7 Best Twilio Alternatives for Small Businesses in 2023

The best Twilio alternatives offer a wide range of application programming interfaces (APIs), robust short messaging service (SMS) API features, and collaboration tools. They come at affordable rates with discounts for higher usage. Plus, they have comprehensive documentation that makes building communication capabilities in existing apps easier.

Based on our research, these are the top communications solutions worth considering when looking for alternatives to Twilio:

• Podium: Best for managing online reviews
• Bitrix24: Ideal for tracking leads
• Telnyx: Great for establishing a global presence
• Sinch: Top pick for implementing text marketing campaigns
• Vonage: Solid choice for facilitating excellent video communications
• MessageBird: Best for implementing email campaigns
• RingCentral: Honorable mention for maximizing unified communications and APIs

Twilio & Best Alternatives at a Glance

Take our quiz to find out which Twilio alternative is best for you.

*The provider offers a free version for unlimited users.

Podium: Best Overall Twilio Alternative for Managing Online Reviews

Among the top Twilio alternatives listed here, Podium is the only one that lets you integrate reputation management tools with your existing apps. Its API uses the representational state transfer architectural style (REST) framework, a set of guidelines that enable custom integrations. Podium’s reviews feature allows you to solicit customer feedback through text and monitor them on different channels, including Google, Facebook, and Yelp. Oversee reviews from various sources in just one place and respond to them in a timely manner.

Most of the solutions included in Podium’s API menu use text messaging. Feedback, for instance, enables businesses to send text-based surveys to clients. These measure net promoter score (NPS) and customer satisfaction (CSAT) rating. Payments, on the other hand, allow you to send payment requests through SMS and make settling payments more convenient for customers.

While Podium has excellent reputation management capabilities, it lacks the standard APIs other communication platforms offer, namely email and video APIs. If you’re interested in these features, consider other Podium and Twilio competitors, like Vonage. The provider has robust capabilities, like drag-and-drop email campaign editor and screen sharing, facilitating efficient business communications.

Podium Monthly Pricing at a Glance*

• Essentials: $289 for up to three members, 100 bulk messages, 1,000 contacts, and online review capture
• Standard: $449 for unlimited team members, 250 bulk messages, unlimited contacts, and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered review response suggestions
• Professional: $649 for 500 bulk messages, auto-response on frequently asked questions (FAQs), and round-robin and topic-based routing

*The entry-level plan is reduced from $289 to $249 when you choose annual billing.

Podium Features

• Contact profiles: Podium’s built-in customer relationship management (CRM) tool offers businesses comprehensive information about customers. See past customer interactions and the entire conversation history to understand the context of inquiries and concerns properly.
• Phones: Make and receive phone calls right from the Podium platform. When a call comes through, a pop-up window displays information about the caller, including previous conversations.
• Integrations: Podium works seamlessly with hundreds of business apps used by niche industries. For example, healthcare businesses are able to use AdvancedMD, Athenahealth, and CounselEAR.

Bitrix24: Best Twilio Alternative for Tracking Leads

If you’re interested in Twilio competitors that feature CRM tools, Bitrix24 is a great option, as it has a REST API that lets you connect the platform’s lead management system to your business app. The visual sales pipeline enables you to create custom stages complementing your existing work processes. Drag and drop leads and deals as the transaction progresses through the pipeline.

The project cards come with key transaction information: customer’s name and contact information, deal amount, and timeline. The customer profile, on the other hand, contains lead information, interaction history, and a feature that lets you create tasks and send an SMS or an email to a customer.

Because Bitrix24 is a feature-rich solution, its interface may feel overwhelming for some users. If you want a simpler solution, Sinch is a better option, offering third-party integrations with CRM tools.

