Alternatives
Twilio WhatsApp alternatives in 2026: 9 APIs and platforms with their published fees, for teams in India
Twilio charges $0.005 on every inbound and outbound WhatsApp message plus Meta's fee. Nine alternatives with lower or different fee shapes, a dated price table and a worked cost example for an Indian app.
By Broadchat teamPublished Updated 13 min read
In short
Twilio WhatsApp alternatives worth testing in 2026: Meta's own Cloud API (no vendor fee), Gupshup ($0.001 on each message), Plivo ($0.001 plus $10 a month per WhatsApp Business account), Telnyx ($0.004, no minimum), Bird ($0.005 on outbound only), Vonage (from €0.0001, by volume), 360dialog (€49 a number a month, no markup), Infobip (sales-led) and Broadchat for agencies that want a branded panel instead of an API. Twilio's own fee is $0.005 on each inbound and outbound message, so support-heavy numbers gain most from switching. All fees are from the vendors' own pages on 1 Nov 2026.
What to compare
- Which messages carry the vendor fee: outbound only, inbound too, and failed messages.
- Whether Meta's charges are passed through unchanged, and in which currency you are billed.
- Monthly fees per number or per WhatsApp Business account on top of message fees.
- SDKs, webhook format and how much of your Twilio code has to change.
- Other channels you rely on today (SMS, voice, OTP verification) and whether the new vendor covers them.
- Onboarding many client numbers through Embedded Signup if you run a multi-tenant product.
- Support response targets and who escalates to Meta when a number is restricted or flagged.
The alternatives
1. Broadchat
WebsiteBest for: Agencies that would otherwise build a WhatsApp dashboard on Twilio for each client and want a ready, branded panel instead
A white-label WhatsApp Business API platform on Meta's official Cloud API, sold through partners under their own brand and prices. Clients get scheduled and repeating campaigns, a team inbox with the 24-hour window shown, a visual chatbot builder, CRM and ecommerce triggers. For code, each channel has an access token and a Graph-compatible proxy API, plus webhooks for messages and statuses and an endpoint to trigger saved campaigns. Built by Nxiora (India); not affiliated with Meta.
Strengths
- Finished inbox, campaigns and chatbot builder: nothing to build for non-technical clients
- Partner brands the panel and sets client plans and messaging markup per country
- Graph-compatible proxy API, so Meta-style request bodies work for programmatic sends
- INR billing and GST invoices for partners
Watch out for
- WhatsApp and web chat only: no SMS, voice or OTP-verification product like Twilio's
- No self-serve developer sign-up; buy through a partner
- Prices on request, not published; not a Meta BSP
Pricing: Partner cost per client account per billing cycle, quoted on request. Meta message charges are prepaid by clients into a wallet at partner-set rates. No public price list.
2. Meta Cloud API (direct)
WebsiteBest for: Backend teams whose WhatsApp use is narrow (notifications, OTPs) and who are happy to call Meta's Graph API themselves
The API Twilio itself sits on. You register a Meta developer app, connect a WhatsApp Business account in your business portfolio and send through the Graph API with a system-user token. Meta bills its per-delivered-message charges to you directly; there is no third-party fee on inbound, outbound or failed messages.
Strengths
- No vendor fee on any message
- New Meta features land here first
- Direct relationship with Meta for billing, including INR for eligible India accounts
Watch out for
- You write webhook receivers, retries, template tooling and any agent screen
- No SMS fallback or voice in the same API
- Developer support channels only
Pricing: No vendor fee. Meta's per-delivered-message charges by category and recipient country, billed by Meta.
3. Gupshup
WebsiteBest for: High-volume senders in India who want the smallest stated vendor fee and Meta billed at actuals
A Meta Business Solution Provider with WhatsApp APIs, bot tools and AI agents, and a large ISV programme. Its self-serve WhatsApp page lists a standard $0.001 fee on each message, with Meta's charges billed at actuals, media over 64 KB free and voice calling by the second.
Strengths
- Vendor fee one-fifth of Twilio's on the same message
- Meta's fee at actuals
- WhatsApp voice calling priced per second
Watch out for
- Fee listed on incoming session messages too
- Different API shape from Twilio's; plan a rewrite of send and webhook code
- Enterprise features through sales
Pricing: $0.001 Gupshup fee on each template or session message (incoming and outgoing text); Meta fee at actuals. Free trial: Not stated.
