| SimplyRCS | Vonage | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-message price | $0.0039 per RCS text segment, $0.0150 per card or media message, carrier fees at cost (pricing) | US RCS rates not published; RCS charged per message by tier (Basic, Rich, Rich Media); US SMS $0.0086 outbound plus carrier fees (Vonage Messages pricing, checked 7 October 2026) |
| Go-live time | First verified US send targeted in 2 to 4 weeks | "In the US specifically, it can take up to 3 months to launch an agent" (Vonage support, checked 7 October 2026) |
| Who files verification | SimplyRCS files the brand, 10DLC campaigns and RCS sender for you | The customer submits the RCS agent in the Vonage dashboard; Vonage reviews it and submits to carriers after Aegis vetting (Vonage support, checked 7 October 2026) |
Competitor figures are taken from Vonage's own pages, linked in each cell, and were checked on 7 October 2026.
Vonage, formerly Nexmo and now owned by Ericsson, sells a global Messages API covering SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, RCS and Viber alongside voice, video and contact-center products. It does not publish US RCS rates: its pricing page says RCS is charged per message by tier (Basic, Rich, Rich Media), and US SMS lists at $0.0086 outbound plus carrier fees. Customers submit their own RCS agent in the Vonage dashboard, and Vonage's support documentation says a US agent can take up to 3 months to launch. SimplyRCS is a US-only, RCS-led platform: $0.0039 per RCS text segment, $0.0150 per card or media message, carrier fees at cost. SimplyRCS files the brand, 10DLC campaigns and RCS sender for you, targeting 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.
Vonage (formerly Nexmo, now owned by Ericsson) offers a mature omnichannel Messages API, SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, RCS, Viber, and more, plus unified communications (business phone and contact center) and global reach.
SimplyRCS vs Vonage, line by line.
Every row, both sides. Search to jump to what matters, hover a row to focus it.
| Feature | SimplyRCS | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| SimplyRCS US-only, RCS-led | Vonage Global omnichannel + UC | |
| SimplyRCS RCS, SMS, MMS, short code, toll-free, 10DLC, two-way | Vonage SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, RCS, Viber, Messenger | |
| SimplyRCS $0.0039 | Vonage $0.0086 outbound + carrier fees | |
| SimplyRCS Standard; we file your agent | Vonage Customer submits the agent in the Vonage dashboard | |
| SimplyRCS Yes | Vonage API-first | |
| SimplyRCS Yes, every rate | Vonage SMS rates published; US RCS rates not published | |
| SimplyRCS $0.0039, carrier fees at cost | Vonage $0.0086 outbound, plus carrier fees | |
| SimplyRCS $0.0039 text segment, $0.0150 card or media | Vonage Not published for the US; charged per message by tier (Basic, Rich, Rich Media) | |
| SimplyRCS White-glove, done for you | Vonage Vonage reviews the customer's agent and submits it to carriers after Aegis vetting |
Where the two differ.
Weigh both sides. The bar shows how the reasons stack up.
- Verified, branded RCS live in weeks, with white-glove US carrier approval done for you.
- The app, API, and inbox at one price, no separate products to license.
- Published carrier-rate pricing with every fee itemized, including US RCS rates Vonage does not publish.
- A lower US SMS list rate, $0.0039 versus $0.0086 outbound plus carrier fees.
- Automatic SMS and MMS fallback so every message lands.
A comparison that only lists our strengths is not worth reading. These are things Vonage offers that SimplyRCS does not, stated as facts.
- Messaging APIs sold alongside unified communications (voice, video and contact center) from one vendor.
- Messaging outside the US, across many countries.
- Channels beyond RCS, SMS and MMS, including WhatsApp, Viber and Messenger.
- A place in the wider Vonage and Ericsson product ecosystem.
