Bird review (formerly MessageBird)
Bird, formerly MessageBird, is a global SMS platform with a registered Australian entity, office or local support, based in Amsterdam with Bird.com Pty Ltd registered in Sydney. ACMA lists it on its approved list for the SMS Sender ID Register as a certified telco. It bills in US dollars, at 3.25 US cents per segment at one thousand messages a month, and at fifteen thousand a month ≈ 4.79c AUD landed, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks).
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One of 56 brands reviewed. Not in the priced comparison: prices on flat rate, not monthly volume.
- $0.0325 per segment to Australia, below Twilio's $0.0515 in the same currency
- An alphanumeric sender is priced the same as a long code
- USD $3.00 a month for an Australian mobile number
- ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 certifications on its trust page
- Priced in US dollars with no AUD view, so the Australian cost floats
- No phone number, no published support hours and no uptime commitment
- 1.6 from 22 Trustpilot reviews on an unclaimed profile
- No trial credit is published
Bird at a glance, checked 21 October 2026
What Bird publishes, read from its own pages, the Australian Business Register and ACMA's list. 11 of 14 facts are published; the rest say so. What each row measures.
| Fact | Bird | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Rate at 15,000 a month | ≈ 4.79c AUD landed (billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks)), 0.86c below the price index median of 5.66c | |
| Lowest published rate | ≈ 4.79c AUD landed (billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks)) at one flat rate per segment, alphanumeric or long code | |
| Inbound reply cost | Not published | |
| Carrier routing | Not published | |
| Australian entity | Tier 2, Registered AU entity | |
| ACMA Sender ID Register list | Listed under its own name as a certified telco, registers with or without an ABN | |
| Uptime or SLA published | Not published | |
| Support as published | Email to support@bird.com; no phone number and no support hours are published | |
| Public review rating | 1.6 out of 5 from 22 reviews on Trustpilot, read 19 September 2026 | |
| Sending methods published | Web app, API | |
| Two-way SMS and MMS | Two-way yes, MMS not published | |
| Editorial score | 6.4 out of 10 on the published rubric, latest read 28 September 2026 | |
| Head office | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |
| Founded | 2011 |
Bird publishes ≈ 4.79c AUD landed (billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks)) per SMS at 15,000 messages a month, 0.86c below the price index median of 5.66c, is a tier 2 provider, is on ACMA's approved list as a certified telco, offers support via Email to support@bird.com; no phone number and no support hours are published, and holds 1.6 out of 5 from 22 reviews on Trustpilot.
What Bird scores, and why
Bird publishes $0.0325 per segment to Australia, below Twilio's $0.0515 but above Clickatell's $0.02176, and prices an alphanumeric sender the same as a long code. It is priced in US dollars with no AUD view, so the Australian cost moves with the exchange rate. It holds a registered Australian entity, Bird.com Pty Ltd (ACN 611 673 575), and a Sydney office. It publishes no phone number, no support hours and no uptime commitment, and its Trustpilot profile stands at 1.6 from 22 reviews, 17 of them in the last twelve months. It carries ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 certifications, with the ISO/IEC 27001 scope document gated behind an access request.
Australian presence: tier 2, Registered AU entity. Registered Australian entity, Bird.com Pty Ltd (ACN 611 673 575, incorporated 2016 as MessageBird Pty Ltd), and a Sydney office
ACMA lists it as BIRD.COM PTY LTD. ACMA's list read 19 September 2026.
What Bird offers Australian senders
| API | Yes |
|---|---|
| Two-way SMS | Yes |
| Dedicated number | Yes |
| Alphanumeric sender ID | Yes |
Nothing published either way on Email to SMS, SMPP, MMS, RCS or Shared number.
Bird states that it holds ISO/IEC 27001 (ISO/IEC 27001:2022; the ISMS scope document is gated behind an access request), SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3.
What Bird costs
Bird bills in US dollars: 3.25 US cents per SMS at 1,000 messages a month, ≈ 4.79c AUD landed at 15,000, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks).
| Messages a month | Rate |
|---|---|
| 1K | ≈ 4.79c AUD landedbilled as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks) |
| 15K | ≈ 4.79c AUD landedbilled as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks) |
| 125K | ≈ 4.79c AUD landedbilled as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks) |
| 250K | ≈ 4.79c AUD landedbilled as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks) |
US cents per message segment, not Australian cents, so the AUD cost floats with the exchange rate. The currency toggle on the pricing page offers USD and EUR only, with no AUD view. The same $0.0325 applies to an alphanumeric sender and to a long code, no volume ladder is published for Australia, and the separate carrier-fees page showed no Australian fee.
Read from the provider's own pricing page on 2026-09-28.
What Bird costs at your volume
Bird at 15K tier: ≈ 4.79c AUD landed, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks)At 15,000 messages a month Bird costs ≈ $719 AUD landed, $269 more than Mobile Message, $130 below the field median. Rates are each provider's published price at the 15K tier; above 250,000 most providers negotiate. Bird bills in US dollars, so its figure here is ≈ 4.79c AUD landed, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks).
Bird pricing
Bird prices on a flat rate. The published rate of 3.25 US cents per message segment applies to Australian numbers, and it stays the same whether you send ten messages or ten thousand. There is no volume ladder published for Australia, so you should not plan on a discount for scale.