4. Plivo
WebsiteBest for: Twilio-style CPaaS buyers who want SMS, voice and WhatsApp from one vendor at a lower WhatsApp fee
The closest CPaaS-for-CPaaS swap. Plivo sells SMS, voice and WhatsApp APIs, and its WhatsApp page shows Meta's category rates alongside two Plivo fees: one on every inbound and outbound message and a monthly fee for each registered WhatsApp Business account. Media inside a conversation is not charged extra and volume discounts are offered.
Strengths
- $0.001 on each message, against Twilio's $0.005
- SMS and voice from the same vendor
- Volume discounts offered
Watch out for
- $10 a month for each registered WhatsApp Business account
- Inbound messages also carry the fee
- No inbox or campaign panel described
Pricing: $0.001 Plivo fee on each inbound and outbound message plus $10/month per registered WhatsApp Business account, on top of Meta's rates. Free trial: Not stated on the pricing page.
5. Telnyx
WebsiteBest for: Teams that want WhatsApp calling and messaging on the same number as their voice and SMS, without a monthly minimum
A carrier-grade communications API company. Its WhatsApp offer covers messaging, inbound and outbound WhatsApp calling, template management and Embedded Signup inside its portal. The pricing page states Meta's rates passed through unchanged, no platform fee, minimum or contract, and a fixed Telnyx fee on each message.
Strengths
- No platform fee, minimum or contract
- One number for PSTN voice, SMS, WhatsApp messages and calls
- Embedded Signup in its portal for onboarding client accounts
Watch out for
- $0.004 fee on each message, close to Twilio's
- Developer product; no marketing panel or team inbox described
- USD billing
Pricing: $0.004 Telnyx fee on each message; WhatsApp calling $0.0025 a minute; Meta's fees passed through unchanged. Free trial: Not stated (free sign-up).
6. 360dialog
WebsiteBest for: Companies with a few very busy numbers that want a flat monthly fee and no markup on Meta fees
A Meta BSP that charges a flat fee per WhatsApp number per month instead of a fee on each message, and states no markup on Meta fees. Regular includes 24/7 human support with a response target under four hours; Premium adds a faster target and inbox and automation tools; Scale goes up to 1,000 messages per second. A Partner Platform serves software companies onboarding client numbers.
Strengths
- No fee on individual messages, so volume does not raise the vendor bill
- "No markup on Meta fees" stated on its page
- Support response targets per tier
Watch out for
- €49 per number every month even when the number is quiet
- Euro billing
- Regular plan is API access; tools come with Premium
Pricing: Per number per month: Regular €49, Premium €99, Scale €500; Meta fees separate with no markup. Partner Platform from €250/month plus €49 per regular channel. Free trial: Not stated.
7. Bird
WebsiteBest for: Inbound-heavy support numbers, because Bird states its fee on outbound messages only
Bird (formerly MessageBird) publishes its WhatsApp price list openly: one Bird fee on every outbound message in every category, with Meta's fee on top by category and destination. Optional monthly deposit plans become spendable balance and reduce Bird's outbound fee by up to 20% on higher tiers.
Strengths
- Fee stated on outbound messages, not on customer replies
- Same fee for every category, simple to forecast
- Deposit plans with up to 20% off the outbound fee
Watch out for
- Headline fee of $0.005, same as Twilio's on outbound
- No free tier for WhatsApp
- USD or EUR billing
Pricing: $0.0050 Bird fee on each outbound message (all categories), Meta fee extra. Optional plans: $15, $100, $500 or $2,500 monthly deposit with rate discounts. No free tier stated.
8. Vonage
WebsiteBest for: Large enterprises with predictable volume to a few regions who can negotiate a volume-based fee
Vonage's Messages API sends WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, Messenger and Viber through one integration. Its WhatsApp page splits pricing into Meta's fee per delivered message and a Vonage platform fee that starts as low as €0.0001 (US$0.00016) and changes with volume and region. Calling has a separate per-minute Vonage fee.
Strengths
- Lowest stated starting platform fee in this list
- Fee falls as volume to a region grows
- Multichannel Messages API
Watch out for
- Your actual fee comes from its pricing table or sales, not one headline number
- No inbox in the API; separate Vonage products for contact centres
- EUR or USD billing
Pricing: Meta fee per delivered message plus a Vonage platform fee "as low as 0.0001 Euros (0.00016 USD)" by volume and region. WhatsApp calling: $0.004 a minute Vonage fee. "Try it free" sign-up.
