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Sendbird is listed from $349 with a free plan, but its MAU limits and total price deserve a closer look before you commit. The alternatives here are not all direct replacements: some focus on communications APIs, while others are built around voice, video or multichannel conversations. Match the product to what your app actually needs, then confirm pricing, caps and migration requirements with each vendor. A lower entry price alone does not tell you what production usage will cost.
01Why people leave Sendbird
Need more hosting control
One Reddit thread asks for self-hosting, locally stored messages and end-to-end encryption. It reflects a buyer’s requirements, not proof that Sendbird lacks them.
Unanswered data-access questions
A Reddit user asked who can access chats handled by Sendbird. The thread points to Reddit’s privacy policy but does not resolve the question.
Price and MAU uncertainty
Sendbird is listed from $349 with a free plan; the published pricing summary flags MAU limits to check before switching.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Custom communications workflows
TwilioTwilioTwilio is a fit if you want flexible communications APIs and plan to build your own workflows rather than select a chat-focused service. The listing says it supports several messaging channels and usage-based APIs, with a starting price of $0.0001 and a free plan. Compare expected channel usage and registration costs against Sendbird’s MAU limits before deciding.
Trade-off: Budget for usage charges and messaging registration friction.
7.6/10from
$0.00/mofree plan - Voice AI and calls
DailyDailyDaily is worth comparing if your product needs audio or video calls, or you are building realtime voice AI agents. The listing includes free minutes and an open-source agent framework, with a $0 starting price and free plan. That makes it a different fit from a chat-first service, so assess whether its realtime toolkit matches your actual use case.
Trade-off: Forecast usage; free minutes do not establish your production cost.
7.0/10from
Freefree plan - Voice and video agents
LiveKitLiveKitLiveKit suits teams building voice or video agents that want control over models and behavior. It has a free plan and starts at $50, according to the pricing page. Compare its included minute caps with your projected sessions, and account for models and telephony before treating the entry price as your likely bill.
Trade-off: Session minutes, models and telephony add cost; check included caps.
7.6/10from
$50/mofree plan - Multichannel conversations
GupshupGupshupGupshup is a candidate if your Sendbird use case centers on multichannel customer conversations, WhatsApp campaigns or AI voice support. Its listing describes pay-as-you-go entry pricing, but gives no starting price. Ask for the limits and full fee structure in writing; the available information is not enough to compare its total cost with Sendbird.
Trade-off: Starting price and important limits are not published on the vendor's site.
6.8/10from
Custom - Global communications APIs
Vonage Communications APIsVonage Communications APIsVonage Communications APIs may suit teams that need voice, video and messaging for customers across countries. The pricing page gives a $13.99 starting price and describes a broad API offering. Before switching, confirm which features and usage that price covers: the available information does not verify API pricing details or user sentiment.
Trade-off: API pricing details and user sentiment are unverified in the published information.
5.5/10from
$13.99/mo - Messaging and payments
CM.com Communications PlatformCM.com Communications PlatformCM.com is worth a look if you want messaging and payments together, or need customer conversations coordinated across teams. The listing also identifies AI agents across channels as a use case. Its starting price is $58, but important plan limits are unspecified, so get a plan-level quote before comparing it with Sendbird.
Trade-off: Important plan limits are unspecified.
6.0/10from
$58/mo
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sendbird Sendbird (current) | 6.0 | $349/mo | Yes | Teams building chat into a product |
| Twilio Twilio | 7.6 | $0.00/mo | Yes | Teams building custom communications workflows |
| Daily Daily | 7.0 | Free | Yes | Teams building realtime voice AI agents |
| LiveKit LiveKit | 7.6 | $50/mo | Yes | Teams building voice or video agents |
| Gupshup Gupshup | 6.8 | Custom | No | Teams building multichannel customer conversations |
| Vonage Communications APIs Vonage Communications APIs | 5.5 | $13.99/mo | No | Teams building multi-channel customer interactions |
| CM.com Communications Platform CM.com Communications Platform | 6.0 | $58/mo | No | Teams wanting messaging and payments together |
Questions people ask
How much does Sendbird cost?
The pricing page gives Sendbird a starting price of $349 and notes a free plan. It does not specify the plan’s MAU cap or what is included at that price. Check the current pricing page for limits and calculate expected usage before comparing alternatives.
Which Sendbird alternative is cheapest?
Daily is listed from $0 with a free plan, and Twilio is listed from $0.0001 with a free plan. Those figures do not establish the cost of a production setup. Compare included usage, caps, registration costs and any additional fees for your use case.
Does Sendbird have access to private chat messages?
A Reddit thread raised that question about Reddit chat, but the discussion does not provide a definitive answer. It points readers to Reddit’s privacy policy and suggests contacting Reddit. For your own product, ask Sendbird directly about data access, retention, deletion and contractual terms.