8 Strong Plivo Alternatives for Reliable Business Messaging

Plivo is a cloud communication platform that lets companies integrate voice calling and SMS messaging via simple APIs. It’s popular for its global reach, with direct connections to 1,600+ carrier networks across nearly 195 countries, and a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model that makes it a cost-effective alternative to several other larger providers. Many businesses have chosen Plivo for its competitive rates.

However, Plivo also has its flaws. Several users have complained about unresponsive customer support, including long delays and unanswered tickets, as well as unexpected costs. One former user reported being unable to receive any SMS messages while still being forced to pay for them. There was also an instance of a faulty SMS template causing messages to split and cost far more than advertised.

Issues like paying for undelivered messages, hidden fees, and poor support can quickly add up. That should give you an idea of what choosing the wrong messaging provider could actually cost your business.

In this article, we’ll analyze some of Plivo’s top competitors and outline key criteria for evaluating messaging platforms, such as delivery reliability, support responsiveness, and pricing transparency. Read on to see how each provider compares, and why Messente in particular stands out as a strong alternative in each of these areas.

Feature comparison: The best Plivo alternatives to improve customer engagement and communication

Scan this grid to see which providers cover your core use cases, from SMS/WhatsApp reach to dashboards, analytics, and developer-friendliness.

What to look for in an alternative communication platform

When you’re evaluating alternatives to Plivo, start with the basic question: what matters most to your business? For most organizations, especially those sending high volumes of OTPs, alerts, and marketing messages, reliability and deliverability top the list. Undelivered texts can mean frustrated customers and even direct revenue loss.

Beyond that, you should look closely at the kind of support you can expect. A platform may have global reach, but if it takes days or weeks to get a response from their team, that’s a serious red flag.

Transparency around pricing and performance reporting is also critical. Many providers advertise low costs per text but add on heaps of hidden fees with bare-minimum visibility into campaign progress and impact.

Also, take into consideration whether the provider offers true flexibility, such as a single API for SMS, WhatsApp, and Viber, or dashboards that non-technical teams can use without extra development work.

These factors can help you choose a provider that not just works but also actually helps you grow. 

1. Messente: A global omnichannel messaging API platform

Messente is a business messaging service that enables organizations to send SMS and OTT messages (WhatsApp, Viber, etc.) worldwide through a single, unified API. It offers broad international coverage, with a strong emphasis on reliability, security, and compliance.

Messente’s main features

With Messente’s omnichannel API, you can reach users via SMS, WhatsApp, and Viber all through a single integration. The platform also allows setting up fallback sequences. For example, if you can’t reach a user via WhatsApp or Viber first, you can set up SMS fallback with a shorter alternative message.

Messente offers very high delivery rates (around 98%) and global SMS deliverability thanks to direct connections with hundreds of carriers worldwide. Its adaptive routing system automatically finds the fastest, most reliable path for each message. In case your fallback mechanism is triggered, you only pay for what gets delivered.

The messaging API is enterprise-grade, built to scale, and capable of handling high volumes as your business grows. The cloud infrastructure and smart routing enable high throughput. There are no hard limits on volume, which means massive bulk campaigns are supported.

Messente also offers integration options (APIs, Zapier connectors, etc.) with CRM or eCommerce platforms for automated messaging workflows.

Despite its technical capabilities, Messente is known for being user-friendly. It provides a web dashboard that marketers or support teams can use to send campaigns.

Features like message templates, scheduling tools, phonebooks, and opt-out management are built in. Comprehensive analytics and reporting are also included across all channels. You can track delivery reports, message status, campaign history, and performance metrics in real time.

In addition to messaging, Messente provides several useful add-on tools. For instance, the Number Lookup API is available to verify and get info about phone numbers. This helps clean your contact lists and avoid sending messages to inactive numbers. Messente also offers Verigator, a plug-and-play one-time password (OTP) service that comes with pre-registered sender IDs and templates to save you time.