Bitrix24 Monthly Pricing at a Glance*

• Free: Unlimited users, team messaging, video conferencing for up to 48 participants, and a maximum of 5GB online storage
• Basic: $61 for five users, a maximum of 24GB online storage, task management tools, and omnichannel contact center
• Standard: $124 for 50 users, a maximum of 100GB online storage, collaborative document editing, and unlimited leads in the CRM tool
• Professional: $249 for 100 users, maximum of 1,024GB online storage, unlimited company knowledge base, and workflow and business process automation tools
• Enterprise: $499 for 250 users, a maximum of 3TB online storage, access to tools for managing a network of regional branches or offices, and single sign-on

*Save up to 20% with annual billing

Bitrix24 Features

• Visual website builder: Create websites and landing pages even without coding know-how. The platform features over a hundred industry-specific templates that will help speed up your web development process.
• Lead management: Organize leads using the provider’s drag-and-drop sales pipeline platform. The tool displays key customer information, including name, contact details, and lead source.
• Contact center: Answer customer inquiries sent to different channels in one place. Connect your live chat, social media channels Facebook and Instagram Business, and messaging apps Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, and WeChat to the platform.

If you’re planning to adopt this robust CRM tool in your customer service operations, refer to our comprehensive Bitrix24 review to learn more about its capabilities. We outlined the pros and cons of using the provider.

Telnyx: Best for Establishing a Global Presence

Telnyx is among the top apps like Twilio, offering the same pricing structure and a relatively similar API set. However, this communications platform as a service (CPaaS) solution is superior to Twilio in its global phone numbers offered via APIs. It provides local numbers in over 140 countries and makes connecting with a global audience easier through its PSTN replacement services in 30-plus countries.

Telnyx FastPort is the provider’s proprietary number porting feature, facilitating an easy transfer of phone numbers thanks to automated internal and external porting processes. When you submit a port request, you get to schedule the transfer at a certain period or activate it whenever you want. The provider offers Twexit API, which allows you to migrate your existing Twilio code to Telnyx and start building SMS into your apps.

While Telnyx is a great CPaaS solution, many customers experienced difficulties setting up its text messaging feature. If you’re only after SMS APIs, use Podium or Sinch, as these two providers feature excellent messaging capabilities and easy-to-navigate interfaces.

Telnyx Pricing at a Glance*

• Local and toll-free numbers: $1 a month
• Messaging API: 0.4 cents to send and receive a message
• SIP trunking: 0.5 cents per minute for outbound calls; 0.35 cents per minute for inbound calls
• Voice API: 0.2 cents per minute plus SIP trunking fee for inbound and outbound calls
• Video API: From 0.2 cents per minute, per participant

*The provider offers volume discounts, arranged after discussing with a sales representative.

Telnyx Features

• Verify API: Confirm the identity of stakeholders using your platform. When you choose Telnyx’s Verify API, you’ll be able to create a two-factor authentication profile and determine the verification method (SMS or phone call) for your authentication service.
• Fax API: All fax messages are encrypted, keeping data confidential and secure. With the provider’s automatic error correcting and multi-cloud network architecture, you’ll have peace of mind that your faxes are delivered successfully.
• IoT SIM cards: Secure stable internet connection for your smart devices through Telnyx’s multi-carrier IoT SIM cards. The SIM lets you connect to more than 400 LTE, 3G, 2G, and LTE-M networks in over 180 countries.

Sinch: Best for Implementing Text Marketing Campaigns

When it comes to the top Twilio SMS alternatives, Sinch is among our solid picks because it has over 600 direct carrier connections that ensure all your messages are delivered promptly. This is especially important when using SMS to prompt two-factor authentication or confirm banking applications. The delivery reports outline key information about the messages’ delivery status, sourced from the carriers themselves.

Sinch supports both one-way and two-way messaging, giving businesses flexible options for SMS marketing. Moreover, it accommodates bulk text messages sent internationally. Maximize Sinch’s rich communication services (RCS) and deliver interactive messages to customers’ SMS inboxes. Project your brand image better by including photos, videos, buttons, and carousels in your texts.

All these features, from the vast network of direct carrier connections to RCS, make Sinch a better alternative to Twilio SMS API. However, one disadvantage of using this CPaaS solution is its lack of robust video calling features. Aside from screen share, there’s not much you can use for collaboration in sessions. Vonage is a better software option if you want advanced video calling capabilities in your existing business platforms.