9. Infobip
WebsiteBest for: Enterprises that want a sales-led contract covering WhatsApp, chatbots and live agents with one large vendor
A global CPaaS company that describes itself on its WhatsApp page as a "Premier Meta Partner" and among the first BSPs for WhatsApp. It offers WhatsApp APIs with chatbot and live-agent options. Its pricing page explains per-message charging by category and points to a pay-as-you-go calculator and a sales team, but shows no fixed vendor fee.
Strengths
- Large enterprise vendor with WhatsApp chatbot and live-agent options
- Pay-as-you-go calculator plus custom plans
- One contract for many channels
Watch out for
- No vendor fee printed on the pricing page; you need the calculator or sales
- Free trial not mentioned on its WhatsApp pages
- Sales-led onboarding is slower than self-serve APIs
Pricing: Charged per message by category; exact rates via its pay-as-you-go calculator or sales. Vendor fee: Not stated. Free trial: Not stated.
Information about Meta Cloud API (direct), Gupshup, Plivo, Telnyx, 360dialog, Bird, Vonage, Infobip comes from its public website and documentation, checked on . Products and prices change; check the linked sources before you decide. Meta Cloud API (direct), Gupshup, Plivo, Telnyx, 360dialog, Bird, Vonage, Infobip is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify the product.
Quick answer: which Twilio alternative fits
The right Twilio WhatsApp alternative depends on where your Twilio bill actually comes from. Twilio adds $0.005 to every WhatsApp message in both directions and $0.001 to every message that fails, on top of Meta's own fee. If most of your traffic is customers writing in, that inbound fee is the line to attack. If you also send SMS and make calls through Twilio, switching WhatsApp alone may not be worth splitting your stack.
- Lowest stated vendor fee: Gupshup and Plivo, both $0.001 on each message (Plivo adds $10 a month for each WhatsApp Business account).
- No vendor fee at all: Meta's own Cloud API, if you can build the missing pieces.
- Lots of inbound support traffic: Bird states its fee on outbound messages only.
- Few numbers, huge volume: 360dialog's flat €49 a number a month stops growing with volume.
- Voice and WhatsApp calling on one number: Telnyx.
- Large enterprise contract: Vonage or Infobip, both sales-led for exact rates.
- You are an agency building dashboards for clients: a white-label panel such as Broadchat replaces the build.
We build Broadchat. Every other figure here was copied from the vendor's own pricing page on 1 Nov 2026; where a page did not say, we write "Not stated".
Price table: Twilio vs the alternatives (1 Nov 2026)
Vendor fees only. Meta's charges are added in every row unless the vendor says it adds nothing. Fees exclude GST.
| Platform | Starting price | Free trial | Markup on Meta rates | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio (for reference) | $0.005 on each inbound or outbound message; $0.001 on failed | Yes, no card | Meta fee passed through | Teams on Twilio for SMS and voice |
| Meta Cloud API | No vendor fee | Not applicable | None (billed by Meta) | Narrow, code-only use |
| Gupshup | $0.001 on each message | Not stated | None stated (Meta at actuals) | High-volume Indian senders |
| Plivo | $0.001 on each message + $10/month per WABA | Not stated | Meta rates listed separately | CPaaS swap with SMS and voice |
| Telnyx | $0.004 on each message, no minimum | Not stated (free sign-up) | None ("passed through unchanged") | Voice + WhatsApp calling |
| 360dialog | €49 per number per month | Not stated | None ("No markup on Meta fees") | Few very busy numbers |
| Bird | $0.005 on each outbound message | No free tier | Meta fee extra | Inbound-heavy support |
| Vonage | From €0.0001 on each message, by volume | "Try it free" | Meta fee extra | Large enterprise volume |
| Infobip | Not stated (calculator or sales) | Not stated | Not stated | Sales-led enterprise contracts |
| Broadchat | On request, per client account | Partners can offer a time-limited free plan | Set by the partner (% or flat) | Agencies reselling a branded panel |
Where the Twilio WhatsApp bill comes from
Twilio's WhatsApp pricing page lists three things you pay for. First, Twilio's own $0.005 on each message, "inbound or outbound". Second, Meta's fee for template messages, passed through by category. Third, $0.001 for each message that ends in Failed status. An optional engagement suite adds link shortening, click tracking and scheduling for a further fee after the first 1,000 a month. Volume discounts exist, through sales.
