When it comes to communications technologies, consumers and businesses alike have more choices than ever before. And since most communication technologies nowadays (such as SMS messaging, VoIP, email etc) are software and cloud based, this opens up a whole new world for developers as well.
So, if you are a developer, how do you build a good messaging or communication app that stands out from the substandard and unsecured ones? This is where flexible and powerful APIs play an important role in this aspect.
Take Twilio, for example. This programmable communications platform has a lot to offer in terms of simplicity and production speed for people who want to integrate SMS messaging or other communication features in their apps.
It features powerful APIs that cut your production time, and it’s scalable enough to allow you to ramp up your capabilities without a lot of unnecessary downtime and hassle.
With cloud-based deployment and out-of-the-box functionality that will have you up and running right away, you’ll enjoy the kind of shallow learning curve and speed developers and their customers love.
The API has a 99.999% success rate, and their relationships with a huge network of telecommunication carriers located throughout the world allow you to deliver powerful technology while optimizing quality and controlling costs.
You only pay for what you actually use, and the cost scales in relation to your requirements.
Twilio also puts security first. It’s fully GDPR Privacy Shield and ISO 27001 compliant.
However, Twilio is not the only game in town when it comes to building messaging and texting applications.
Looking for an alternative to Twilio? Here are a dozen competitors that offer similar services, will work pretty good as well and even offer more budget friendly prices.
The list below is in no particular order.
Vonage SMS API
One of the first names in telecommunications, Vonage is also at the forefront of SMS technology. Their SMS API allows you to create messaging apps that the user can customize to guide and personalize their journey.
This API provides developers with access to simple account management and speedy delivery while complying with data protection laws across the globe.
The Adaptive Routing™ technology ensures optimal delivery via proactive re-routing of messages in the network.
You’ll have a single API that allows you to extend your reach to virtually any carrier and communication network.
Some Main Features:
- Number pools, number fallback, and local number ID capabilities
- Messaging short codes
- Advanced encoding
- Persistent sender ID and 10 DLC
- Smart splitting
- Two-way messaging
- Programmable phone numbers
- Dashboard analytics
- User permissions and sub-accounts
- Local numbers in 76 countries
- Etc
Price: There are several free options, but most calling or messaging activities are charged on a sliding scale by location and number of users. You can get a full price list by country here.
Bandwidth Messaging
“Bandwidth” is a wholesale carrier by itself, so by using them you actually cut out the network middle-man and the extra costs associated with it.
This is the system to use when you want flexible messaging capabilities. They claim an API for every use case you can imagine, and they work hard to deliver.
Their messaging products include:
- SMS API
- MMS API
- Toll-free SMS
- Local A2P
- SMS Gateway
- Short Codes
Bandwidth offers expertise to help you over the rough spots, and their improved insights allow you near real-time feedback to better understand delivery receipts and error codes.
They also place no limits on messaging whether you need short codes, local number, or toll-free functionality.
Some Main Features:
- Text alerts and notifications
- 2FA access
- SMS surveys
- SMS to email
- SMS and MMS APIs
- Local A2P
- And much more
Price: The company offers a free trial, and as we said above, since they own the actual carrier networks they are able to offer much more competitive pricing. For example, a Phone number Line costs $0.35 per month whereas Twilio’s price is $1 per phone line per month.
Here is the complete pricing page.
Plivo
Plivio allows developers to add SMS functionality to almost any app, but it goes a little farther than that.
What you really get is messaging flexibility with the ability to tailor a range of texting features like SMS surveys, marketing, autoresponders, notification, and alerts.
You’ll get global SMS coverage to over 190 countries on every continent, incoming messaging in 14 countries, and customizable sender ID for more than 100 countries outside of the US and Canada.
