Top Twilio Alternatives + Why They Are Good

Twilio is a communications platform with a fully editable application programming interface (API), allowing users to add communications functionality like voice or SMS to an existing app.

Twilio provides a secure communications platform as a service (CPaaS) solution and is compatible with VoIP carriers like Bandwidth and Plivo. However, Twilio is far from the only customizable solution available. The below Twilio alternatives and competitors represent my top CPaaS solutions that include a user-friendly API structure on par with Twilio's interface.

At A Glance Comparison of Alternatives to Twilio

The table below outlines the best Twilio alternatives, shows their basic pricing and plans, highlights top features, and includes suggestions about the types of large and small businesses that would most benefit from each solution.

Why Seek A Twilio Alternative

Twilio may be one of the biggest names in the CPaaS market, but it has a few very palpable weaknesses.

SMBs and startups that are trying to establish international communications using Voice and SMS APIs will likely find Twilio too expensive for their current budget and needs. Plus Twilio is missing advantages like free incoming SMS and free or low-cost live support teams.

The communications solutions highlighted here offer competitive features like free inbound SMS incoming messages and direct carrier connections. Most importantly, these platforms are a little more newbie-friendly than Twilio’s RESTful API, have a high uptime thanks to cloud communications architecture, and offer major savings.

How We Evaluated These Alternatives

• Customer support: We tested the customer support channels of the providers for responsiveness and accuracy
• Pricing and plans: We compared features offered by the the providers at different price points to determine overall value
• Reliability: We considered uptime guarantees, redundancy and global points of presence for each platform
• Security: We looked at security features such as data encryption multi-factor and two factor authentication, and single sign on as well as compliance certifications
• Ease of use: We tested each platform to evaluate the user experience and learning curve
• Knowledge base: We compared the quality of how-to guides and instructional videos for each of the solutions
• Coding: We looked at the variety of coding languages supported by each platform

The Best Twilio Alternatives

• Bird: Best for omnichannel support and a wide variety of communication channels
• Vonage API: Best for businesses that primarily communicate via SMS or social media messaging
• Sinch: Best for businesses that want SDK development options
• Plivo: Best for budget-friendly startups and small businesses that primarily communicate via phone and SMS
• Bandwidth: Best for public-facing apps, like ridesharing solutions
• Telnyx: Best for Businesses that need 24/7 live support and access to IoT APIs

Bird

Bird is a cloud messaging platform with over 250 direct telecom carrier connections worldwide with coverage in 138 countries. It’s primarily designed to provide an omnichannel communications experience by allowing users to choose which channels and services they’d like to integrate into their unified inbox.

Bird offers end-to-end encryption, 24/7 service monitoring, and a guaranteed uptime of 99.95%. Messages are sent over a secure SSL connection, and the Bird platform is hosted on two Tier 3 data centers with full redundancy. Data is backed up every day in an additional data center.

The provider is also GDPR compliant, a GSMA member, ISO/IEC certified, and ACM registered.

Standout Features

• Flow Builder: Enables users to design auto-replies, complete workflow automation, and create pipelines to avoid data silos
• Calling features: Include call recording and transcription, answering machine detection, call insights, caller ID, call transfer, text-to-speech, and more
• Open-source SDK library: Developers select a language like Java, C#, Python, etc. and are automatically redirected to the corresponding developer forum
• Video calling: One-click video conferencing on any device or browser, no download required

Pricing

Bird offers a free plan that allows users to pay for what they need as they go, and two paid plans starting at $45 per month for up to 30,000 SMS, Email or Whatsapp sends. Admins can also create a custom plan with unlimited global messaging, custom support plans, integrations, etc.

What Makes Bird a Great Alternative to Twilio?

• Direct-to-carrier connections: Bird uses SmartRouting technology to ensure users have the fastest and highest quality communication -- unlike Twilio, which relies on aggregators to connect
• Infrastructure: Global points of presence prevent post-dialing lag
• Free plan: Unlike Twilio, Bird offers a free plan for up to 50 active contacts per month with unlimited conversations, team members, and live chat conversations

Vonage API

Vonage Communications APIs is the go-to comparison in this space. With 1,600 carriers available around the world, Vonage is a great option if you need a reliable network.

