TextBee vs Vonage SMS API
TextBee
textbee.devVonage SMS API
vonage.comSide by side
| Figure | TextBee | Vonage SMS API |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $8.33/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Spec score · SMS API services | 8.2 (#18) | 8.5 (#11) |
| Spec score · SMS APIs | 7.9 (#22) | 7.7 (#27) |
| Inbound webhooks | Yes | Yes |
| Support | The Free plan includes basic support, paid plans list priority support, and the maker provides support by email and through a Discord community. | Vonage's signing guide says customers can contact support to enable signatures on incoming SMS messages and delivery receipts. |
| Two-way SMS | Yes | Yes |
| What it does | TextBee turns an Android phone and its SIM into an SMS gateway that apps can use to send and receive messages through a REST API. | The SMS API lets applications send SMS and look up messages sent from an account or to its virtual numbers. |
Plans
TextBee
- FreeFree
- Pro (monthly)$14.99 a month
- Scale (monthly)$29.99 a month
- Pro (yearly)$99.99 a year
- Scale (yearly)$199.99 a year
- CustomPriced on request
In their own words
Vonage SMS API
Vonage SMS API lets applications send SMS and look up messages sent from an account or to its virtual numbers. It supports two-way messaging, inbound webhooks, short codes, and toll-free numbers, but not MMS. Pricing is usage-based and varies by country and number type; pricing is on request. There is no free plan, though Vonage offers a free trial and invites developers to start with free credit without a credit card. SDKs are listed for Node.js, Python, Java, Kotlin, Ruby, PHP, and .NET, alongside CLI tools and developer resources. Use cases include appointment and delivery notifications, customer engagement, and private communication between users. Adaptive Routing can reroute messages to optimize delivery. The API documentation describes signing outgoing messages and verifying incoming signatures to check their origin and detect tampering or replay. Vonage says its SMS developer tools reach 6 billion people in practically every country. Customers sending SMS in the USA using 10-digit geographic numbers need to follow 10DLC guidelines. Vonage was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey.