Amazon SNS
performance benchmarks
Browse Amazon SNS's observed SMS API response time, error rates, and incident history over the last 90 days.
Live performance metrics
Real-world performance data from messages sent through Knock
| Message volume | Growth | Status page updates (30d) | Status page updates (90d) |
|---|---|---|---|
25M–100M | 2nd of 7 → | 0 | 0 |
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Knock routed 25M–100M messages through Amazon SNS. For adoption, Amazon SNS ranks 2nd of 7 providers based on new channel connections, with adoption holding steady over the period. Amazon SNS reported no status page incidents over the last 90 days.
Response time
Response time measures how long Amazon SNS takes to accept an SMS API request from Knock, including connection overhead and any automatic retries. Lower values mean faster message hand-off.
| Median (p50) | p90 | p95 | p99 |
|---|---|---|---|
77ms | 378ms | 778ms | 794ms |
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Amazon SNS averaged a daily median response time (p50) of 77ms across all days in the range, meaning half of all SMS API requests on a typical day complete in under 77ms. The 99th percentile averaged 794ms, with a peak daily p99 of 865ms. This is slightly higher than some providers, which may reflect additional processing Amazon SNS performs on message acceptance.
Error rate
Error rate tracks the ratio of 5xx responses and timeouts to total SMS API requests. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
| Avg. daily error rate | Highest daily rate | Peak error date | Zero-error days | Days above 0.01% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0.00% | 0.00% | Jan 2 | 91 | 0 |
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Amazon SNS averaged a 0.00% daily error rate for 5xx responses and timeouts, with the highest single-day error rate reaching 0.00%. This is one of the lowest error rates among providers on Knock, indicating strong reliability and consistent uptime. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
About these metrics: Data represents messages sent through Knock to Amazon SNS during the specified period. Response time measures time from Knock to provider acceptance. Error rate includes only provider 5xx responses and timeouts.
Recent Amazon SNS incidents
Recent status page incidents for Amazon SNS
No incidents reported in the last 90 days
Pricing calculator
| Plan | Per message | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | $0.007 | $700 |
US outbound SMS costs $0.007 per message. Origination numbers are billed separately. Amazon SNS charges a flat $0.00302 carrier fee per message, regardless of destination carrier.
US carrier surcharges
All US A2P SMS sent via 10DLC incurs mandatory carrier fees on top of the provider base rate. Most providers pass these through at cost.
| Carrier | Outbound SMS | Inbound SMS |
|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile | $0.0045 | $0.0025 |
| AT&T | $0.003 | $0.003 |
| Verizon | $0.004 | $0.00 |
| US Cellular | $0.005 | $0.00 |
Amazon SNS flat carrier fee. Amazon SNS charges a flat $0.00302 carrier fee per message, regardless of destination carrier. This makes costs more predictable compared to providers that pass through variable per-carrier fees.
Compare Amazon SNS with other providers
About Amazon SNS
Amazon SNS is a cost-effective SMS service built on AWS infrastructure, ideal for applications already in the AWS ecosystem.
Pros
- Among the lowest per-message costs for US domestic SMS
- Deep integration with the AWS ecosystem and IAM permissions
- Reliable infrastructure backed by Amazon's global network
- Supports 200+ countries and regions
Cons
- New accounts are sandboxed and require a support request to go to production
- SMS features are a subset of the broader SNS pub/sub service, which can be confusing
- Limited built-in analytics compared to dedicated SMS platforms
Frequently asked questions
What is Amazon SNS?
Amazon SNS is an SMS provider commonly used for transactional notifications for aws-hosted apps, two-factor authentication, alert and monitoring notifications. Amazon SNS is a cost-effective SMS service built on AWS infrastructure, ideal for applications already in the AWS ecosystem.
How much does Amazon SNS cost?
US outbound SMS costs $0.007 per message. Origination numbers are billed separately. Amazon SNS charges a flat $0.00302 carrier fee per message, regardless of destination carrier. Amazon SNS does not offer a permanent free tier.
How fast is Amazon SNS?
Based on real-world data from messages sent through Knock, Amazon SNS accepts SMS API requests with a median response time of 77ms (p50) and 794ms at the 99th percentile.
How reliable is Amazon SNS?
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Amazon SNS showed an error rate of 0.00% for 5xx responses and timeouts across 25M–100M messages sent through Knock. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
What are the pros and cons of Amazon SNS?
Key strengths include among the lowest per-message costs for us domestic sms and deep integration with the aws ecosystem and iam permissions. On the other hand, new accounts are sandboxed and require a support request to go to production and sms features are a subset of the broader sns pub/sub service, which can be confusing.
Does Amazon SNS work with Knock?
Yes. Knock has a native Amazon SNS integration that enables you to send SMS notifications through Amazon SNS as part of a cross-channel workflow. You can combine Amazon SNS with other channels like in-app feeds, push, email, and Slack from a single API call.
Use Amazon SNS with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate Amazon SNS alongside other notification channels, manage templates, and orchestrate cross-channel workflows from a single platform.