Security is a core focus. The platform complies with GDPR and even new regulations like the EU DORA and is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified. Built-in fraud detection systems look out for suspicious messaging traffic (e.g., to prevent toll fraud/AIT/spam) and can automatically block or alert you to potential scams and fraud.

Why Messente is better than Plivo

Messente is a true multi-channel messaging platform. Unlike Plivo, which focuses on SMS/MMS and voice and does not offer Viber, Messente unifies SMS, WhatsApp, and Viber behind one omnichannel API.

While Plivo is very developer-centric, Messente caters to both developers and business users. Messente’s web interface includes marketing-friendly features, like contact management and scheduling, making it possible to run entire SMS campaigns without writing a single piece of code.

Another advantage of Messente is its responsive, personal customer support. Every account, no matter how small, gets access to human support, with fast response times (often under 60 minutes). Dedicated account managers are assigned to enterprise or high-volume senders.

If your use case involves two-factor authentication or one-time passwords, Messente provides a ready-made solution called Verigator. It comes with a pre-registered default sender ID and message templates. This enables fast, hassle-free implementation of global 2FA in a way that most other providers, let alone Plivo, don’t offer.

When not to use Messente

While Messente is a powerful platform, there are certain scenarios where it might not be the best fit.

Firstly, Messente is focused exclusively on text messaging channels. It does not offer voice features. So, if your project requires audio calls, two-way voice IVR, or video chat capabilities in addition to messaging, a provider like Plivo (which supports voice calls) or Twilio would be more suitable.

Also, as of now, Messente doesn’t offer many pre-built one-click native plugins. If a seamless plug-and-play integration is critical and you don’t have the resources to use an API or Zapier, you might want to go for a provider that can give you exactly that.

The last one is a minor point, but currently, Messente’s interface is web-based only (desktop browser). There is no dedicated mobile app for managing campaigns or checking messages on the go.

2. Avochato: A cloud-based business messaging platform

Avochato is a cloud-based messaging solution that helps businesses communicate with customers via SMS texts, phone calls, and live web chat through a unified, user-friendly interface. The platform enables organizations to stay connected with their audience in real time without requiring any coding or complex setup.

Avochato’s main features

• SMS and MMS channels

• Desktop and mobile app

• Collaborative inbox

• Broadcast and mass texting with personalization

• Voice features (limited)

• Live chat widget

• AI agents

• SOC 2 certified and HIPAA compliance

Why Avochato is better than Plivo

Non-technical teams can start texting with Avochato immediately via its web or mobile app, without writing any code. Setting up automation flows is also easy. Plivo’s API, on the other hand, offers flexibility, but setting up messaging or building an inbox requires technical work.

Avochato’s unified platform is advantageous, too. The live chat-to-text continuity is a unique perk. For example, you can engage a website visitor via chat, then continue the conversation over text later. Avochato also offers native integrations with systems like Salesforce and Slack, syncing data and messaging activities automatically.

When not to use Avochato

While Avochato is powerful, there are scenarios where it might not be the ideal choice. If, for instance, you need a full-fledged phone system, you should look for a dedicated VoIP/PBX solution. One user also cautioned against Avochato if you wish to keep your current voice provider and just add texting capabilities.

Avochato does have mobile apps, but a number of users have reported that the mobile experience isn’t as robust as the desktop. Feedback includes laggy performance and missing functionality on the mobile app.

Although Avochato supports MMS for images, some users noted limitations with sending attachments.

Avochato’s pricing can be on the higher side, which might not scale well for small businesses or nonprofits. It charges per user and per message volume, plus an additional $210 platform fees on the standard plans. Pay-as-you-go starts at $0.08 per SMS segment for the US and Canada, while the standard plan will get you a lower rate of $0.03 per SMS segment.

3. Bird (formerly MessageBird): A communications platform for SMS, voice, email, and chat APIs

Bird (rebranded from MessageBird in 2024) is a cloud communications provider offering enterprise-grade APIs for SMS, voice calls, email, and more. Bird allows companies to integrate multi-channel messaging and automation into their products without dealing with telecom complexities.

