Prices checked 23 Oct 2026

Twilio alternatives for SMS and GoHighLevel, compared

Five Twilio alternatives for SMS side by side: what each one charges per US text, whether you need A2P 10DLC registration, which ones handle WhatsApp or iMessage, and how each fits a GoHighLevel agency. We make one of them, so we also say when VoidFix Gateway is the wrong pick.

  • Prices from each vendor's own page
  • Cost maths shown
  • Honest best-for verdicts
Jump to the comparison table See the cost maths
Why switch

Why people look for a Twilio alternative for SMS

Twilio is a capable developer platform. The complaints we hear from agencies and small businesses are about the bill and the paperwork, and both are easy to check.

You pay for every segment

Twilio lists US SMS at $0.0083 per segment, plus carrier fees of $0.0035 (AT&T) to $0.005 (Verizon) per outbound segment and $1.15 a month per local number, as of October 2026.

A text over 160 characters is billed as two or more segments. One emoji switches the message to Unicode, which cuts a segment to 70 characters (HighLevel explains the maths).

A2P 10DLC registration first

Twilio's docs say anyone sending application-to-person texts over a 10DLC number to the US must register a brand and a campaign with The Campaign Registry. That means one-time registration and vetting fees, a monthly campaign fee, and a review that often takes 2 to 3 weeks.

Built for developers

Twilio is an API. Scheduling, Spintax, an AI chatbot or a CRM inbox are things you build or buy elsewhere. That suits a product team. It is a lot of work for a five-person agency that only wants its GoHighLevel workflows to text leads.

How we compared. We picked providers that sell US SMS to small businesses and agencies, then took each price from the vendor's own pricing page on 23 October 2026 (links in the table and under Sources). Prices change, so check the vendor page before you budget. Head-term lists for "Twilio alternative" are mostly about voice and contact centres; this page is about texting.

Side by side

Twilio SMS alternatives comparison table

US prices for outbound SMS from a local 10-digit number, as of October 2026. Twilio is included as the baseline. Scroll sideways on a phone.

ProviderPricing modelUS SMS list priceA2P 10DLC registrationWhatsApp / iMessageGoHighLevel fitBest for
Twilio (baseline) Per segment, plus carrier fees and number rental $0.0083 / segment+ $0.0035 to $0.005 carrier fee; $1.15/mo per number Required WhatsApp: yes, $0.005 / message + Meta feesiMessage: not listed Built-in option (connect your own Twilio account) Developers who need voice, short codes and global reach from one API
VoidFix Gateway Flat monthly fee by number of phones; you send through your own SIM plans $49/mo for 5 devicesUnlimited SMS on paid plans, no per-message fee; your SIM plan costs extra No 10DLC step (texts go from your SIMs); carrier rules still apply WhatsApp: yes, from $19/moiMessage: yes, from $99/mo per line Native for SMS, WhatsApp and iMessage; replies land in GHL Conversations GHL agencies and SMBs texting opted-in contacts at steady volume
LC Phone (HighLevel) Per segment through your HighLevel wallet $0.00747 / segment+ $0.0035 to $0.005 carrier fee; $1.15/mo per number Required; $22.50 to $64 one-time, then $1.50 to $10.50/mo per campaign WhatsApp: through HighLevel's WhatsApp add-on, billed per messageiMessage: not listed Built in; nothing to connect Agencies that want one HighLevel bill and have registered A2P
Telnyx Per message part, plus carrier fees $0.004 / part+ $0.0035 to $0.005 carrier fee; $1.00/mo per number Required WhatsApp: yes, at Meta ratesiMessage: not listed Not a built-in GHL phone option Developers who want a low per-message rate
Plivo Per message, plus carrier surcharges $0.0077 / SMS+ $0.0035 to $0.005 surcharge; $0.50/mo per number Required WhatsApp: yes, US marketing $0.025, utility $0.0034 / message + platform feeiMessage: not listed Not a built-in GHL phone option Teams moving a Twilio-style API integration
SignalWire Per segment, plus carrier pass-through fees $0.00415 / segment+ carrier pass-through; $0.50/mo per number Required; $4.50 brand, $7.50 vetting, $10/mo standard campaign WhatsApp: early-access alphaiMessage: not listed Not a built-in GHL phone option Developers building programmable voice and messaging apps

"Not a built-in GHL phone option" means HighLevel's native choices are LC Phone or your own Twilio account. Other providers need a marketplace app or custom work.