Vonage is ISO 27001 compliant, uses HTTPS, cryptography, and two-factor authentication for added security. While Vonage offers one-way encryption, “final mile” connections between carriers and Vonage services may be unencrypted.

Vonage has a robust API Developer Center that includes documentation on Applications, Authentications, OpenAPI, and more.

Its Client SDK Tools provide support forums for Android, iOS, and Javascript users, while Service SDKs offer support in other coding languages like Ruby and Python.  In addition to support forums and documentation, Vonage’s Community tool provides information on upcoming in-person and virtual events.

Standout Features 

• Authentication APIs: Verify user identities via two-factor authentication, and Number Insight
• Management APIs: Account event auditing, advanced analytics, and sub-account creation
• Messaging API: Streamlines SMS and MMS messaging with multiple social media messaging tools into a single API
• Global messaging: Vonage messages can be sent virtually anywhere and North America, South Africa, and Australia let users assign virtual numbers. Vonage even delivers to some satellite phones
• Voice API: Features include automatic speech recognition, IVR, voice alerts, and advanced call tracking

Plans & Pricing

Vonage charges by the minute of message for its APIs. Pricing starts at .0069 per message for the SMS API and goes up to .055 per successful verification for the verify API.

What Makes Vonage API a Great Alternative to Twilio?

• Connection methodology: Twilio connects via SMS gateways to providers so messages bounce around continuously before landing at the carrier while Vonage API uses a representational state transfer (REST) architecture
• Ease of use: Many developers consider Vonage to be one of the most editable architectures available while Twilio uses a RESTful API, which has a lot of the same functionality but is harder for new developers to learn

Plivo

Plivo is a communications provider offering SMS, Voice, and Carrier APIs with coverage in over 160 countries across more than 900 networks. Best of all, Plivo offers call storage and call recording for free.

Plivo has extensive developer docs including how-to guides, API references, support forums, Client and Server SDKs, a searchable online knowledge base, and more. It supports 7 coding languages including Python, PHP, Ruby, and Java.

Plivo allows users to send up to 40 SMS messages per second and includes call recording and storage, but it lacks video and social media messaging capabilities.

Standout Features

• SMS features: Includes long message concentration to prevent split messages, built-in Unicode character sets for multilingual communication, and message queuing
• Smart rate limiting: Ensures message frequency is in line with country regulations
• Phone number lookup: Lets users validate a phone number’s carrier and network for improved routing, number type (landline, mobile, etc.), and country and local number format

Plans & Pricing

Plivo offers pay as you go pricing as well as volume discounts. Pay as you go pricing starts at $0.0055 per message to send or receive SMS messages and goes up to $0.01 per minute to make voice calls. Users can also rent local and toll free numbers for $0.50 to $1.00 per month.

What Makes Plivo a Great Alternative to Twilio?

• Direct connection: Unlike Twilio, Plivo connects directly with providers, resulting in a better quality of service for both SMS and voice and, in most cases, will also decrease the cost of communication
• Call recording and storage: Out of all of the providers covered here, Plivo is the only one granting free access to call recording and storage.
• SMS pricing: Inbound SMS is also completely free with Plivo and outgoing SMS costs are almost half the cost of Twilio

Sinch

Sinch is a developer-friendly communications platform that makes adding calling, messaging, and verification APIs fairly simple. This is thanks to its REST-supported API that’s especially easy to develop for iOS and Android.

Sinch stands out because it not only allows developers to create connections using the API, but also serves as a communications SDK solution. APIs provide for singular functionality, whereas SDKs allow developers to integrate full libraries and will allow the inclusion of deeper-dive functionality. Developers often use SDKs to better implement APIs and provide end-users with enhanced features.

Standout Features

• Customer Engagement Platform: Allows for omnichannel communication and marketing with capabilities like two-way chat messaging, end-to-end personalization, and conversation-based campaigns with CRM integration
• AI chat and voice bots: Users can build AI-powered bots that detect customer sentiment, gauge intentions, analyze images, and proactively mask sensitive or inappropriate content
• Video calling: Users leverage SDKs to build custom video chat with mute and face blur capabilities
• Call and chat logs: Chat history is automatically saved for 30 days and is accessible in the Sinch portal, where call history is also saved

Plans & Pricing

Sinch offers pay-as-you-go pricing for voice and SMS, including a 14 day free trial. SMS messages are $0.0078 per message and voice is $0.01 to make calls and $0.004 to receive calls.

