Amazon SNS vs WhatsApp
Compare Amazon SNS and WhatsApp based on observed SMS API performance, features, and pricing
Live performance comparison
Real-world performance data from messages sent through Knock
| Provider | Message volume | Growth | Status page updates (30d) | Status page updates (90d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 25M–100M | 2nd of 7 → | 0 | 0 |
 | <1M | 4th of 7 ↑ | 4 | 12 |
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Knock routed 25M–100M messages through Amazon SNS and <1M through WhatsApp. Amazon SNS reported 0 status page updates over the last 90 days, while WhatsApp reported 12.
Response time
Response time measures how long each provider takes to accept an SMS API request from Knock, including connection overhead and any automatic retries. Lower values mean faster message hand-off.
| Provider | Median (p50) | p90 | p95 | p99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77ms | 378ms | 778ms | 794ms |
| 720ms | 1082ms | 1214ms | 1708ms |
The chart above shows each provider's daily median response time (p50) from January 2nd to April 2nd. The top-line number is an average of these daily values: Amazon SNS averaged 77ms compared to 720ms for WhatsApp. Amazon SNS's highest daily p50 was 81ms; WhatsApp's was 1052ms This peak coincided with a critical incident reported on WhatsApp's status page (Resolved: Embedded Signup).. Amazon SNS is 643ms faster at the median, which can add up at high volumes.
The 90th percentile (p90) captures the slowest 10% of requests, revealing how each provider handles moderate stress. Averaged across all days, Amazon SNS has a p90 of 378ms compared to 1082ms for WhatsApp. The highest daily p90 was 772ms for Amazon SNS and 1633ms for WhatsApp This peak coincided with a critical incident reported on WhatsApp's status page (Resolved: Embedded Signup).. Amazon SNS handles these slower requests 704ms faster, suggesting more consistent performance across the board.
The 99th percentile (p99) represents the long tail — the slowest 1% of requests. Averaged across all days, Amazon SNS reached 794ms at p99 while WhatsApp reached 1708ms. The highest daily p99 was 865ms for Amazon SNS and 5683ms for WhatsApp This peak coincided with a critical incident reported on WhatsApp's status page (Resolved: Embedded Signup)., indicating the worst-case response time during spikes or provider-side congestion. Amazon SNS shows a tighter tail, which may matter for time-sensitive SMS notifications like one-time passwords or real-time alerts where even rare delays can impact user experience.
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.
| Provider | 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 |
| 0.00% | 0.00% | Jan 2 | 91 | 0 |
Averaged across the date range, Amazon SNS shows a 0.00% daily error rate compared to 0.00% for WhatsApp. The highest single-day error rate was 0.00% for Amazon SNS and 0.00% for WhatsApp. Both providers show similar reliability levels, with error rates well within acceptable thresholds. Knock automatically retries failed requests to both providers, minimizing the impact of transient errors on end-user delivery.
About these metrics: Data represents messages sent through Knock 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
Recent WhatsApp incidents
Recent status page incidents for WhatsApp
Started Mar 26, 2026 — Resolved Mar 26, 2026
We are currently experiencing low disruptions impacting sending messages on Whatsapp Cloud API. Our engineering teams have identified the potential issue and deploying a fix (ETA 6PM PST). We will provide another update within 4 hour or sooner if additional information is available.
Started Mar 18, 2026 — Resolved Mar 18, 2026
We are currently experiencing low disruptions impacting message sending on Cloud API. This issue started around 10:00 AM +08 GMT. Our engineering teams are investigating the issue. We will provide another update within the next 1 hour or sooner if additional information is available.
Started Mar 10, 2026 — Resolved Mar 10, 2026
We are currently experiencing High Disruptions impacting QR Code scanning for Coexistence Onboarding via Embedded Signup Flow. This issue started at Mar 10 2026 19:14:00 UTC. The fix for the High Disruptions has been deployed and this issue is now mitigated as of Mar 10 2026 21:30:00. Thank you for your patience.