Verdicts

Which Twilio alternative is best for you?

Each provider wins for someone. Here is who, and who should skip it.

VoidFix Gateway Our product

Your Android phones become the gateway. Texts go out from your own SIM numbers for one flat monthly fee, and the same account adds WhatsApp (linked by QR code) and iMessage lines. It plugs into GoHighLevel, Zapier, Make, HubSpot and Bitrix24, with a REST API for anything else.

  • Best for: GHL agencies and small businesses sending reminders, follow-ups and campaigns to people who opted in
  • Setup: live in under 5 minutes once a phone is connected

Skip it if you need short codes or toll-free numbers, carrier-registered high throughput (for example one-time passcodes at scale), voice calls, or you don't want to keep Android phones powered, online and charging. Carriers can still filter or suspend a SIM that sends spam-like traffic, and many consumer SIM plans limit commercial bulk use.

LC Phone (HighLevel)

HighLevel's own phone system. Numbers, calls and texts live inside your agency account and are billed through the HighLevel wallet at a per-segment rate below Twilio's list price.

  • Best for: agencies that want everything on one HighLevel bill and are happy to register A2P for each client

Skip it if per-segment costs at high volume are the problem, or a client's A2P campaign keeps getting rejected.

Telnyx

A communications platform with the lowest per-part US SMS rate in this list ($0.004 plus carrier fees, as of October 2026). It is also a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider.

  • Best for: developers who want a cheaper per-message API and will handle 10DLC themselves

Skip it if you want a ready-made GoHighLevel connection or no-code tools.

Plivo

An SMS and voice API close to Twilio in shape, with a slightly lower US list price ($0.0077 per SMS) and cheaper number rental ($0.50 a month).

  • Best for: teams with an existing Twilio-style integration who want a like-for-like swap

Skip it if you hoped to avoid A2P registration or per-message billing; both still apply.

SignalWire

A programmable communications platform with a low per-segment rate and its 10DLC fees published up front. WhatsApp is in early-access alpha.

  • Best for: developers building voice and messaging apps who want published 10DLC fees

Skip it if you need WhatsApp in production today or a no-code GoHighLevel setup.

Staying on Twilio

Twilio still makes sense for some teams. It covers voice, short codes, toll-free and global numbers in one API, and at low volume pay-as-you-go is cheaper than a flat plan.

  • Best for: product teams with developers, and senders under about 3,000 segments a month

Skip it if your monthly bill grows with every campaign and nobody on the team writes code.

Cost scenarios

Twilio vs a flat SMS plan: the maths

These use the same figures as the savings calculator on our homepage: Twilio's US list rate of $0.0083 per segment, about $0.004 in carrier fees per segment, $1.15 a month for one number and about $10 a month for one A2P campaign. Taxes, volume discounts and one-time registration fees are left out.

Monthly textsTwilio estimateVoidFix planDifference
2,000 single-segment texts2,000 × $0.0123 = $24.60 + $11.15 = $35.75Lite $49Twilio is about $13 cheaper
10,000 single-segment texts10,000 × $0.0123 = $123.00 + $11.15 = $134.15Lite $49VoidFix about $85 less (63%)
10,000 two-segment texts (161 to 306 characters)20,000 × $0.0123 = $246.00 + $11.15 = $257.15Lite $49VoidFix about $208 less (81%)
100,000 single-segment texts100,000 × $0.0123 = $1,230 + $11.15 = $1,241.15Starter $99VoidFix about $1,142 less (92%)

Where the line crosses

The Lite plan costs $49. Take away Twilio's fixed $11.15 and divide by $0.0123 per segment: about 3,080 segments a month. Below that, Twilio's list pricing is cheaper for SMS alone. Above it, every extra text widens the gap.

What the VoidFix figure leaves out

Your SIM plans. VoidFix sends through the SIMs in your own phones, so you keep paying your carrier, and an unlimited-text plan is recommended. The homepage calculator assumes about 10,000 texts per SIM per month when it picks a plan. Add your SIM costs before you compare, which is why we quote savings as "up to 80%".

Try the savings calculator See SMS plans
Head to head

VoidFix Gateway vs Twilio, feature by feature

The two take different routes. Twilio sends from rented virtual numbers through carrier A2P channels. VoidFix sends from SIM cards in Android phones you control.