Sinch Pricing*

10-digit Long Code (10DLC)

• SMS: 0.78 cents for sending and receiving messages plus carrier fees
• MMS: 2 cents for sending messages plus carrier fees; 1 cent for receiving messages plus carrier fees
• Phone number: $1 a month plus carrier fees

Toll-free Numbers

• SMS: 0.78 cents for sending and receiving messages plus carrier fees
• MMS: 1.8 cents for sending and receiving messages plus carrier fees
• Phone number: $2 per month plus carrier fees

Short Codes

• SMS: 0.78 cents for sending and receiving messages plus carrier fees
• MMS: 2 cents for sending messages and 1.5 cents for receiving messages plus carrier fees
• Phone number: $500 per month for random; $1,000 for dedicated and vanity short codes plus any applicable Sinch Lease Management Fee

*Applies to the United States only; contact its sales team to request a detailed quote

Sinch Features

• Number lookup: Determine if a number is active and which network it belongs to. This helps you streamline the leads database, enabling you to remove contact information that is no longer in use. Additionally, it lets you identify scammers and avoid contact with them.
• In-app video: Deliver faster, more seamless customer service by adding a video chat feature to your platform. Sinch allows users to mute a participant, add filters, and share a screen.
• Conversation API: Engage with customers on their preferred channels. Add WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Viber, and Apple Messages for Business to your app.

Vonage: Best for Facilitating Excellent Video Communications

Vonage, one of our top picks for small business VoIP services, is also a solid choice for a Twilio alternative, especially when you aim to include video conferencing in your existing app. The provider accommodates different video use cases: one-on-one, group, and large-scale broadcast sessions. In terms of collaboration tools, the API supports screen sharing, messaging, and video recording.

When broadcasting video sessions to a larger group of people, maximize the Experience Composer feature and provide an immersive video experience for your audience. Capture all the interactive meeting elements, such as the branded user interface, whiteboards, and chats. Customize the audio and video experience for mobile devices, including effects, filters, and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

However, do note that some Vonage users have experienced difficulties in understanding Vonage’s documentation. Try Sinch as an alternative, a user-friendly CPaaS solution with video API.

Vonage Pricing at a Glance

• Video API: 0.39 cents per participant, per minute
• SMS API: 0.68 cents for sending a message and 0.62 cents for receiving a message
• WhatsApp API: WhatsApp fee plus Vonage platform fee (4.88 cents per conversation)
• Facebook Messenger API: 0.11 cents per delivered message
• Voice API: 0.44 cents per minute for inbound and outbound calls

Vonage Features

• Verify API: Verify Request enables you to manage your PIN code and customize failover. Verify Success, on the other hand, lets you authenticate phone numbers with Vonage managing the PIN code and providing auto-failover to additional channels.
• Facebook Messenger API: Deliver rich social media messages to customers by adding images, audio, and video elements. Vonage provides real-time insights to help you identify customer preferences and improve communication strategies.
• AI Studio: Create conversational flows for chatbots and voice assistants through the provider’s easy-to-use visual designer. The platform’s natural language understanding technology analyzes human language effectively and provides appropriate responses and actions that make customer service delivery efficient.

MessageBird: Best for Implementing Email Campaigns

MessageBird is among the best Twilio alternatives for companies that launch email marketing campaigns regularly. It’s ideal for large-scale email communications as its burst-rate SLA assures businesses that the platform is able to send over 10,000 messages per second. It boasts low latency as well, delivering several emails in less than two seconds.

Through reputation monitoring tools, MessageBird helps businesses improve inbox placement, an important metric measuring the number of emails that passed spam filters and landed in the target recipients’ inboxes rather than the junk folders. Have peace of mind that all your communications remain protected and confidential. MessageBird uses two-factor authentication, intrusion detection, and email encryption.

Note, however, that if you’re using MessageBird for shortcodes, you need to pay $1,500 for the setup fee. This is separate from the $1,000 monthly fee. In contrast, Vonage and Telnyx don’t have a setup fee.

