SMS Marketing Software
Twilio: features, pricing and who it fits
Twilio is a developer messaging API that charges per US SMS segment, not a ready-made marketing tool. Carrier fees, number rental and registration are extra. Twilio Editions list SSO.
Who Twilio is for
Best for
- Engineering teams building custom SMS flows
- High-volume senders who can negotiate committed-volume pricing
Look elsewhere if
- Marketers wanting a no-code campaign tool
- Teams without developers
Twilio features
- Two-way messaging and inbox
- Inbound SMS billed at $0.0083 per segment
- Compliance and carrier registration
- Trust Hub and A2P 10DLC registration; fees apply
- Ecommerce and CRM integrations
- API-first; marketing integrations built by customer
- Analytics and revenue attribution
- Real-time delivery and engagement analytics
- Pricing model
- Per segment plus carrier fees and number rental
- Target company size
- Developers across all sizes
Twilio pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US SMS | $0.0083 per segment out and in | per 160-character segment | Carrier fees added, e.g. AT&T $0.0035, T-Mobile $0.0045 outbound |
| US MMS | $0.022 out | per message |
Long code $1.15/mo, toll-free $2.15/mo, random short code $1,000 billed quarterly plus setup, vanity short code $1,500 billed quarterly. $0.001 fee on failed messages. A2P 10DLC registration fees apply (amounts not on page). Free trial without credit card.
Prices as published by Twilio on the date above. Quotes for larger teams often differ, which is what a request on SaaSBid surfaces.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Inbound SMS is billed at the same rate as outbound
- Carrier fees are added on top and vary by carrier
- Failed messages cost $0.001 each
- Short codes cost $1,000 to $1,500 per month billed quarterly
- Public DPA updated April 9, 2026
Twilio alternatives
Vendor dossier
Fit by company size
| Category | 1-10 people | 11-50 people | 51-500 people | 500+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMS Marketing Software | Workable | Workable | Workable | Strong fit |
Strong fitWorkablePoor fitNo data from the vendor
How buying Twilio works
- How you buy
- Online or through sales
- Demo or quote needed for
- Enterprise volume discounts
- Contract
- Pay as you go; committed annual volumes can get enterprise pricing through sales
Security and data protection
- Public DPA
- twilio.com
- Single sign-on (SAML)
- Twilio Editions (all editions)
- Audit logs
- Audit Events API for all customers; Editions extend retention from 30 to 400 days
From Twilio's trust center, security and legal pages. Anything not listed is not published.
About the company
- Founded
- 2008
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, US
- Ownership
- public (NYSE: TWLO)
- Employees
- 5,587 (2025)
- 2021
- Acquired Zipwhip for $850 million
- 2025
- Agreed to acquire Stytch
Support and integrations
- API
- Public REST APIs
What vendors in this category ask before quoting
Answer these once in a SaaSBid request and Twilio and its alternatives quote against the same facts.
- How many texts do you plan to send each month, and to how many subscribers?Credit bundles, minimum spends and per-message rates all scale with volume.
- Which countries are your subscribers in?Several vendors price or support only the US and Canada.
- Do you sell through Shopify, another store platform or a CRM?The integration determines which triggers and data are available.
- How many team members will reply to customers?Extra users may be billed separately.
- Do you already hold opt-in consent, and in what form?Imported lists need proof of consent and affect onboarding.
- Do you need a dedicated short code or registered local number?Short codes and registration add monthly or one-time fees.