Smooch (Sunshine Conversations) Alternatives 2026

Smooch was an independent messaging API platform founded in 2015 that allowed developers to connect multiple chat channels — WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, LINE, WeChat, Telegram, and others — into a single conversation thread. Zendesk acquired Smooch in 2019 and rebranded it as Sunshine Conversations, folding it into the Zendesk Suite as the underlying conversation orchestration layer. According to Zendesk's own documentation, Sunshine Conversations is now available exclusively as part of Zendesk Suite Professional ($115/agent/month) or higher — it cannot be purchased as a standalone product.

Converge is an independent customer support inbox at $49/month flat for up to 15 team members, with native connections to WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Instagram, Zalo, Messenger, Gmail, email, and an embeddable chat widget. Where Sunshine Conversations is an API middleware layer that requires Zendesk Suite as a prerequisite and developer resources to implement, Converge is a ready-to-use inbox product with a 7-day free trial, no credit card required, and no annual contract.

Smooch (Sunshine Conversations)'s feature set is built around its core focus on messaging APIs and communication infrastructure. It uses a per seat pricing model starting at From $55/seat/mo, a different cost structure from a flat-rate alternative like Converge ($49/month for up to 15 agents, all messaging channels and AI included). Features in this category typically split across data collection and enrichment, workflow automation and triggers, reporting and analytics, and integrations with your existing support stack.

Smooch (Sunshine Conversations) is a messaging api platform platform built around what its target customer base values most. It serves a fundamentally different product category from a messaging-first customer-support unified inbox like Converge — the two solve different operational problems even when their marketing overlaps. Confirm which problem your team is actually trying to solve before committing. The strengths and limitations below summarize where the platform delivers value and where a different category of tool fits better.

Smooch (Sunshine Conversations) is a messaging APIs and communication infrastructure tool. Existing Zendesk customers needing omnichannel messaging.

Smooch (Sunshine Conversations) pricing starts at From $55/seat/mo on a per seat model — but that listed price rarely reflects total annual cost. The real cost depends on team size and how the model scales with headcount, channel count and per-channel surcharges, premium-tier gating that surfaces after signup, and add-ons for advanced reporting, premium support, or compliance. The tier breakdown below lists what each plan includes alongside its monthly price.

Other messaging api platforms worth comparing against Smooch (Sunshine Conversations) are Textline, MessageBird (Bird), Twilio Flex. Each takes a different approach to messaging APIs and communication infrastructure — links below.

Looking for Customer Support Instead?

If you need a unified inbox for customer conversations across messaging platforms, Converge may be a good fit. It's a different category than Smooch (Sunshine Conversations), but businesses often use both types of tools together.