Why Tambua. Bird offers a Verify API across email, SMS, WhatsApp and voice. Tambua is a focused OTP API for African markets with public per-country pricing.
Why teams choose Tambua over Bird (formerly MessageBird)
- You want a developer-first OTP API focused on Africa
- You want M-PESA and Reverse OTP options
- You want to see African country prices up front
Pricing: Tambua vs Bird (formerly MessageBird)
| Topic | Tambua | Bird (formerly MessageBird) |
|---|---|---|
| How you are charged | KES 0.50 per SMS OTP in Kenya, with no separate verification fee | No separate verification fee; you pay for the messages sent (from its pricing page). |
| Failed attempts | Free | See Bird (formerly MessageBird)'s pricing page |
| Sender ID and numbers | Shared Tambua sender included, nothing to buy | See Bird (formerly MessageBird)'s pricing page |
| Fallback to another channel | A setting, not an add-on fee | See Bird (formerly MessageBird)'s pricing page |
See Tambua's full per-country rates, or check Bird (formerly MessageBird)'s own pricing for your destination before you compare.
Tambua at a glance
| Topic | Tambua |
|---|---|
| Focus | OTP generation, delivery and verification API for Africa |
| Channels | SMS, WhatsApp, voice, email, M-PESA, Reverse OTP (Telegram, USSD and shortcode are coming soon) |
| Sender ID and numbers | Shared Tambua sender ID and numbers included. Nothing to buy, lease or register |
| Channel fallback | Ordered journey of up to three channels per app, on failure or after a timer; one code across attempts |
| Failed attempts | Not billed; only carrier-accepted attempts are charged |
| Pricing | Public per-country rates on the pricing page |
| Free testing | Test keys return the code in the API response, no messages sent |
| Webhooks | Signed webhooks for sent, delivered, verified and fallback events |
What Bird (formerly MessageBird) publishes
| Topic | Bird (formerly MessageBird) |
|---|---|
| Verification product | Verify API source |
| Pricing | Its pricing page states there is no separate verification fee; you pay for the messages sent source |
| Channels | Email, SMS, WhatsApp, Apple Messages and voice source |
Frequently asked questions
Why choose Tambua over Bird (formerly MessageBird) for OTP?
You want a developer-first OTP API focused on Africa. You want M-PESA and Reverse OTP options. You want to see African country prices up front. Tambua is built only for sending and verifying one-time codes across Africa, so you integrate in two calls and start free with test keys.
How do I switch from Bird (formerly MessageBird) to Tambua?
Create a free test key, call send to deliver a code and verify to check it. Most teams replace their existing send and check logic in an afternoon, then swap to a live key.
Start free with a test key and send your first OTP in minutes. Get an API key, read the docs or see more comparisons.