Some Main Features:
- Default message body purging
- Free call recording
- Free Storage
- Long message concatenation
- Support for any character set
- Message feedback API
- Sticky sender
- Handle Opt-Out Intent
- Message queueing and number pooling
- Intelligent call routing
- Etc
Price: This company offers pay-as-you go pricing on several levels for SMS and MMS. Phone numbers are billed monthly from $0.8 per month for local numbers, $1 per month for Toll-free numbers and more expensive pricing for short codes.
GupShup
This solution boasts that you can utilize a single API to create variety of messaging apps, and their tech allows you to reach customers in more than 225 countries.
Through GupShup’s programmatic features, mobile app developers are better able to utilize their single API platform to devise rich interactive messaging systems that can be customized to any business workflow.
You’ll also enjoy insightful analytics and a number of robust features for voice, SMS, and IP messaging systems.
They give emphasis in security since their platform is ISO 27001 certified, which is one of the most demanding security certifications worldwide.
Some Main Features:
- 2FA authentication
- Cross promotion
- Number lookup and masking
- Link tracking
- Text-to-speech
- IVR
- Bot and smart messaging
- Call patching
- NLP
- Form builder
- Multiple languages
- Etc
MessageBird
This platform focuses on one thing, creating a fast and reliable SMS messaging system for B2C customers around the world.
Their reach extends to more than 200 countries and 240 carriers, and they claim to be able to handle any volume.
That makes Message Bird a great option for global enterprises who need affordable bulk capabilities and startups with a high rate of expected growth.
Developers can even create their app with no code, which is ideal for newer developers and businesses who want to create a custom app in-house.
Some Main Features:
- Local numbers in over 50 countries
- SMS and Verify APIs
- Campaign builder tool
- Email-to-SMS
- Flow builder
- Multi-channel support
- Automated messaging
- WhatsApp support
- Ability to create your app with drag-and-drop building tools.
Price: This company offers a free trial and a pay-as-you go plan for local SMS ($0.006 per message) and voice calling that starts at $0.006 per minute. They also have monthly plans for larger enterprises. Short Codes cost $700 per month with a $1,300 onetime setup fee.
See more pricing info here
engageSPARK
EngageSPARK bills itself as “Twilio for Non-Techies.” It’s a messaging that’s geared toward serving business owners and supporting engagement through a range of calling and messaging platforms.
It’s well-known among global business leaders like Johns Hopkins, Unilever, and several programs for the United Nations.
Create messaging apps that promote business, provide customer feedback through SMS surveys, and get any mobile-based marketing campaign up and running in minutes. It’s fully scalable and offers a high degree of automation and customization
Some Main Features:
- Create and deliver SMS surveys and IVR surveys.
- Automated call, alert, and SMS scheduling
- Analytics and reporting
- Number validation
- Air time top-ups
- Offline ad creation
- CRM integration
- IVR
- Bulk SMS sending
- 24/7 customer support hotline
- Virtual phone numbers
Price: This company offers a free trial and a range of plans that vary on price by location and type of service. For example, cost is as low as $0.02/SMS and $2/month for Virtual Phone Numbers.
infobip
If you’re looking to try the same technology that’s used by Uber, Virgin, Zendesk, etc then check into infobip.
Their mission is to help developers and businesses create brand trust and awareness. They do this by focusing on simplicity, speed, and reliability.
Either code by yourself or collaborate with an infobip expert to integrate their rich messaging services in your app.
They offer both an API and also a web based interface environment in which you can drag-and-drop to create customer journeys.
Some Main Features:
- Infobip API
- Web-based interface
- Scalable, Fast and Flexible Solutions
- They have their own infrastructure
- Extensive knowledge base and tutorials
- 24/7 customer support
- Chat apps
- WhatsApp business solutions
- RCS
- Voice
Price: This company offers on-demand service, but no pricing information was available on their website.
voxbone
Voxbone offers enterprise-ready calling and messaging solutions for cloud-based platforms like Skype, DialPad, Uber, Zoom etc.
