The best messaging APIs, according to hackers
6 messaging APIs were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 1 earns the Hacker Approved badge.
Top pick
The most recommended messaging API with the badge. Each figure is one person. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Easy to get started with
Easy to get started with and friendly to develop against, with a powerful bot platform. Expect rough edges once bots need to do more complex things.
All 6 messaging APIs, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twilio API | 15 | 32 | 32% | 8 | 3 yrs3 owners | — |
| 2 | Telegram Bot API | 11 | 1 | 92% | 7 | — | Approved |
| 3 | Kapso | 10 | 1 | 91% | 2 | — | — |
| 4 | Telnyx API | 6 | 6 | 50% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 5 | WhatsApp Business API | 5 | 13 | 28% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 5 | Chert iMessage API | 5 | 34 | 13% | 1 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same messaging API in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to messaging APIs that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.