Three consequences follow for Indian teams. Customer replies cost you a Twilio fee even though Meta does not charge for messages users send. Failed sends to numbers not on WhatsApp still cost something, so list hygiene matters. And everything is in USD, which means foreign-exchange charges on an Indian card and no INR invoice from the vendor. None of this makes Twilio a bad choice; it explains why the per-message alternatives below look cheap on paper.
How we chose these nine
Twilio WhatsApp buyers are mostly developers adding WhatsApp to a product. So the list leans on API-first vendors that publish their fees, plus two different shapes: Meta direct for teams that want no vendor, and a white-label panel for agencies that were going to build a dashboard on Twilio anyway. Every option uses Meta's official WhatsApp Business Platform; tools that automate the WhatsApp app are left out for the reasons in official vs unofficial WhatsApp API. We left out platforms whose WhatsApp fee we could not find on their own site, except Infobip, which is a common shortlist name and is marked "Not stated".
Worked example: an Indian app on Twilio today
Illustrative only. Meera's team runs a delivery app in Pune. Each month the app sends 50,000 utility templates (order confirmed, out for delivery), customers send 15,000 messages back, and about 2,000 sends fail because the recipient is not on WhatsApp. Vendor fees, before Meta's charges and GST:
| Option | Calculation | Vendor fee a month |
|---|---|---|
| Twilio | 65,000 × $0.005 + 2,000 failed × $0.001 | $327 |
| Gupshup | 65,000 × $0.001 (incoming listed too) | $65 |
| Plivo | 65,000 × $0.001 + 1 account × $10 | $75 |
| Telnyx | 50,000 outbound × $0.004 (inbound fee not stated separately) | $200 or more |
| Bird | 50,000 outbound × $0.005, before plan discounts | $250 |
| 360dialog Regular | 1 number × €49 | €49 |
| Meta direct | No vendor fee | $0 + your build |
Meta's own charges are identical in every row: 50,000 utility templates to India at ₹0.115 per delivered utility message (Meta rate card effective 1 Oct 2026, excl. GST) comes to ₹5,750 before any volume tier, whichever API carries them. Utility templates are charged even inside an open customer service window since 1 Oct 2026, so do not assume replies-window sends are free. For the full Meta side, see what the WhatsApp Business API costs per message in India.
In this example a flat-fee or low-fee provider saves several hundred dollars a year on vendor fees. Before switching, price in the engineering time to rewrite send and webhook code, and whether you lose SMS fallback.
What changes in your code when you leave Twilio
- Send calls. Twilio wraps WhatsApp in its Messages resource with
whatsapp:prefixed numbers. Meta's Cloud API, and Graph-compatible proxies such as Broadchat's, take Meta's JSON body with atemplateortextobject. Gupshup, Plivo, Telnyx and Bird each have their own request shapes and SDKs. - Webhooks. Status callbacks and inbound messages arrive in a different format. Map
sent,delivered,readandfailedto your own states before cutover. See WhatsApp webhooks for Meta's event model. - Templates. Approved templates belong to the WhatsApp Business account, not to Twilio. If the account moves with the number, templates usually move too; if you create a new account, submit them again. Our guide to sending template messages through the API shows the request body.
- Tokens. Meta direct needs a permanent system-user access token stored as a secret, not a temporary one from the developer dashboard.
- Number move. Follow the number migration guide; keep the two-step verification PIN handy.
The alternatives, one by one
Meta Cloud API
Twilio is a layer on top of Meta's Cloud API. Going direct deletes the layer and its fee. The cost is your time: retries, rate-limit handling (Meta's error 4 and pair-rate limits), template status tracking and an agent screen if humans reply. Read Cloud API vs On-Premises for why Cloud API is now the only route Meta develops.
Gupshup and Plivo
Both state $0.001 on each message, one-fifth of Twilio's. Gupshup is India-rooted, bills Meta at actuals and has a large ISV programme. Plivo is the most Twilio-like company here, with SMS and voice in the same account; its $10 monthly fee per WhatsApp Business account matters only if you register many accounts.
Telnyx
Telnyx's fee is closer to Twilio's, but it states no platform fee or minimum and supports WhatsApp calling and messaging on the same number as your voice line. It suits teams moving voice and SMS away from Twilio too.