What Vonage charges for RCS
Vonage does not publish US RCS rates. Its Messages pricing page says RCS is charged per message by tier, Basic, Rich and Rich Media, and that some RCS markets require a one-time or monthly minimum charge per Sender ID, noting that setup fees may apply. The pricing data the same page loads lists US SMS at $0.0086 per outbound message plus carrier fees.
| What you are billed for | Vonage | SimplyRCS |
|---|---|---|
| Per-message RCS rate | Tiers published, US rates not published | $0.0039 per text segment, $0.0150 per card or media message |
| Message classes | Basic, Rich and Rich Media, each charged per message | Text per segment; cards and media per message |
| Sender setup | One-time or monthly minimum per Sender ID in some markets; setup fees may apply | One-time $250 RCS Sender ID setup and review per sender, waived with optional Premium Support at $250/month |
| Platform fee | Not published | None; software free, no monthly agent fee |
| Carrier fees | Added on top of the US SMS rate | Passed through at cost, on their own line |
Checked on 7 October 2026 against Vonage's Messages pricing page. Verify current pricing with Vonage directly.
Because every Vonage RCS tier is charged per message, a forecast comes down to numbers Vonage gives on request: the US Basic, Rich and Rich Media rates, and whether a Sender ID minimum or setup fee applies in the US. Ours are $0.0039 per text segment and $0.0150 per card or media message, published on the pricing page with the fee method in billing transparency.
What migration involves
Moving from Vonage 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 Vonage. 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 Vonage as the provider and do not move with the number. The agent you submitted in the Vonage dashboard, and that Vonage put through Aegis vetting, is re-filed under SimplyRCS, and SimplyRCS re-files the brand and campaigns for you.
- Cutover. Vonage 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 verified, branded RCS live in weeks, with the app, API, inbox, and carrier approval included, at published carrier-rate prices with every fee itemized, for example in financial services or retail and e-commerce. Comparing other global CPaaS platforms? See SimplyRCS vs Twilio and SimplyRCS vs Infobip, or the best Vonage alternatives for RCS for six providers on one page.
SimplyRCS vs Vonage, answered.
Is SimplyRCS a good Vonage alternative for RCS?
For US business messaging, yes. Vonage bundles messaging APIs with voice, video, and contact center for global buyers; SimplyRCS focuses on US RCS with a no-code app, inbox, and carrier approval included, at published rates.
How does Vonage onboard an RCS agent?
The customer submits the agent in the Vonage dashboard; Vonage reviews it and submits it to the carriers after Aegis vetting, and its US SMS list rate is $0.0086 outbound plus carrier fees. SimplyRCS files your RCS agent for you and lists US SMS at $0.0039, with an RCS text at $0.0039 a segment and a card or a message carrying media at $0.0150.
How long does it take to launch RCS on SimplyRCS versus Vonage?
SimplyRCS targets a first verified US RCS send in 2-4 weeks and prepares your brand, campaign, and agent submissions. Vonage's own support documentation says that in the US it can take up to 3 months to launch an agent.
Does SimplyRCS include the inbox and builder Vonage leaves to your developers?
Yes. Vonage is API-first, so you build the dashboard and inbox. SimplyRCS ships a no-code builder, a two-way inbox, and analytics, with the API at the same price as the app.
How does Vonage SMS API pricing compare with SimplyRCS?
Vonage lists US SMS at $0.0086 per outbound message plus carrier fees, and charges RCS per message by tier (Basic, Rich, Rich Media) without publishing the US rates. SimplyRCS lists US SMS and RCS text at $0.0039 with carrier fees passed through at cost, and the API costs the same as the app.
Does Vonage support RCS?
Yes. RCS is one of the channels in the Vonage Messages API, alongside SMS, MMS, WhatsApp and Viber. The customer submits the RCS agent in the Vonage dashboard, Vonage reviews it and submits it to the carriers after Aegis vetting, and Vonage's support documentation says a US agent can take up to 3 months to launch.
How much does Vonage RCS cost?
Vonage does not publish US RCS rates. Its pricing page says RCS is charged per message by tier (Basic, Rich, Rich Media) and that some markets carry a one-time or monthly minimum charge per Sender ID, so a US figure comes from Vonage on request. SimplyRCS publishes $0.0039 per RCS text segment and $0.0150 per card or media message, with carrier fees at cost.
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.
Vonage 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 Vonage bill. We port your numbers and re-file your registrations, you keep both running until you cut over.