Bird’s main features

• Unified API access to SMS, MMS, voice, email, and instant messaging apps

• Visual flow builder and chatbots

• Large telecom network

• Programmable voice and SIP trunking

• Competitive pricing

Why Bird is better than Plivo

Bird provides channels beyond just SMS and voice, including WhatsApp and other chat apps, in one platform, making it more versatile than Plivo, which focuses mainly on SMS, MMS, and voice. Also, Bird isn’t just an API. It introduced a CRM for marketing, sales, and customer support with built-in messaging and AI features.

For non-developers or those who want to prototype quickly, Bird can be simpler, being more user-friendly and visual.

When not to use Bird

The diverse capabilities offered by Bird come with a hefty price tag. Some advanced features are locked for lower tiers. Small startups on a tight budget may find Bird’s enterprise focus less than ideal.

Some customers have also reported poor experiences with Bird’s customer support and billing practices. A few user reviews post-rebrand have been negative about Bird’s platform reliability as well.

Bird’s strength lies in its multi-channel and AI features. If all you need is basic two-way SMS or voice in your app (and not WhatsApp, email integration, or other fancy features), Bird might be too over-the-top for you.

4. SimpleTexting: A user-friendly SMS marketing platform

Founded in 2010, SimpleTexting is an SMS marketing and business texting service designed for ease of use, especially for non-developers. It enables organizations to send text campaigns via a web-based dashboard. SimpleTexting is often praised as a top text message marketing tool for small businesses due to its intuitive interface and rich feature set.

SimpleTexting’s main features

• Mass texting via SMS and MMS via a no-code platform

• Contact management

• Integrated inbox

• Built-in automation features

• Unlimited keywords

• Robust analytics

• AI assistance

Why SimpleTexting is better than Plivo

SimpleTexting’s dashboard and features are ready to use out of the box, whereas Plivo is a raw API that requires you to build your own UI and logic. For a user who wants to log in and start sending texts right away with minimal setup, SimpleTexting is far easier and faster.

Compared to Plivo, SimpleTexting offers many built-in marketing features like link tracking, image messaging, surveys, polls, and integrations to tools like Zapier or Mailchimp.

SimpleTexting is also known for excellent customer support. Many users highlight how helpful and patient the support team is in resolving issues or walking them through setup. By contrast, Plivo, as a self-service API provider, does offer support but typically doesn’t do much regarding hands-on training for campaign strategy and such.

When not to use SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting’s strengths are its UI and features. Its API is more limited than Plivo’s in terms of custom programmability. Also, for extremely high volumes (e.g., millions of texts), Plivo’s pay-as-you-go pricing could be cheaper. SimpleTexting’s prices jump abruptly between tiers, making larger volumes rather expensive.

Another potential point of concern is that SimpleTexting specializes in SMS and MMS. If you later want to add channels like WhatsApp, voice calls, or email, you’ll need additional providers. For purely SMS-centric engagement, this is fine, but those looking for an omnichannel solution might outgrow SimpleTexting.

5. Bandwidth: A carrier-grade CPaaS company

Founded in 1999, Bandwidth is an enterprise Communications Platform-as-a-Service known for owning and operating its own telecom network. It offers cloud APIs with the reliability of a carrier, providing voice calling, messaging (SMS/MMS), and emergency services on infrastructure they directly control.

Bandwidth’s main features

• Programmable voice calling with high call quality

• Two-way SMS and MMS messaging API and self-service portal

• Phone number management

• 911 access API

• Global coverage and reliability

• Enterprise support SLAs

Why Bandwidth is better than Plivo

Because Bandwidth is a carrier in many regions, they can offer significantly lower pricing on certain elements. If you need hundreds of numbers or receive lots of texts, Bandwidth’s cost savings are substantial. Plivo’s pricing is good, but Bandwidth often beats it due to cutting out third-party carrier fees.

Bandwidth’s control over the network allows for advanced features like carrier-grade call routing and insights into call quality that Plivo cannot natively provide.