360dialog
Flat €49 a number a month with no fee on individual messages and no markup on Meta fees. For one busy number it is often the cheapest vendor line; for fifty quiet client numbers it is the most expensive. See our 360dialog alternatives page for that trade-off from the other side.
Bird
Bird's fee matches Twilio's headline but is stated on outbound messages only, which helps support numbers where customers write in a lot. Deposit plans cut the fee by up to 20%.
Vonage and Infobip
Both are enterprise CPaaS vendors with multichannel APIs. Vonage publishes a starting fee and a volume-based table; Infobip publishes how charging works and a calculator but no fixed vendor fee. Expect a sales conversation with either.
Broadchat
If you are an agency that picked Twilio to build a WhatsApp dashboard for clients, Broadchat replaces that build: each client gets a full panel under your brand, and you set the plans and messaging markup. It is not a CPaaS: no SMS, no voice, no OTP verification product, and there is no self-serve developer sign-up. Compare the two directly in Broadchat vs Twilio, and see the white-label panel.
How to choose in five steps
- Export three months of Twilio usage and split it into outbound, inbound and failed WhatsApp messages.
- Price each shortlisted vendor's fee on those three numbers, as in the example above.
- List what you would lose: SMS fallback, Verify, Studio flows, Flex. If you depend on them, keep Twilio for those and move only WhatsApp, or stay.
- Ask in writing whether Meta's charges are passed through unchanged and in which currency you will be billed. Eligible India-billed Meta accounts must be on INR billing by 31 Dec 2026.
- Pilot one number for two weeks and compare delivery webhooks, latency and support replies before moving the rest.
New to how Meta's platform, numbers and billing fit together? Start with what the WhatsApp Business API is, then the WhatsApp Business API overview.
Sources
- Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform — Meta for Developers, checked 1 November 2026
- Cloud API get started — Meta for Developers, checked 1 November 2026
- Twilio WhatsApp pricing — Twilio, checked 1 November 2026
- Twilio WhatsApp Business API — Twilio, checked 1 November 2026
- Gupshup WhatsApp self-serve pricing — Gupshup, checked 1 November 2026
- Plivo WhatsApp pricing — Plivo, checked 1 November 2026
- Telnyx WhatsApp pricing — Telnyx, checked 1 November 2026
- Telnyx WhatsApp product page — Telnyx, checked 1 November 2026
- 360dialog pricing — 360dialog, checked 1 November 2026
- Bird WhatsApp pricing — Bird, checked 1 November 2026
- Vonage WhatsApp pricing — Vonage, checked 1 November 2026
- Infobip WhatsApp Business pricing — Infobip, checked 1 November 2026
- Infobip WhatsApp Business — Infobip, checked 1 November 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
Last updated:
Frequently asked questions
How much does Twilio charge for WhatsApp?
Twilio's pricing page lists $0.005 for each inbound or outbound WhatsApp message, plus Meta's template fee passed through, plus $0.001 for each message that ends in Failed status. Volume discounts are available through sales. Checked on 1 Nov 2026.
What is cheaper than Twilio for WhatsApp?
On stated vendor fees, Meta's own Cloud API has no vendor fee, and Gupshup and Plivo both state $0.001 on each message (Plivo adds $10 a month for each WhatsApp Business account). 360dialog's flat €49 a number a month is cheaper for a single high-volume number. Meta's own charges are the same whichever you choose.
Does Twilio charge for incoming WhatsApp messages?
Yes. Twilio's page states its $0.005 fee applies to inbound as well as outbound messages. Meta itself does not charge for messages users send. Bird states its fee on outbound messages only, which matters for support-heavy numbers.
Can I move my WhatsApp number from Twilio to another provider?
Yes. The number and its WhatsApp Business account belong to your business portfolio. You connect it to the new provider through Embedded Signup or a migration, update webhooks and tokens, and resubmit templates if the account changes. Keep the two-step verification PIN ready.
Is there a Twilio WhatsApp alternative that bills in INR?
Meta itself bills eligible India accounts in INR, so going direct gives INR billing for message charges. Broadchat partners bill clients in INR. Most API vendors in this list bill in USD or EUR on their pricing pages.
Do I lose SMS fallback if I leave Twilio?
Only if the new vendor does not offer SMS. Plivo, Telnyx, Vonage, Bird and Infobip also sell SMS. Meta's Cloud API, 360dialog and Broadchat are WhatsApp-focused, so you would keep a separate SMS provider.