short-code migrations carry carrier-set fees, passed through at cost: $500 at T-Mobile, $250 at Verizon and $150 at Claro.
- Registrations. Your 10DLC brand and campaign registrations and your verified RCS agent are tied to Bandwidth as the provider and do not move with the number, so SimplyRCS re-files them for you.
- Contract. Bandwidth relationships are contracted, so the term and notice period in your agreement set the earliest date Bandwidth traffic can stop.
- Cutover. Both providers run in parallel while the new registrations are approved and until the first verified send on SimplyRCS. SimplyRCS charges nothing for the overlap.
A mid-market US business, for example in financial services, that wants Bandwidth-grade carrier reach without contract-first sales, with published pricing, a no-code app, and a team to get it live. Comparing developer-led options too? See SimplyRCS vs Twilio.
SimplyRCS vs Bandwidth, answered.
Does Bandwidth offer self-serve sign-up?
No, it’s contract-first with account-managed onboarding. SimplyRCS is self-serve with published pricing.
Is Bandwidth good for mid-market?
It’s built for enterprise and wholesale. SimplyRCS brings US-carrier strength to mid-market teams.
Does Bandwidth include an app and inbox?
It’s infrastructure-led. SimplyRCS includes a no-code builder and a two-way inbox.
Is SimplyRCS a good Bandwidth alternative for RCS?
For most mid-market senders, yes. Bandwidth is contract-first infrastructure; SimplyRCS gives you the same US-carrier reach as a self-serve product, with a no-code builder, inbox, and published pricing, live in 2-4 weeks.
How much does Bandwidth cost for RCS?
Bandwidth is contract-only with no published RCS pricing, so cost depends on negotiation and volume. SimplyRCS publishes carrier-rate pricing with no monthly platform fee, a one-time $250 RCS Sender ID setup and review, and no change fees.
Compare SimplyRCS with someone else.
Every head-to-head we publish, including the one you are reading. Weighing the whole field rather than one rival? SimplyRCS alternatives puts all ten providers on one page.
SimplyRCS vs. other providers
All competitor names are trademarks of their respective owners. Competitor figures come from each provider's own published pages, with the date each was checked beside it; verify current details with the provider.
Bandwidth is a fine platform. If you want it handled for you, that’s SimplyRCS.
Verified RCS live in weeks, with the app, API, and carrier approval handled for you, at published rates. Pick where you want to start.
Book a demo
See verified, branded RCS running on a real phone, your logo, your name, your flows, with our team walking you through it.
Free sender ID test
We verify a test sender with your name and logo and add your team’s phones, so you see your brand on a message before you commit. No card.
Get a migration quote
A line-for-line quote against your current Bandwidth bill. We port your numbers and re-file your registrations, you keep both running until you cut over.