They can work with you to develop embedded comms, voice calling, and SMS, and they support a range of apps and carriers. Their reach extends to more than 200 countries and 500 separate locations.
Of their specialties, they offer conferencing and corporate telephony. The website also houses a huge knowledge base and resources to help developers at all levels of experience.
If you run a contact center or CRM in your company, you can integrate with Voxbone for voice or SMS communication.
Some Main Features:
- They own their own global voice network
- Compliant comms for CRMs and contact centers
- 2-way calling
- Voice calling
- SMS
- They Power other CPaaS, UCaaS, and CCaaS providers
- API docs
Price: The website doesn’t provide any pricing information, but visitors are invited to contact customer support to request a custom quote.
Quickblox
Quickblox allows developers and business owners to add customer messaging as a standalone platform or in-app function quickly and easily.
This developer toolkit already powers more than 25,000 application across the globe, and they strive to make life easier for developers and users alike.
They provide the back-end infrastructure while you take care of customizing the design and functionality.
Basically Quickblox offers both an API access and also various SDKs (Software Development Toolkits) for Android, iOS, Javascript, React etc.
This back-end solution can be installed either on-premises or on a cloud service such as AWS, Google, Azure etc.
Some Main Features:
- Supports AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud or on-premise installation
- Offers the Q-municate open source platform video and instant messaging app.
- Enterprise solutions available
- Various SDKs such as Android, iOS, Javascript, Flutter etc
Price: You can download their free all-in-one chat and video chat UI app. They also offer free basic access with limited perks, a Startup plan for $49 a month, Growth plan for $219 a month, and custom enterprise plans with price quotes on request. Here is the pricing page
Telnyx
Telnyx offers a range of SMS technologies that include elastic trunking, programmable SMS, call control etc.
The goal is to provide smart SMS service with improved delivery and features.
Some use cases from businesses using Telnyx include customer support with text conversations, using SMS messages for Two-factor authentication of customers, SMS alerts for appointment reminders etc.
Some Main Features:
- Number pool
- Geo match
- Sticky Sender
- Number health
- Authentication
- Delivery reports
- Numbers in over 60 countries
- MMS and Short Codes
Price: Telnyx offers pay-as-you-go plans starting at $0.0025 per sms, $0.002 per minute for calls, and custom plans with pricing available on request. Here are the details here.
Wavecell
When you’re looking for SMS APIs and campaign management in one system, Wavecell does their best to deliver.
This subsidiary of 8 x 8 service, provides developers with the tools and platforms to create custom SMS, chat apps, voice integration, video and more.
Some Main Features:
- SMS API for single or bulk sending
- SMS forms and engagement interface
- OTP/mobile verification API
- Campaign Manager web interface
- Unified omni-channel chat apps API
- 1:1 video calls
- Single/bulk voice AP
- Multilingual TSS voice messaging
Price: Pricing information is available by location via a search interface on their website. You can also request a free trial by sending your email address.
sinch
Sinch is another cloud-based messaging system that offers a high degree of scalability and reach. Build apps that reach users one on one or send bulk messages.
They have direct relationships with 250 Tier 1 carriers for delivering SMS messages with lowest latency.
Their SMS offering has two options: 1-way SMS whereby a reply is not expected, and 2-way SMS for engaging communication.
Some Main Features:
- One-way and two-way SMS
- Tier 1 super network
- Carrier-grade platforms
- SMS APIs
- Global compliance
- Cost and speed prioritization
Price: This company also offers a free trial and SMS pricing from €0.055 per message. Pricing varies by location, but you can learn more here.
Final Thoughts
With a sea of applications, tools and API access at your fingertips, building a better app that uses rich communication features is less of a challenge than in the past.
Although Twilio is probably the most well-known name in the messaging industry, our goal in this article was to present you various other alternatives and competitors.
In these days, staying connected is more important than ever. The messaging technologies we’ve reviewed are the best available in terms of price, features, and security.
Which one is best for you?
Leave a Reply