| SimplyRCS | Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-message price | $0.0039 per RCS text segment, $0.0150 per card or media message, carrier fees at cost (pricing) | RCS not published: "RCS is in private beta. Contact Sales to discuss access and a quote" (Bird RCS pricing, checked 7 October 2026). US SMS $0.0035 per segment on long code and toll-free, $0.0070 on short code, carrier fees separate (Bird US SMS pricing, checked 7 October 2026) |
| Go-live time | First verified US send targeted in 2 to 4 weeks | Not published (Bird RCS pricing, checked 7 October 2026) |
| Who files verification | SimplyRCS files the brand, 10DLC campaigns and RCS sender for you | Not published; RCS access goes through Bird's sales team (Bird RCS pricing, checked 7 October 2026) |
Competitor figures are taken from Bird's own pages, linked in each cell, and were checked on 7 October 2026.
Bird, formerly MessageBird, is a European-headquartered omnichannel platform for SMS, WhatsApp, email and RCS, with a visual Flow Builder and customer-data tools aimed at AI marketing. Its RCS pricing page says RCS is in private beta and sends buyers to sales for access and a quote, so no RCS rate is published. Bird does list US SMS at $0.0035 per segment on long code and toll-free and $0.0070 on short code, with carrier fees separate, and publishes no onboarding timeline. SimplyRCS is US-only and RCS-led, with RCS priced on the page at $0.0039 per text segment and $0.0150 per card or media message, carrier fees at cost. SimplyRCS files the brand, 10DLC campaigns and RCS sender for you and targets a first verified US send in 2 to 4 weeks.
No card. Your brand on a real handset in days. US Tier-1 carrier delivery through Signalmash, on published rates.
Bird, formerly MessageBird, is a European-headquartered omnichannel CPaaS (SMS, WhatsApp, email, RCS) with a well-regarded visual Flow Builder and a customer-data platform. Bird's public direction has centered on AI marketing tooling; if core messaging support depth matters, ask both vendors the same SLA questions.
SimplyRCS vs Bird, line by line.
Every row, both sides. Search to jump to what matters, hover a row to focus it.
| Feature | SimplyRCS | Bird |
|---|---|---|
| SimplyRCS US-only; direct to AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile | Bird European focus | |
| SimplyRCS RCS, SMS, MMS, short code, toll-free, 10DLC, two-way | Bird Omnichannel (SMS, WhatsApp, email, RCS in private beta) | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, bot canvas, blasts, templates, assets | Bird Yes, Flow Builder | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, renders as Google Messages before send | Bird Yes | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, shared inbox with routable queues | Bird Yes | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, application and full API, one price | Bird App + API | |
| SimplyRCS REST API, signed webhooks, OpenAPI, self-serve keys | Bird APIs + CDP | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, we prep & submit brand + campaigns for you | Bird Self-serve | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, unified queue with audit trail | Bird Self-managed | |
| SimplyRCS 2-4 weeks (target) | Bird Not published | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, on the website | Bird SMS published; RCS not published | |
| SimplyRCS Carrier rates, no monthly platform fee; software free | Bird US SMS per segment plus carrier fees; RCS by quote | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, itemized at checkout, carrier fees on their own line | Bird US SMS carrier fees listed as separate from the rate | |
| SimplyRCS $0.0039 text segment; $0.0150 card or media | Bird Not published; RCS in private beta | |
| SimplyRCS $250 one-time RCS Sender ID setup and review (support; waived with Premium Support) / $0 to change | Bird - | |
| SimplyRCS $0 a month, software free; email support free, Premium Support optional at $250/mo | Bird Usage-priced SMS; RCS by quote |
Where the two differ.
Weigh both sides. The bar shows how the reasons stack up.
- US-only focus with direct US carrier connections, versus a Europe-first platform.
- RCS-led with white-glove US carrier approval handled.
- Free email support on every account, and an optional dedicated expert through Premium Support.
- Published carrier-rate pricing and itemized fees.
- Same price for API and app, every feature included.
A comparison that only lists our strengths is not worth reading. These are things Bird offers that SimplyRCS does not, stated as facts.