Started Mar 9, 2026 — Resolved Mar 10, 2026
We are currently experiencing Medium Disruptions impacting template messages that include a URL button and a media header. Users on iOS 2.26.8.76 may see a broken experience. This issue started at Mar 06 2026 20:00:00 UTC. We are currently deploying the fix and the expected deployment time is in Mar 13 2026 19:00:00 UTC. We will provide another update within 12 hours or sooner if additional information is available.
Started Mar 3, 2026 — Resolved Mar 4, 2026
We are currently experiencing high disruptions impacting Cloud API - Business Initiated Calling. Our engineering teams are investigating the issue. We will provide another update if additional information is available.
Pricing comparison
| Provider | Plan | Per message | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon SNS | Pay-as-you-go | $0.007 | $700 |
| Utility + authentication | $0.0034 | $340 |
Amazon SNS
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.
WhatsApp charges per message for utility and authentication conversations, with graduated volume discounts. Marketing and service conversations have separate rate cards. US rates shown; international rates vary by country.
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.
Pros and cons
Amazon SNS
WhatsApp
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
Pros
- Reaches over 2 billion users on the platform they already use
- Rich messaging with media, buttons, and interactive elements
- Free 24-hour customer service window for inbound conversations
- High open rates compared to SMS and email
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
Cons
- Conversation-based pricing model is more complex than per-message SMS pricing
- Message templates require Meta approval before use, which can take up to 24 hours
- Limited to countries and regions where WhatsApp has significant adoption
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Amazon SNS and WhatsApp?
Amazon SNS is a cost-effective SMS service built on AWS infrastructure, ideal for applications already in the AWS ecosystem. WhatsApp is the world's most popular messaging platform, offering rich media messaging, interactive elements, and conversation-based pricing through Meta's Cloud API. Amazon SNS is best suited for aws-native applications, while WhatsApp is geared toward rich customer messaging.
Which is cheaper, Amazon SNS or WhatsApp?
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. WhatsApp charges per message for utility and authentication conversations, with graduated volume discounts. Marketing and service conversations have separate rate cards. US rates shown; international rates vary by country. The best value depends on your sending volume and destination countries.
Which is faster, Amazon SNS or WhatsApp?
Based on real-world data from Knock, Amazon SNS has a median SMS API response time (p50) of 77ms compared to 720ms for WhatsApp.
Which is more reliable, Amazon SNS or WhatsApp?
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Amazon SNS showed an error rate of 0.00% while WhatsApp showed 0.00%. Both rates are within acceptable thresholds for production SMS delivery, and Knock automatically retries failed requests to minimize the impact of transient errors.
Which is more popular, Amazon SNS or WhatsApp?
On the Knock platform, Amazon SNS handled 25M–100M messages from January 2nd to April 2nd compared to <1M for WhatsApp. Amazon SNS volume has remained stable, while WhatsApp is trending upward.
Can I use both Amazon SNS and WhatsApp together?
Yes. Knock enables you to integrate multiple SMS providers into a single notification workflow. You can use Amazon SNS and WhatsApp side by side, route traffic between them, or migrate from one to the other without changing your application code.
What are the main pros and cons of Amazon SNS vs WhatsApp?
Amazon SNS strengths include among the lowest per-message costs for us domestic sms and deep integration with the aws ecosystem and iam permissions. WhatsApp strengths include reaches over 2 billion users on the platform they already use and rich messaging with media, buttons, and interactive elements. On the other hand, Amazon SNS drawbacks include new accounts are sandboxed and require a support request to go to production, while WhatsApp drawbacks include conversation-based pricing model is more complex than per-message sms pricing.
Use either provider with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate Amazon SNS, WhatsApp, or any combination of SMS providers into a single notification workflow. Manage templates, orchestrate cross-channel delivery, and switch providers without changing your code.