If your application needs emergency calling or texting (for compliance or user safety), Bandwidth is a clear winner. They natively support E911 integration via API. This is ideal for companies building VoIP apps or telehealth services, for example, that can then meet regulatory requirements more easily with Bandwidth.

When not to use Bandwidth

Bandwidth primarily targets larger businesses and is reported to require a significant minimum monthly commitment. If you are a small startup or only need to send a few hundred texts or minutes, Bandwidth may not even onboard you, or the commitment will just not be feasible.

Bandwidth focuses on voice, SMS/MMS, and 911. If you also need channels like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, email, video, etc., Bandwidth alone won’t cover those. You’d do better with a different omnichannel provider.

Also, Bandwidth’s toolset is powerful, but it is geared toward developers who understand the technicalities of telecommunications. The portal and API have a lot of telecom-specific configurations that can be intimidating for novices. If you need a very slick, beginner-friendly experience to send messages (and especially if you don’t have a dev team), Bandwidth might be overwhelming or impossible to navigate.

6. Telnyx: A developer-friendly communications platform

Telnyx is a CPaaS provider often regarded as a cost-effective alternative to Twilio. With its own global network and data centers, Telnyx delivers carrier-grade services to developers with the flexibility of cloud APIs for voice and messaging.

Telnyx’s main features

• Voice and video API

• Messaging API for SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp

• Fax API

• Detailed delivery reporting

• Phone numbers and porting

• Wireless SIM and IoT

• Helpful support and Slack community

Why Telnyx is better than Plivo

Telnyx’s support is frequently praised as being more responsive than Plivo’s. Users often highlight that Telnyx offers live chat with real engineers and quick resolution of issues, even for smaller accounts.

Telnyx provides unique features like IoT SIM connectivity and programmable fax, which Plivo doesn’t have. If your use case might expand beyond just voice and SMS, Telnyx would work well. Additionally, Telnyx’s real-time call analytics and detailed reporting tools are more advanced, helping users optimize their usage.

Both Plivo and Telnyx are developer-centric, but Telnyx gets a slightly higher rank for ease of use. Its portal is clean and the APIs are well-documented. Telnyx also has an edge in community support.

Similar to Bandwidth, Telnyx operates as its own carrier in many respects. They have a private global network with points of presence on multiple continents. As a result, users report very solid uptime and performance. Additionally, Telnyx’s network allows features like call encryption, and they can often troubleshoot issues at a deeper level than a provider that has to go through another carrier.

When not to use Telnyx

A few users have found Telnyx’s local number porting process frustrating at times. If your project requires moving a huge quantity of phone numbers over to Telnyx under a tight deadline, you might hit some delays or rejections.

Telnyx’s portal, while user-friendly, currently has somewhat coarse access controls. Some feedback mentioned a desire for more granular account management and API key permissions.

While Telnyx’s basic support is great, features like 24/7 on-call support or dedicated reps may require higher spending or a support contract.

Lastly, Telnyx is built for developers. If you’re looking for a plug-and-play marketing platform (like Messente) with no coding, Telnyx can feel too intense. There’s no visual campaign designer or GUI for sending texts in a marketing context. You’d have to use the API or basic portal to design your own workflows. Despite its user-friendly portal, Telnyx is not an all-in-one application for non-tech-savvy marketers.

7. Twilio: A CPaaS with APIs for every channel

Twilio is the market leader in CPaaS, known for its broad range of communication APIs and global reach. Twilio offers a high standard for communications APIs, with a robust ecosystem of services, from simple SMS alerts to complex contact center solutions.

Twilio’s main features

• SMS, MMS, and OTT channels (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.)

• Programmable voice and video

• Global infrastructure, reach, and scalability

• Cloud contact center platform (Twilio Flex)

• Drag-and-drop workflow builder

• Security and authentication services (Twilio Verify)

Why Twilio is better than Plivo

Twilio offers far more channels and features than Plivo. It supports SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Apple Business Chat, video, fax, email, and more, whereas Plivo is limited to SMS, MMS, and voice.

Twilio’s marketplace and partners ecosystem is extensive, which means if you want to plug Twilio into your existing systems, it’s likely someone has already built a plugin or there’s documentation for it. This can save significant development time.