The rate is set in US cents per message segment, not Australian cents. The currency toggle on the pricing page offers USD and EUR only, with no AUD view. Your real Australian cost therefore moves with the exchange rate and any card foreign exchange fee your bank applies. The separate carrier-fees page showed no Australian fee, which keeps the working cost closer to the headline rate.
An alphanumeric sender is priced the same as a long code at this provider. That is a genuine strength if you want a branded sender name, because some competitors charge a premium for it. The site's verdict notes the rate sits below Twilio's published rate in the same currency. The next section covers what else your money buys.
Bird features for Australian senders
Bird publishes an API, two-way SMS, a dedicated number and an alphanumeric sender ID. Two-way messaging works only from a long code, and replies are delivered to you as signed webhooks, per its Australia destinations page. An alphanumeric sender ID is supported but cannot receive replies. An Australian mobile number costs USD $3.00 a month for an Australian mobile number per month.
The web app also handles recipient uploads. You can import contacts from the Contacts page using a CSV, TSV or Excel file with a header row, and the columns are matched to email, phone number and contact properties. Everyone in the file can be added to one or more audiences, and an SMS broadcast to a stored audience is then built and sent or scheduled from the dashboard. The facts record no published position on email to SMS, SMPP, MMS or RCS for Australian mobiles, so treat those as unconfirmed. Sender identity is the next consideration.
Bird sender ID and the ACMA register
ACMA's approved list for the SMS Sender ID Register lists this provider under its own name as a certified telco, with the entry reading BIRD.COM PTY LTD. That listing means a business registering a sender ID through Bird works with a provider already accepted onto the approved list.
You register your sender ID within the Bird platform, and its listing status supports that process for Australian numbers. This is the practical benefit of the entry. Reputation and service levels matter just as much, so consider those next.
Bird support and reputation
Support runs by email to support@bird.com. No phone number and no published support hours appear anywhere on its site, and it publishes no uptime commitment. If your messaging is mission critical, plan around email-only support.
Its public standing is mixed. The Trustpilot profile stands at 1.6 from 22 reviews, and the profile is unclaimed, which means the company has not verified it. On the security side, Bird states it holds ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 certifications, listed on its trust page. The ISO/IEC 27001 scope document is gated behind an access request, so you cannot read the scope before you sign up. Fit is the final question.
Who Bird suits
Bird suits a business with development capability that wants a flat, simple rate and a branded sender name at no extra cost. The API, webhook replies and audience broadcasts cover the core sending tasks, and the carrier-fees page showed no Australian fee on top of the segment rate. A business already billing in US dollars, or one willing to absorb the float, gets a competitive price for the Australian route.
A business that wants a predictable Australian dollar cost should look elsewhere. The pricing carries no AUD view, the cost moves with the exchange rate, and no trial credit is published. No phone support, no published support hours and a weak unclaimed review profile add further risk. Larger senders should also note there is no published volume ladder for Australia, so there is nothing to negotiate against.
How much is Bird?
Bird costs ≈ 4.79c AUD landed per SMS at 15,000 messages a month, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks).
Who owns Bird?
Bird names no parent company on its own pages. Its head office is in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and it was founded in 2011.
Is Bird good?
On this site Bird scores 6.4 out of 10 on its published rubric. Trustpilot shows 1.6 out of 5 from 22 reviews. Support is Email to support@bird.com; no phone number and no support hours are published.
What is Bird used for?
Bird is used for programmable SMS through an API and SMS marketing campaigns, and it publishes two-way replies.
Similar providers to Bird
- Kudosity · 7.7/10, 7.90c at 15,000, Sydney, New South Wales
- Tall Bob · Prahran, Victoria
- Sinch Engage · Stockholm, Sweden
Kudosity and Tall Bob are Australian-headquartered platforms, while Sinch Engage, like Bird, runs through a registered Australian entity, and all three offer email to SMS with MMS.
Compare Bird with another provider
| Measure | Bird | Kudosity |
|---|---|---|
| Overall out of 10 | 6.4 | 7.7 |
| Rate at 1K | ≈ 4.79c AUD landed, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks) | 7.90c |
| Rate at 15K | ≈ 4.79c AUD landed, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks) | 7.90c |
| Rate at 125K | ≈ 4.79c AUD landed, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks) | 7.90c |
| Rate at 250K | ≈ 4.79c AUD landed, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks) | 7.90c |
| Cost at 15,000 a month | ≈ $719 AUD landed, billed as 3.25 US cents, converted at the RBA rate on 27 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks) | $1,185 |
| Dedicated number | Yes | Yes |
| Alpha sender ID | Yes | Yes |
| Two way | Yes | Yes |
| Head office | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Public reviews | 1.6/5 from 22 reviews on Trustpilot | 4.9/5 from 146 reviews on Trustpilot |
Verification log
What was read, where and when, with captures taken from an Australian IP (our method).
| Checked | Date read | What it said |
|---|---|---|
| Published rate card | US cents per message segment, not Australian cents, so the AUD cost floats with the exchange rate. The currency toggle on the pricing page offers USD and EUR only, with no AUD view. The same $0.0325 applies to an alphanumeric sender and to a long code, no volume ladder is published for Australia, and the separate carrier-fees page showed no Australian fee. Archived capture from ( before this verification ) | |
| Public reviews on Trustpilot | 1.6 out of 5 from 22 reviews |