FeatureTwilioVoidFix Gateway
Pricing modelPer segment + carrier fees + number rentalFlat monthly fee by number of devices
A2P 10DLC registrationRequired for US 10DLC trafficNot part of setup; carrier rules still apply
Time to first textAfter registration, often 2 to 3 weeksUnder 5 minutes once a phone is connected
Sender numberRented virtual numbers, short codes, toll-freeYour own SIM numbers
MMSYes, priced separately from SMSYes, included on paid plans
WhatsAppYes, through the WhatsApp Business APIYes, your normal WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app, linked by QR code
iMessageNoYes, real iPhones, 50 unique contacts per day per line
Scheduling, Spintax, AI chatbotBuild it yourself or add other toolsBuilt in
CRM connectionsAPI, developer requiredGoHighLevel, Zapier, Make, HubSpot, Bitrix24, REST API
Voice calls, short codesYesNo
Hardware to manageNoneAndroid phones kept online and charging
Switching

How to move SMS from Twilio to VoidFix

Most of the work stays where it is. Your GoHighLevel workflows, Zapier zaps and contact lists don't change; only the sending route does.

  1. Start a free trial. Sign up and connect one Android phone with an active SIM. The device connection guide covers each step.
  2. Warm up the number. Turn on Number Warmup so a new SIM ramps up gradually.
  3. Connect your tools. In GoHighLevel, connect VoidFix to the sub-account and pick VoidFix Solution under Settings, Phone Numbers, Advanced Settings (GoHighLevel SMS guide). For Zapier, Make or your own code, use your API key.
  4. Add more SIMs if you need them. Use the Number Pool to spread sending across several SIMs on one sub-account.
  5. Tell your contacts. Texts now come from your SIM's number, so mention the new number in your first message.

Keep Twilio for what VoidFix doesn't do. Some teams keep a registered A2P provider for short codes, toll-free numbers or one-time passcodes and use VoidFix for follow-ups, reminders and campaigns. That split is fine.

Sending rules still apply. Text people who agreed to hear from you, include "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" and honour it, and avoid quiet hours. Read how SMS without A2P registration works before you move volume.

“VoidFix Gateway has been a game changer for me. Their SMS and MMS solution is truly outstanding - efficient, reliable, and seamless. Thanks to their service, I saved 2000 euros, and I couldn't be happier!”
AS
Annika Schmittvia Trustpilot, where VoidFix Gateway is rated 4.8 out of 5
FAQ

Twilio alternatives FAQ

What is the cheapest Twilio alternative for SMS?

On published US list prices as of October 2026, Telnyx ($0.004 per message part) and SignalWire ($0.00415 per segment) have the lowest per-message rates of the API providers here, and all of them add carrier fees. VoidFix Gateway charges a flat monthly fee instead, so it costs less once you send more than about 3,000 segments a month on the Lite plan, before counting your SIM plans.

Which Twilio alternative works best with GoHighLevel?

LC Phone is HighLevel's built-in phone system and needs no setup beyond A2P registration. VoidFix Gateway also plugs into GoHighLevel: you select it as the SMS provider in a sub-account, and texts go out from your own Android SIMs with replies landing in GHL Conversations. Telnyx, Plivo and SignalWire are not built-in GoHighLevel phone options.

Do Twilio alternatives still need A2P 10DLC registration?

Yes for every API provider that sends business texts from 10-digit US numbers, including Telnyx, Plivo, SignalWire and LC Phone. VoidFix Gateway sends from SIM cards in your own Android phones, so 10DLC brand and campaign registration is not part of the setup. Carrier rules, consent and opt-out requirements still apply on that route.

When should I stay on Twilio?

Stay on Twilio, or another registered A2P provider, if you need short codes or toll-free numbers, voice and SMS from one API, high-throughput one-time passcodes, or global sending without managing phones. It is also cheaper at low volume: under about 3,000 segments a month, Twilio's list pricing costs less than the VoidFix Lite plan.

Can I move my GoHighLevel workflows from Twilio to VoidFix?

Yes. Your workflows stay in GoHighLevel. You connect your Android phone to VoidFix, connect VoidFix to the sub-account, then choose VoidFix Solution under Settings, Phone Numbers, Advanced Settings. Texts from existing workflows then send through your SIM. Your contacts will see your SIM's number, not your old Twilio number.

Sources and further reading

Test VoidFix against your Twilio bill

Connect one Android phone and send 50 test texts free for 7 days. No credit card required.

Start my free trial Book a switching call