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Twilio

Developer API for SMS, WhatsApp, voice and email, with SDKs in every major language.

WhatsApp and SMS
Website Official pricing
Price
WhatsApp: Meta's rate + $0.005 per message sent or received. SMS to the US: $0.0083 per segment plus carrier fees.
Free plan
No
Setup
Needs a developer
Up and running
First test message in an hour; plan 1 to 2 weeks for Meta approval on WhatsApp and up to 10 weeks if you want a US short code.

What Twilio is for

Twilio lets your app send SMS, WhatsApp, voice calls and email through one account and one API. Instead of signing a contract with each carrier or with Meta, you plug in Twilio once and pay per message, in dollars.

How it plugs into your product

  1. 1Open a Twilio account; the trial only sends to up to 5 phone numbers you verify yourself.
  2. 2For WhatsApp, register your number as a sender by linking your Meta business account, then get your templates approved by Meta.
  3. 3For SMS in the US, pick a sender type: a 10DLC number needs brand and campaign registration, a toll-free number needs verification, and a short code takes 6 to 10 weeks.
  4. 4Call the API from your server and point a webhook at your app to receive replies and delivery status.

Does it fit your idea?

It fits if

  • A SaaS selling in several countries that wants SMS and WhatsApp codes behind one API and one bill.
  • A login flow that falls back to SMS when the WhatsApp code doesn't arrive.
  • A product that also needs phone calls, like a delivery app that calls the courier.

Look elsewhere if

  • Almost all your volume is WhatsApp: Meta's Cloud API skips the $0.005 per message fee.
  • You want marketing texts built in a visual editor with contact lists: Twilio is an API, so Brevo fits better.
  • You just want your team answering customers in one inbox: Crisp or Chatwoot come ready to use.

What people only find out after building

Read this before you build on it. Each item links to the official page that says so.

  • Twilio's $0.005 fee applies to every WhatsApp message, received ones included, on top of Meta's rate. Failed messages cost $0.001 each.

    Official source: twilio.com

  • In the US, a regular long code can't send automated texts from your app until your brand and campaign pass A2P 10DLC registration, and carriers can charge fees for non-compliant traffic.

    Official source: twilio.com

  • Some countries swap your sender for a random number when you text from abroad, so customers don't recognize who wrote. Check each country's rules before you launch there.

    Official source: twilio.com

  • On the trial you can't create your own WhatsApp templates and can only message verified numbers, so you can't test with real customers.

    Official source: twilio.com

Price

WhatsApp: Meta's rate + $0.005 per message sent or received. SMS to the US: $0.0083 per segment plus carrier fees.

Free trial with no credit card; after that you pay per message.

Price per message
Meta + $0.005 (WhatsApp); $0.0083 US SMS
Official WhatsApp API
Yes, official Meta partner
Channels
SMS, WhatsApp, voice, email

Checked on Oct 28, 2026 · official pricing

What it costs in practice

SaaS sending 2,000 WhatsApp reminders and getting 500 replies: 2,500 × $0.005 = $12.50 to Twilio, plus Meta's rate on the 2,000 sent. Add 300 SMS codes × $0.0599 ≈ $18. About $30/month plus Meta, estimated.

Estimate from the official price. Check it before you decide.

At a glance

  • Free plan: no
  • Open source: no

“Not stated” means the official site doesn’t say.

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