Plivo vs Twilio: voice and SMS API pricing compared
Updated 2026-11-09 · listed A to Z, not ranked
Plivo sells messaging and voice on a pay-as-you-go plan or an Enterprise plan with a monthly commitment. US messaging is billed per message, and numbers per month.
Twilio bills messaging per message segment and voice per minute, plus a monthly fee for each phone number. Carrier fees and 10DLC registration fees are charged on top.
Listed A to Z, from plivo.com and twilio.com. Every figure below is quoted from those pages.
- Main price table
- Pay as you go, Enterprise
- Free option
- Pay as you go: $10 free credits, no card
- Published prices
- Pay-as-you-go with $10 free credit, Enterprise from $1,000/month, US SMS $0.0077, MMS, number rental and short codes.
- Main price table
- SMS outbound or inbound (long code, toll-free, short code), MMS outbound, MMS inbound, Failed message processing fee
- Free option
- None in the published plan table
- Published prices
- SMS $0.0083 per segment, MMS, voice per minute, phone number rental and the free trial credit.
How we checked: Prices quoted from each official pricing page: Plivo checked Nov 9, 2026, Twilio checked Nov 9, 2026. Taxes, usage overages and promotions can change what you pay; confirm with each provider before you buy.
How they compare
- Main price table. Plivo lists 2 entries (Pay as you go, Enterprise); Twilio lists 4 (SMS outbound or inbound (long code, toll-free, short code), MMS outbound, MMS inbound, Failed message processing fee).
- Free option. Plivo: Pay as you go: $10 free credits, no card. Twilio: none in the published plan table.
- How prices are quoted. Plivo: “Plans”. Twilio: “US messaging”.
Plivo plans and prices
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | $10 free credits, no card | US and India coverage, 2 requests/s and 50 concurrent calls, up to $2,500 monthly usage |
| Enterprise | From $1,000 per month | 190+ countries, SMS, WhatsApp and Verify, short codes |
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| SMS, long code or short code (out or in) | $0.0077 |
| SMS, toll-free | $0.0079 |
| MMS, long code | $0.018 |
| MMS, toll-free or short code | $0.020 |
| Long code number | $0.50 per month |
| Toll-free number | $1.00 per month |
| Short code | $500 per month regular or $1,000 vanity (billed quarterly), plus $1,500 one-time |
From plivo.com, checked Nov 9, 2026. Full breakdown: Plivo pricing.
Twilio plans and prices
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| SMS outbound or inbound (long code, toll-free, short code) | $0.0083 per segment |
| MMS outbound | $0.022 per message |
| MMS inbound | $0.0165 ($0.02 toll-free) |
| Failed message processing fee | $0.001 |
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Local: make a call | $0.0140 per minute |
| Local: receive a call | $0.0085 per minute |
| Toll-free: make / receive | $0.0140 / $0.0220 per minute |
| Browser or app calling | $0.0040 per minute |
| SIP interface | $0.0040 per minute |
| Local number | $1.15 per month |
| Toll-free number | $2.15 per month |
From twilio.com, checked Nov 9, 2026. Full breakdown: Twilio pricing.
FAQ
How much does Plivo cost?
Pay-as-you-go with $10 free credit, Enterprise from $1,000/month, US SMS $0.0077, MMS, number rental and short codes. (checked Nov 9, 2026).
How much does Twilio cost?
SMS $0.0083 per segment, MMS, voice per minute, phone number rental and the free trial credit. (checked Nov 9, 2026).
Do Plivo and Twilio have a free option?
Plivo: Pay as you go: $10 free credits, no card. Twilio: none in the published plan table.
Where do these prices come from?
Each vendor's own pricing page: plivo.com (checked Nov 9, 2026) and twilio.com (checked Nov 9, 2026). Prices change; confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-09)
- plivo.com
- plivo.com/pricing
- plivo.com/sms/pricing/us
- twilio.com
- twilio.com/en-us/sms/pricing/us
- twilio.com/en-us/voice/pricing/us
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