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Telecommunications · head to head

Bandwidth vs OneSignal

Bandwidth logo

Bandwidth

Telecommunications

Voice, messaging and emergency calling APIs run on the company's own US carrier network

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OneSignal logo

OneSignal

Telecommunications

Customer engagement and messaging, without the complexity

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OneSignal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bandwidth commercial terms are negotiated contracts rather than a published rate, so a small team cannot start without going through a sales process.; OneSignal free plan email sends cap at 10,000 per month and web push is capped at 10,000 subscribers per send, per onesignal.com/pricing (Aug 2026)
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bandwidth and OneSignal actually diverge.

Attributes where Bandwidth and OneSignal differ
AttributeBandwidthOneSignal
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, RubyWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Telecommunications).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bandwidth

  • Owned US carrier network
  • Programmable voice
  • Messaging APIs
  • Emergency calling
  • Global numbering

Only in OneSignal

Nothing recorded that Bandwidth does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bandwidth

  • Unified communications and contact centre providers needing wholesale voice termination under their own brandnot OneSignal
  • Enterprises with high call volumes where a wholesale margin on every minute is materialnot OneSignal
  • VoIP deployments with US emergency calling obligations requiring E911 and dynamic locationnot OneSignal
  • Platforms needing local numbers across many countries from a single suppliernot OneSignal

OneSignal

  • Sending push notifications to mobile app users when orders shipnot Bandwidth
  • Triggering email confirmations based on form submission eventsnot Bandwidth
  • Creating multi-step SMS and email journeys for onboarding usersnot Bandwidth
  • Sending in-app messages to users abandoning checkout flowsnot Bandwidth

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bandwidth

  • Commercial terms are negotiated contracts rather than a published rate, so a small team cannot start without going through a sales process.
  • US A2P messaging still requires 10DLC brand and campaign registration, and those fees plus per-segment carrier surcharges are charged on top of the negotiated message rate.
  • The self-serve developer experience is weaker than the aggregators it competes with, so teams prototyping quickly start elsewhere and migrate later, if ever.
  • Its owned-network advantage is a United States advantage; international coverage arrived through the Voxbone acquisition and does not rest on the same model.
  • Committed volume pricing means an organisation whose traffic falls short of forecast pays for capacity it did not use.

OneSignal

  • Free plan email sends cap at 10,000 per month and web push is capped at 10,000 subscribers per send, per onesignal.com/pricing (Aug 2026)
  • Professional and Enterprise plans require custom annual contracts with no published rate, per onesignal.com; SMS/RCS messaging and dedicated IPs are gated behind the Professional tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Bandwidth

On request
  • Bandwidth$undefined/year
    • Committed volume contracts quoted per customer
    • Per-minute and per-message rates negotiated by destination
    • US 10DLC registration and carrier surcharges billed in addition

OneSignal

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10,000 free email sends/month
    • Unlimited mobile push
    • Basic analytics and automation
  • Growth$19/month
    • Base platform fee plus usage costs
    • Mobile push: $0.012 per monthly active user
    • Web push: $0.004 per subscriber
  • Professional$undefined/mo
    • Custom annual pricing
    • All Growth features plus SMS/RCS messaging
    • 24/7 prioritized support
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom annual pricing
    • Unlimited personalization
    • Dedicated success manager

Which should you pick?

Choose Bandwidth if

  • You need owned us carrier network.
  • You work on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, Ruby.
  • You also want programmable voice.
Bandwidth review

Choose OneSignal if

  • You want to start without paying.
OneSignal review

Questions people ask

Is Bandwidth or OneSignal better?
Neither clearly leads. Bandwidth starts at On request and OneSignal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bandwidth or OneSignal?
OneSignal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Bandwidth and Free for OneSignal.
Does Bandwidth or OneSignal run on more platforms?
Bandwidth runs on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, Ruby. OneSignal runs on Web.
Can I use OneSignal for free?
Yes. OneSignal has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bandwidth starts at On request.
What is Bandwidth best used for?
Bandwidth is most often used for unified communications and contact centre providers needing wholesale voice termination under their own brand, enterprises with high call volumes where a wholesale margin on every minute is material, voip deployments with us emergency calling obligations requiring e911 and dynamic location, platforms needing local numbers across many countries from a single supplier. Of those, unified communications and contact centre providers needing wholesale voice termination under their own brand and enterprises with high call volumes where a wholesale margin on every minute is material are not what OneSignal is typically brought in for.
What can Bandwidth do that OneSignal cannot?
Bandwidth covers Owned US carrier network, Programmable voice, Messaging APIs, Emergency calling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bandwidth: Is Bandwidth a carrier or a reseller?

It is a licensed carrier operating its own US network. That removes the wholesale margin an aggregator pays its upstream and gives direct control over routing and regulatory functions such as E911.

OneSignal: How much does OneSignal cost?

OneSignal offers a free tier with 10,000 free email sends/month and unlimited mobile push. Growth plan starts at $19/month plus usage-based charges for mobile push ($0.012 per monthly active user) and web push ($0.004 per subscriber).

Source
Bandwidth: Do 10DLC fees apply on top of Bandwidth's rates?

Yes. US A2P messaging requires brand and campaign registration with The Campaign Registry, and the registration fees plus per-message carrier surcharges are billed in addition to whatever per-message rate you negotiated.

OneSignal: Does OneSignal offer a free version?

Yes, OneSignal's free plan includes 10,000 free email sends per month, unlimited mobile push, basic analytics and automation, with up to 1 active journey and 2 message steps.

Source
Bandwidth: Did Bandwidth acquire Voxbone?

Yes, in 2020, for 519.4 million dollars. Voxbone supplied international phone numbering and became the basis of Bandwidth's coverage outside the United States.

OneSignal: What are OneSignal's email costs beyond the free tier?

After the 20,000 free email sends/month included in the Growth plan, OneSignal charges $1.50 per 1,000 additional emails.

Source
OneSignal: What is included in the Professional plan?

OneSignal's Professional plan includes custom annual pricing, all Growth features plus SMS/RCS messaging, 24/7 prioritized support, and optional dedicated IP for email.

Source
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