MessageBird Pricing at a Glance

• Email: $20 for 50,000 emails sent per month
• SMS: Starts at 0.08 for sending a message
• Numbers: $1 per month for virtual phone numbers, $1.50 per month for voice numbers, and $1,000 for dedicated short codes ($1,500 for the setup fee)
• Voice: 0.33 cents per minute for inbound calls and 1.5 cents per minute for outbound calls
• WhatsApp: 1.47 cents per conversation for business initiated; 0.88 cents per conversation for user-initiated (plus processing fee that costs 0.5 cents per message for up to 500,000 messages a month)
• Messenger: First 1,000 monthly messages are free; 0.5 cents per message for up to 500,000 messages a month)
• Instagram Direct: First 1,000 monthly messages are free; 0.5 cents per message for up to 500,000 messages a month)

MessageBird Features

• Flow builder: This drag-and-drop application lets you create chatbot conversations that automate routine processes. Use this to answer frequently asked questions, send promotional messages, and provide quick online store information.
• SMS API: Send marketing alerts, customer support updates, and order confirmations with your brand name reflected on the contact information instead of a phone number. MessageBird allows sending links in text messages.
• Voice API: Direct customers to the right departments using the interactive voice response (IVR) system. Ensure that all calls are answered through the call forwarding feature.

RingCentral: Honorable Mention

Although not exactly a CPaaS platform, RingCentral makes it to our list of top Twilio substitutes because it also has a wide range of APIs. Its voice API includes various capabilities you find in its business phone system, including call forwarding, call handling rules, call queues, call recording, and IVR. Using its team messaging API, you’re able to facilitate chats, create tasks, and make new teams.

The provider features APIs for creating webinars and generating real-time, historical, and custom reporting. The best thing about RingCentral’s offering is that access to APIs is included even in its entry-level subscription plan.

However, since you’re essentially getting a unified communications solution, there’s less flexibility in payment subscription. In contrast, when you choose a CPaaS provider, you only pay for the features you use.

RingCentral Monthly Pricing at a Glance*

• Core: $30 per user for unlimited domestic calling, 25 SMS credits per user, 100 toll-free minutes, and access to APIs
• Advanced: $35 per user for 100 SMS credits per user, 1,000 toll-free minutes, unlimited internet fax, and automatic and on-demand call recording
• Ultra: $45 per user for 200 SMS credits per user, 10,000 toll-free minutes, unlimited storage for files, messaging, and recordings, and end-to-end encryption for video and messaging

*Save up to 33% with annual billing

RingCentral Features

• Voice API: Aside from the typical call management features, RingCentral’s voice API allows businesses to use AI and machine learning systems, making important trends and insights visible to users. If you have an HTML or Java-enabled platform, use the provider’s embeddable widget to integrate voice capabilities into your app in just a few minutes.
• Video API: Use the in-meeting collaboration tools provided to make remote working easier. Chat with colleagues during a live discussion, illustrate ideas through the whiteboard, and comment on specific points through annotations.
• Social messaging API: The channels RingCentral supports are Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Twitter Messages, Instagram, Instagram Messaging, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Viber. It allows one-on-one and group conversations, giving you more flexibility in communicating with your audience for different purposes.

How We Evaluated the Best Twilio Alternatives

To assess the top competitors to Twilio, we considered pricing, general and advanced features, ease of use, and customer support. We added our expert opinion on its value for money and popularity in the evaluation.

Learn how exactly we evaluated the top Twilio alternatives by clicking on the tabs below:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Bottom Line

Twilio is an excellent communication tool for organizations wanting to customize their apps and extend their functionalities. However, it falls short on robust SMS API features and third-party integrations and requires programming know-how to grasp its comprehensive documentation.

After assessing several apps similar to Twilio, Podium emerged as the best overall, as it provides comprehensive text-based solutions for different use cases: promoting products and services, soliciting reviews and feedback, and requesting payments. It works seamlessly with over 180 third-party business apps and offers easy-to-understand documentation. Sign up for Podium’s 14-day free trial today.

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