Bird vs Gigs for embedded connectivity

Bird lets you sell travel and mobile data packages inside your own app and send installation guides and usage alerts over SMS, WhatsApp, and email from the same workspace. Gigs provides a dedicated telecom platform with hosted checkout, voice and data plans, and recurring subscription billing.

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Which service model fits your business?

See how each platform handles package selection, data top-ups, and device setup so you can match the integration to your product.

Capability	Bird	Gigs	Who wins?
Offer selection	Browse data offers by destination, allowance, validity window, and published price to build your own in-app storefront.	Configure project plans with data allowances, network coverage, device requirements, and customer pricing.	Even
Additional data	Attach compatible top-up packages to an active eSIM so travelers can add data without reinstalling a profile.	Attach eligible data add-ons to an active subscriber plan when customers need extra allowance.	Even
Installation	Deliver private QR codes and same-device installation links inside your app or over Bird messaging channels.	Guide subscribers through device setup with QR codes and installation links in Gigs Connect.	Even

Where Gigs fits

Hosted checkout and mobile subscriptions.

Gigs bundles hosted checkout and subscriber management in Connect, recurring billing in Payments, and APIs for voice and data plans, SIM provisioning, and phone number porting so teams can launch a mobile service without building the billing flow from scratch.

Hosted customer journeys

Gigs Connect handles customer payment collection, saves cards for recurring subscription renewals, and gives subscribers a hosted portal to manage their plan.

An API integration

Gigs exposes phone number porting and subscription lifecycle changes alongside its plan and SIM endpoints, letting you build custom telecom workflows around carrier requirements.

Employee phone plans

Gigs for Work combines employee phone line provisioning and administration in one portal for organizations managing corporate mobile plans.

Where Bird fits

Put connectivity beside the customer relationship.

Use Bird to embed eSIM data packages directly into your existing product while delivering QR codes, activation reminders, and support replies over SMS, WhatsApp, and email. You keep full control over customer sign-in, checkout, and pricing.

Data packages and renewal

Order mobile data packages, attach compatible top-ups to an installed eSIM, and configure automatic package renewal on eligible offers while keeping each package’s validity terms clear to the customer.

Customer accounts and checkout

Run customer sign-in, payment collection, and order history inside your own app while funding wholesale eSIM purchases from your Bird workspace wallet.

A team that can operate it

Track orders, eSIM profiles, and active packages from one workspace so your support team can see whether a profile is installed, attached to a network, or consuming data.

Make the comparison concrete

Test one happy path and one recovery path.

Pick a destination market and a compatible test phone. Buy a data package, install the eSIM profile, and verify mobile data on a local network, then simulate a stalled setup to see what diagnostic details your app and support team receive.

Compare the exact offer

Check the specific data allowance, throttling policy, partner networks, roaming rules, and validity period in your target countries rather than comparing headline country counts.

Follow the financial result

Review published package prices, currency settlement, refund rules, and wallet funding alongside the payment processing and support work your team will run.

Read the observations accurately

Order completion, profile installation, network attachment, and data usage arrive as distinct lifecycle events, and carrier usage reports can lag real-time consumption. Design your UI so customers understand both pending installation and delayed usage updates.

Migration planning

Plan a new eSIM installation.

Because an installed eSIM profile or phone number cannot be transferred between providers, moving a customer to Bird means provisioning and installing a new Bird eSIM for mobile data while keeping their primary line active for voice calls and texts. Wind down any existing subscriptions and recurring billing separately once the new data connection is verified.

Questions about Bird and Gigs

Can I move a Gigs eSIM or phone number to Bird?

No. The Bird eSIM API provisions new data-only eSIM profiles rather than importing existing profiles or porting phone numbers. Customers install a new Bird eSIM for mobile data and keep their existing line active when they need voice calls or SMS.

How does renewal work with Bird?

Where an offer and eSIM support automatic renewal, Bird purchases a fresh data package on schedule using its published activation and validity rules. Changing a customer to a different destination or allowance happens by ordering a new package or compatible top-up rather than mutating an active subscription.

Which provider is cheaper?

Total cost depends on the destination market, data allowance, and how you handle checkout and billing. Compare Bird’s published wholesale package rates plus your own payment processing against Gigs’ plan pricing, platform fees, and hosted billing terms for the same countries.

Does a usage dashboard provide an immediate spending cap?

Carrier usage reporting can lag behind real-time data consumption on both platforms. Treat usage events as near-real-time visibility for customer notifications rather than an instantaneous billing cutoff, and rely on fixed package allowances when you need a hard cap on data spend.

Continue your evaluation

Embed eSIM connectivityBuild purchase, installation, and recovery into your app.Embedded connectivityBuild customer accounts, package purchases and installation into your app.Recurring data packagesReview eligible package renewals, funding and cancellation.Plans and pricingReview the commercial components of your offering.

Read the product documentation

Gigs ConnectHosted checkout and subscription management.Gigs APIIntegration model and service lifecycle.Gigs for WorkEmployee phone-plan management.Gigs porting guideEligibility, requirements and request outcomes.Gigs usage referenceUsage records and carrier reporting delays.Bird eSIM integration guidePrepare your integration and operational journeys.Explore connectivity comparisonsStart with the customer journey and operating responsibilities.

Put it into practice.

Continue with the documentation, guides and examples for this topic.

Implementation guideeSIM connectivity guide Understand the conceptWhat is an eSIM?

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