- Bird runs WhatsApp and email alongside SMS and RCS on one platform.
- Bird has a visual Flow Builder for automation across those channels.
- Bird includes a customer-data platform and AI marketing tooling.
- Bird is headquartered in Europe and sells into European markets.
- Bird's published US SMS list rate is $0.0035 per segment on long code and toll-free, below the SimplyRCS $0.0039, with carrier fees separate on both.
What Bird charges for RCS
Bird does not publish RCS pricing. Its RCS pricing page says RCS is in private beta and directs buyers to sales to discuss access and a quote. Bird does publish US SMS pricing: $0.0035 per segment on long code and toll-free, $0.0070 per segment on short code, with carrier fees separate.
| What you are billed for | Bird | SimplyRCS |
|---|---|---|
| Per-message RCS rate | Not published; RCS in private beta, quote from sales | $0.0039 per text segment, $0.0150 per card or media message |
| US SMS rate | $0.0035 per segment long code and toll-free, $0.0070 short code | $0.0039 per segment |
| Platform fee | Not published for RCS | None; software free, no monthly agent fee |
| Carrier fees | Separate from the SMS rate | Passed through at cost, on their own line |
Checked on 7 October 2026 against Bird's RCS pricing page and Bird's US SMS pricing page. Verify current pricing with Bird directly.
The practical consequence is that a Bird RCS budget cannot be built before you talk to Bird, and access itself depends on the private beta. Bird's SMS rates are public, so an SMS-only programme can be priced from the page; the RCS rate, which is the number an RCS programme needs, is the part that is not.
Worth asking for specifically in any quote: the rich text and rich media rates separately, whether RCS is billed per segment or per message, and whether carrier surcharges are passed through at cost. For contrast, our two published figures are $0.0039 per text segment and $0.0150 for a card or a message carrying media, both on the pricing page, with the fee method in billing transparency.
What migration involves
Moving from Bird covers three things: the numbers, the registrations behind them, and a cutover window.
- Numbers. SimplyRCS ports your US long codes, toll-free numbers and short codes from Bird. 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 any verified RCS agent, are tied to Bird as the provider and do not move with the number, so SimplyRCS re-files them for you. Because Bird's RCS is in private beta, a Bird account may have no RCS agent at all; SimplyRCS files a new RCS sender either way.
- Cutover. Bird SMS traffic keeps running while the new registrations are approved, and both providers run in parallel until the first verified send on SimplyRCS. SimplyRCS charges nothing for the overlap.
A US business that wants an RCS-led platform tuned to US carriers, with approval handled and support that’s actually responsive, rather than a Europe-first suite mid-pivot to AI marketing. Common in US retail and e-commerce. Weighing the global suites too? See SimplyRCS vs Infobip and SimplyRCS vs Sinch.
SimplyRCS vs Bird, answered.
Is Bird US-focused?
No, it’s European-headquartered. SimplyRCS is built for US carriers and compliance.
Does Bird handle US carrier approval?
Bird does not publish a done-for-you US registration service or an onboarding timeline, and RCS access goes through its sales team. SimplyRCS prepares and submits your brand, campaigns and RCS sender for you.
Why pick SimplyRCS over Bird?
If you want RCS-led messaging for the US with approval handled and responsive support, SimplyRCS is purpose-built for it.
Is SimplyRCS a good Bird (MessageBird) alternative for US RCS?
For US business messaging, yes. It delivers RCS, SMS and MMS on one platform with a no-code builder and two-way inbox, plus white-glove US carrier approval Bird leaves to you.
How does pricing compare between SimplyRCS and Bird?
SimplyRCS publishes carrier-rate messaging with no monthly platform fee and every fee itemized: $0.0039 per RCS text segment and $0.0150 per card or media message. Bird publishes US SMS at $0.0035 per segment on long code and toll-free and $0.0070 on short code, carrier fees separate, but its RCS is in private beta with no published rate, so RCS cost cannot be forecast before a sales conversation.
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.
Bird 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 Bird bill. We port your numbers and re-file your registrations, you keep both running until you cut over.