Communication is an essential component of everyone’s daily existence, both personal and professional. Although there’s a pandemic looming, many organisations of all sizes have begun to prioritise it. This is what prompted developers to build low-cost, flexible phone communication tools, resulting in a variety of options in the marketplace today.
Twilio is one of the most widely used phone software applications. Twilio was created in 2008 and now provides an easy-to-use platform with a portfolio of business solutions, making it a good alternative for businesses looking to upgrade their phone system.
But just because Twilio is among the most widely used solutions doesn’t imply it’s the best choice for you. This article will explore some of the best Twilio alternatives.
What is Twilio, and how does Twilio work?
Twilio is a cloud-based service that allows users to place, accept, and track calls. Twilio’s Voice API is used to make the calls, and it is backed by a global developer community.
Twilio isn’t a stand-alone VoIP solution. Instead, they offer a scalable API that allows users to make, manage, and route calls from their browser, app, or phone.
How much does using Twilo cost?
Twilio’s phone calling service caters to a wide range of markets, companies, and purposes. Their rates vary, with video calls costing $1, receiving calls costing $0.0085 per minute, and making calls costing $0.013 per minute.
Toll-free numbers cost $2 monthly, with calls costing $0.0022 / minute to receive and $0.013 / minute to place. A conference call costs $0.0018 / minute per user, and recording costs $0.0025 / minute.
Why do you require a Twilio alternative?
Since the dawn of the API revolution, Twilio has been supporting businesses with tailored communication technologies. With a clientele that includes Uber, Airbnb, and eBay, the company generates an amazing $1.4 billion in annual revenue. Twilio Flex is a popular cloud call centre with a large number of customers.
So, is Twilio the right communication tool for you? Let’s talk about it.
Twilio’s dominance is not without its disadvantages. Take, for instance, the European Union. Data exchange between the United States and the region is subject to stringent regulations. According to GDPR, data transfer between servers in the United States and the European Union should be secure.
GDPR, or the General Data Protection Regulation, is a piece of legislation that regulates the transfer of data. Twilio has had a lot of success in the European Union. It is now unlawful to utilise a US-based cloud service vendor, even if it maintains a physical server in Europe, thanks to a recent EU court judgement. As a result, many European businesses are seeking Twilio alternatives.
Another example is that many SMS API customers have complained that delivery alert does not always work. The SMS can not be sent through a web app, but it was marked as delivered by Twilio’s system.
In Russia, several telecom companies employ a grey scheme with Twilio, which makes it inefficient. What occurs is that some of the messages in the batch fail to reach the intended recipient. Twilio, on the other hand, makes no mention of such blunders. As a result, you may miss the intended demographic and be unaware of it.
Another problem with Twilio is its cost; it charges a premium for communication API services. With Twilio, the overall cost is high. Simultaneously, there are Twilio alternatives that provide identical services at a lower TCO.
If you’re looking for a Twilio replacement with similar technical features, effectiveness, and customisation, go no further. Here are the top ten choices available to you!
5 Best Twilio Alternatives for Businesses
Plivo
Plivo is among the Twilio alternatives that almost match the features of Twilo. It enables you to make, receive, and manage all of your phone calls.
This platform combines speech and text capabilities to increase business and customer communication.
Plivo’s features
Plivo’s call functionality and call centre technology are two noteworthy features:
Call functionality
Plivo includes a conference tool that allows you to hold teleconferences.
Simply assign a phone number to the tool, which will make it simple to call and link that number to a teleconference. If someone decides to participate in the teleconference you just started, they must dial the call’s designated number.
Call centre solution
Plivo can be integrated into a current phone network or call centre application to serve as a call centre platform. You may accept and call phone numbers with Plivo.
The call centre solution can store invoicing, call recordings, and phone records, allowing you to monitor all of your calls.
Plivo, like Twilio, must be linked with a preexisting framework; it does not work on its own.
What is the cost of Plivo?
Plivo’s pricing is based on a pay-as-you-go model. Placing a call costs around $0.0120 / minute, while answering a call costs $0.0085 / minute.
The cost of a local phone number is $0.80 monthly, a toll-free number is $1.00 monthly, and a short code is $500 monthly. When it comes to pricing, Twilio and Plivo are quite similar.
RingCentral
RingCentral has earned a reputation as one of the best VoIP providers for thousands of companies over many years. The company began as a corporate phone service in 2003.
RingCentral features
RingCentral is now a piece of software designed to assist large, medium, and small businesses. Their services are available in several countries, such as the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany and France.