What Makes Sinch a Great Alternative to Twilio?

• SDK development: Features like external integrations and multi-user support are built into the platform. These are features that aren’t included with Twilio
• Instant messaging: Free instant messaging feature supports up to 25k users a month

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is a communication platform for cloud-ready voice, messaging, and emergency services. It is easily one of the most recognizable names in the CPaaS space and offers a variety of communications APIs and robust features.

Bandwidth says that it includes free 24/7 support for all customers and that it includes support channels like email, phone, help desk, and chat. However, each channel and support team actually has different hours.

Bandwidth’s IP Tier-1 network connects to the PSTN directly in more than 60 countries and at least 2 Points of Presence (PoP) per region. It also includes network-level geo-redundancy and at least 500 interconnection points across the globe.

Standout Features 

• Voice calling API: Packed with features like customizable and automatic call routing, recording and transcription, text-to-speech, call tracking, IVR, automated voice reminders, and conference calling
• Messaging capabilities: Include real-time delivery receipts and updates, SMS surveys, SMS to email, and SMS reminders and notifications
• E911 communications services: Using dynamic location routing, the E911 API provides key real-time location information to get the fastest emergency response possible
• Text to Speech (TTS): Enables users to convert messages into audio in nearly 30 languages

Plans & Pricing

Bandwidth has per minute and per message pricing starting at $0.0055 per minute for inbound calls and $0.004 per message for outgoing SMS messages. Incoming messages are free. Bandwidth also charges by the minute for features such as call recording and real-time transcription, which cost $0.002/minute and $0.047/minute, respectively.

What Makes Bandwidth a Great Alternative to Twilio?

• Nationwide carrier network: Bandwidth has its own network which means lower costs and a higher level of support and connection quality
• Text insights: While Twilio will provide insights into whether or not a message was delivered, Bandwidth goes the extra mile to provide more detailed insights into whether or not the message actually reached the end user

Telnyx

Telnyx is a communications API provider that gives you access to real-time voice and SMS capabilities via communication API.

Telnyx’s calls are managed in a private network environment, so users experience a higher call quality with the service. This is also a more secure means of communications since cutting out the aggregator middle-man means that your data will have less chance of being exposed to malicious individuals.

Telnyx is a licensed carrier within the United States, Canada, and over 20 international markets. Plus, it’s partnered with 130 Tier-1 network carriers to ensure the highest possible coverage and low latency.

Note, however, that Telnyx does not encrypt calls by default, so users will need to turn on TLS if their device supports it for added security. However, Telnyx uses its own private network to route customer traffic and data, which adds a layer of protection.

Standout Features  

• FastPort service: Expedites the number porting experience by segmenting numbers before a port request
• Call Control: Allows companies to incorporate voice workflows into any of the organization’s custom applications such as IVR branches, specified dial tone responses, conferencing, and call recording
• Media forking: Allows companies to create midcall branches for both audio and video which can then be streamed to different destinations for real-time audio processing
• Online faxing: One of the few providers to offer faxing as a communication channel

Plans & Pricing

Telnyx offers pay-as-you-go pricing starting at $0.002 per [participant per minute for video calling up to $1.00 per minute for global numbers.

What Makes Telnyx a Great Alternative to Twilio?

• Customer support: Unlike Twilio, live voice support is available at all pricing tiers
• IVR: Telnyx’s ability to create complex IVR systems is a major advantage that isn’t available with Twilio

Which Twilio Alternative Should You Choose? 

Here’s a quick breakdown to help you choose the best alternative for your needs:

• Startups: Bird and Plivo are user friendly with low or no cost plans
• Small businesses that need customizability: Sinch allows developers to leverage SDKs
• Global SMBs: Vonage is affordable with extensive coverage
• Public facing apps: Bandwidth allows companies to to provide immediate connections to emergency services or live text message notifications
• Healthcare providers and large businesses: Telnyx offers 24/7 live support and access to IoT APIs

FAQs

Below, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about CPaaS systems and alternatives to Twilio.