Quick answer. Per message, basic RCS costs about the same as SMS, while rich RCS costs more — but RCS's higher engagement usually lowers cost per result. Branded RCS text is often priced at the SMS rate (around $0.008 at one major provider), and rich media runs higher (roughly $0.0165–$0.022). Both carry per-message carrier fees. Because RCS drives far higher click-through and conversion than SMS, the cost per click or per conversion is frequently lower even when the per-message price is higher.
The right comparison isn't price per message — it's price per outcome. If RCS costs 2–3x more per rich message but converts several times better, the effective cost per conversion drops. That's why pairing RCS for engagement with SMS as the universal fallback usually beats SMS-only on ROI.
Per-message comparison (illustrative; one major provider, 2026 — verify current rates):
| Message type | Send | Receive |
|---|---|---|
| SMS (per segment) | ~$0.0083 | ~$0.0083 |
| RCS basic/branded text | ~$0.0083 | ~$0.0083 |
| RCS rich media (per message) | ~$0.0220 | ~$0.0165 |
| Plus, on all of the above | per-message carrier surcharge | + taxes |