RingCentral also includes SMS capabilities, call monitoring, online fax, and other tools for customers to communicate with enterprises.
If you wish to combine your business apps with RingCentral, this Twilio alternative can be linked with Slack, Zoho, Salesforce, Zendesk, and other related tools.
RingCentral Pricing
RingCentral, like Twilio, has a complicated pricing model. On the other hand, the basic version costs around $19.99 / month for each user.
The pricing is determined by the features you select, the number of people who will access RingCentral, and the payment plan users select – monthly or annually.
RingCentral’s most popular plan at the moment is Premium, which costs $34.99 / per user each month when paid yearly.
Agora AI
Agora (AI) is the best framework for integrating digital tools into existing systems. Unlike Twilio, it offers more powerful WebRTC APIs and makes it simple to integrate teleconferencing into apps and websites.
Agora AI’s biggest feature is that it provides high-definition video chat at a reasonable price. Unlike Twilio, which charges different prices for calling and receiving, Agora.AI charges a fixed rate for all calls.
#Pros
Over 200,000 engineers have benefitted from Agora’s source documentation.
Every day, it delivers over 300 million minutes of calls around the world.
With its machine learning architecture, you can achieve minimal latency and high-definition video transmission.
Machine Intelligence improves connection speeds even in rural parts.
#Cons
Support for API integration is limited to emails.
There is no pricing structure because it is based on the size of the firm.
InfoBip
InfoBip provides a multichannel communication interface, allowing you to swiftly integrate SMS and RCS (Rich Communication Services) facilities into your existing systems. RCS is a revolutionary communications system that delivers a real-time messaging session in native applications, particularly for Android.
In addition, the CPaaS vendor offers management systems and IoT (Internet of Things)-based telecommunication services.
A specific Whatsapp integration solution is available from InfoBip. Twilio, on the other hand, doesn’t even have a service tailored for Whatsapp integration.
InfoBip provides a Whatsapp business API that allows you to communicate via the social media network.
#When should you use InfoBip?
If you own an event planning company, InfoBip allows you to interact with your customers using a variety of communication tools.
#Pros
- Social chat apps such as Facebook Messenger, Viber, and Whatsapp can be integrated quickly.
- RCS allows on-demand apps to communicate with one another.
- Messages through mobile apps, text to phone, email messages, and special Whatsapp integrations are all available.
#Cons
- Does not offer a comprehensive voice solution that includes call monitoring and scheduling.
- MMS services are not available.
Restcomm
With capabilities like click-to-call and SMS with smartphone push notifications, Restcomm facilitates customer engagement. It also includes chatbot connections and real-time interaction features.
APIs, SDKs for phone, video, messaging, two-factor authentications, Call Queueing, Conferencing, and WebRTC are just some of the options available to you when it comes to integrating communication technologies into your business.
Restcomm is also a robust open-source CPaaS platform that supports BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier) features.
#When should you use Restcomm?
Restcomm is the perfect platform to provide a full SDK service if you’re trying to develop a messaging API from the ground up.
#Pros
- Provides a full suite of APIs for video, audio, and SMS.
- Provides flexible APIs to CPaaS vendors.
- Provides access to SIP via BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier) (BYOC).
- It is compatible with the likes of AT&T, BT, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more.
#Cons
You can’t use the services directly because it requires the use of a CPaaS medium.
Benefits of Twilio
Twilio is remarkable in that it provides a wide range of team communications tools and message platforms. It is also a tool for API developers that make flexible communication options available to companies of all sizes.
You can incorporate whichever communication channel your clients want into your application using the Twilio “super network.”
The software enhances and links your global communication operations, enabling dependable, transparent collaboration between brands and customers wherever they may be.
This method of conducting business is growing more and more significant in a world where it seems like every interface we use has a digital foundation. You interact with businesses digitally whether you’re using a desktop or a mobile device, therefore those businesses need to be able to respond fast and easily using the appropriate channels of communication.
It is a solution that enables unlimited innovation and mobility for any type of business operating online. Without sacrificing performance, Twilio’s network is able to withstand even substantial growth spikes.
Conclusion
Twilio is an excellent choice for those that have a dedicated IT staff, adequate time and people to set everything up. The best course of action for the rest of us is to seek an alternative solution.
The six alternatives listed in the article have great functionalities for your business.
Ringblaze should be your first choice if you’re searching for a phone system for a small business, agency, or real estate organisation, as it can equip you with tremendous support in all of your phone communication tasks.
RingComm is an excellent choice for businesses that want a lot of integration and SMS support. Plivo is the most comparable option to Twilio, although it’s a little easier to set up and use.
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