If you are an enterprise or a rapidly growing startup, it’s unlikely that you will outgrow it. Additionally, Twilio provides features like multi-region redundancy and SOC 2 compliance reports, which large enterprises often require.

Twilio has invested heavily in developer experience. You will get access to excellent documentation, sample code in many languages, SDKs for web and mobile, and a huge community.

When not to use Twilio

Twilio is not the cheapest option. In fact, Twilio’s per-message and per-minute prices can be higher than Plivo’s or even those of other competitors. Startups on a budget may begin with Twilio for convenience, but will be forced to migrate to a cheaper alternative as they scale usage.

Also, the feature-packed platform can feel complex for newcomers. There are perhaps too many products, settings, and requirements, which have been described as overwhelming by many. If you don’t have developers to take advantage of Twilio’s advanced features, it can be a total waste.

Twilio’s standard support for free users or even pay-as-you-go users is fairly limited. They offer premium support plans at an additional cost for faster responses or phone support, which only suits larger businesses well. Smaller customers often complain that Twilio’s support is hard to reach; you can’t expect any hand-holding from their team.

8. Sendbird: A dedicated AI-focused in-app chat platform

Sendbird is a specialized provider for building in-app chat, messaging, and video call features, rather than standalone SMS or phone communications. It offers SDKs and APIs that let you add rich chat functionality to your mobile or web application. It’s a different category than telecom APIs like Plivo in that regard, focusing on user-to-user messaging within business applications.

Sendbird’s main features

• Chat messaging with rich features

• Moderation and safety tools to keep communities safe

• Message and template builder

• Voice and video call APIs

• Cross-platform SDKs and UI kits

• Scalability with high performance

• Chatbots

Why Sendbird is better than Plivo

Plivo is strong in SMS and voice, but Sendbird combines SMS with WhatsApp, in-app, and push notifications on the same API. Businesses that want to avoid juggling multiple tools can manage campaigns and notifications across multiple channels from one dashboard with Sendbird. If your goal is to facilitate user-to-user communication inside your app, Sendbird is absolutely the better choice over Plivo.

Sendbird provides community chat features (moderation, threads, etc.) that would be extremely hard to build from scratch. The level of interaction and control (e.g., banning a problematic user, reacting to messages with emojis) is far beyond what an SMS API like Plivo could offer.

Using Sendbird can save months of development time compared to building an in-app messaging system yourself. Many reviews attest to launching complex chat features in a few weeks with Sendbird.

When not to use Sendbird

If you mainly need a cost-effective, high-volume SMS or voice provider, Messente or Plivo may be simpler and cheaper. Sendbird is focused on customer interactions within your own platform. Their SMS offering, for instance, is mainly advertised as a fallback option when other in-app messaging channels fail.

Implementing Sendbird requires developer effort to integrate the SDK and design the chat UI. Even with UI kits, there’s plenty of work to do. If you’re a non-technical team looking for a plug-and-play communication tool, Sendbird may be too complex. Some users also mention that Sendbird’s plethora of features comes with a steeper learning curve.

Also, Sendbird’s pricing can get expensive as you scale active users and features. Some reviews mention that advanced features and higher message volume require pricier plans, and that costs can be hard to understand when scaling across products or tiers.

Top Plivo alternatives: Pricing and business fit at a glance

Let’s give you a quick summary of where each platform proves best, along with its entry-level pricing and trial availability.

Final thoughts

Choosing a Plivo alternative is not a question of who has the most features. It’s about which one aligns best with your actual needs. Start with your preferred channels, expected deliverability, and the depth of reporting you want. You may need support SLAs you can absolutely rely on. Budget, of course, is an important deciding factor for most users. However, basic per-message rates don’t really tell the whole story once you factor in destination-based costs, carrier fees, and any other additional charges.

If you prioritize omnichannel communication within a unified API with practical fallbacks, and you want a straightforward way to validate numbers and keep failed deliveries to a minimum, Messente is a strong contender.