Twilio is a market-leading Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider which offers an Application Programming Interface (API) that you can use to create voice applications to improve your customer experience and your interactions with partners and suppliers. The platform has a scalable Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system which can respond to customer commands and supports text-to-speech (TTS) in hundreds of languages. In addition, with the Twilio Voice Software Development Kit (SDK), businesses can quickly construct scalable, WebRTC-powered voice applications that give a consistent performance across all web browsers and internet-capable devices.
However, Twilio subscribers tend to complain about the high price tag associated with the native product – and its call rates in particular. In this article, we’ll be looking at eight of the best alternatives to Twilio which offer the same or similar functionality, but at a price level that won’t raise an eyebrow or drain your wallet.
1. BYOC for Twilio
Bring Your Own Carrier or BYOC, a native Twilio alternative enables businesses to overcome the limitations associated with off-the-shelf cloud telephony solutions. It does this by allowing organizations to select the cloud platform that best fulfills their needs, while supporting it with a familiar, reputable, and trusted communications carrier. BYOC simplifies the management and control of cloud communications and allows businesses to build highly customized communications solutions, uniquely tailored to their requirements.
Twilio platform offers a Bring Your Own Carrier option that subscribers can use as an alternative to the core service. Twilio BYOC trunking lets you bring your own carrier and add it as part of your communication setup while unlocking the agility, scalability, and global reach that Twilio is known for.
IDT BYOC for Twilio enables you to route your Twilio calls with confidence through one of the world’s largest direct telecommunication networks that is trusted by all major telecommunications companies. With IDT, you can control your call routing and phone numbers for cost, coverage, or compliance and extend your reach to multiple markets.
By adding IDT’s platinum grade Tier 1 voice quality to your Twilio calls, you get access to IDT’s fully redundant secure private network, which ensures seamless connectivity and maximum uptime. Customized routing options are available to meet your requirements, including national termination in 100+ countries globally.
What’s more, by leveraging IDT’s big telco buying prowess, you gain access to unmatched global calling rates compared to Twilio’s pricing. In fact, you can save as much as 50% on your Twilio Voice bill by plugging IDT into the Twilio platform while continuing to use Twilio for all the other features that you like.
2. Bandwidth
In its Communications Platform as a Service offering, Bandwidth provides a full suite of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that cover voice, messaging, and Emergency Services (9-1-1) applications. Businesses can employ Bandwidth APIs in adding calling, texting, and 9-1-1 connectivity to software, applications, and internet-connected devices.
The company operates its own carrier-grade Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony network, which acts as the foundation for its CPaaS offerings. Bandwidth offers a free trial, and industry reviewers are in general agreement that the platform is easier to set up and administer than Twilio and provides better support.
3. Nextiva
Nextiva is another Twilio alternative that offers a range of smart automation tools, designed to help businesses increase efficiency and create stronger customer relationships while retaining the human touch. Nextiva’s intelligent automations enable enterprises to create simple automatic time-savers or a complex series of tasks. Nextiva extends the voice functionality of its platform over web, iPhone, and Android.
Nextiva’s set of intelligent automation tools includes automatic welcome emails, which promotional teams can use to send automated welcome messages, surveys, campaigns, and other materials. Automatic follow-ups and check-ins help marketers send friendly reminders to prospects and customers. Nextiva offers a selection of pre-built templates to get users started quickly.
4. Infobip
Infobip‘s flexible and programmable API stack allows organizations to integrate any communication channel or module into their business workflows. Infobip’s customer data platform empowers businesses to enhance their communications with a fully integrated contact center, marketing automation, and chatbot building solutions.
Optimized for quick response, industry reviewers consider Infobip easier to administer and better at support than Twilio – but the platform is slower in delivering a Return On Investment (ROI).
5. MessageBird
Billing itself as “An omnichannel communications platform, built for global scale,” MessageBird is a CPaaS provider dedicated to enabling businesses to enhance their customer experience by developing voice applications through a selection of auto-scaling APIs with extensive documentation, complete API references, and intuitive Software Development Kits. The platform aims to enable businesses to meet their communication challenges via SMS, Voice, and Conversations APIs.
MessageBird’s selection of pre-built SDKs includes client and server libraries in a range of programming languages, including Node, PHP, and Java. The company provides pre-built integrations for Salesforce, Shopify, Zendesk, Zapier, and other popular business platforms. “Quickstart tutorials” are available to provide step-by-step guidelines for developers.
6. Plivo
Rated #1 in satisfaction for cloud communication platform providers by G2, Plivo has business subscribers in more than 190 countries and is a great Twilio alternative to consider. Plivo enables developers to create complex applications which are simple by design by taking a consultative approach to engagement. The service offers global SMS and voice calls for businesses of all sizes.
Industry reviewers generally agree that Plivo is easier to set up and administer than Twilio, as well as being easier to use. Efficient call tracking and recording facilities make it easy for businesses to customize their conference calls and notification systems. Plivo’s highly responsive API makes the implementation of call control easily programmable in projects.
7. Telnyx
Telnxy has been one of the top picks of business communication platform users and is a great Twilio alternative. The Telnyx voice API allows developers to build Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems that capture both touch-tone (DTMF) and voice inputs from customers interacting with an application. To minimize latency issues, the platform uses an edge-stack approach to route data via the closest server to each application
The Telnyx API lets users receive commands dynamically throughout a call for granular-level, interactive command and control. To increase call clarity and security, the platform uses a private global IP network that was purpose-built for real-time communications. Users can switch on advanced Artificial Intelligence features with simple API commands, or fork media in real-time to feed advanced AI models.
8. Vonage Communications APIs (formerly Nexmo)
Formerly known as Nexmo, Vonage Communications APIs offers a range of Application Programming Interfaces, each with a specific function in mind.
Using the low latency, carrier-grade Vonage network, the Voice API enables businesses to deliver high-quality voice experiences for live interactive video calls, virtual tech support, telehealth appointments, remote learning, and other applications. The Video API facilitates the staging of fully programmable and customizable live video sessions.
The Vonage SMS API empowers organizations to automate the sending and receiving of text messages in most countries. Its functionality extends to real-time messaging on popular social applications like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Viber.
Finally, the Verify API allows businesses to use two-factor authentication and security protocols to stop hackers and bots and to easily validate customers across the world at scale.
A Final Word…
Remember, Twilio is still the gold standard when it comes to the best CPaaS providers and if you choose to remain on your beloved Twilio platform, you have the option of plugging in IDT into your Twilio account using BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier) – and save up to 50% on Twilio Programmable Voice. Furthermore, If you’d like to run a price analysis on the options available to you as alternatives to Twilio, visit our price calculator.
