Twilio vs Telnyx
Prices and features checked 2026-10-17 on both vendors' own pages. “not verified” means we could not confirm it.
Twilio or Telnyx for an AI agent's phone and SMS? On US list prices, Telnyx charges $0.004 per SMS part plus the carrier fee and $0.002/min for the Voice API plus SIP trunking. Twilio charges $0.0083 per SMS segment and $0.0140/min for outbound local calls. Numbers cost $1.00/month at Telnyx and $1.15/month (local) at Twilio. Both have MCP servers: Twilio's is an alpha from Twilio Labs, and Telnyx's ships in its Node SDK repo.
| Twilio | Telnyx | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Twilio | Telnyx |
| Free tier | Free trial, no credit card [source, checked 2026-10-17] | No platform fee; pay as you go [source, checked 2026-10-17] |
| Entry paid price | US SMS $0.0083 per segment sent or received; local number $1.15/month; local calls $0.0140/min out, $0.0085/min in [source, checked 2026-10-17] | SMS $0.004 per message part + carrier fee; Voice API $0.002/min + SIP trunk fee; numbers from $1.00/month [source, checked 2026-10-17] |
| Meter | Per message segment, per call minute and per number per month; carrier fees vary [source] | Per message part, per minute and per number; carrier fees passed through at cost [source] |
| API and SDKs | REST APIs for messaging, voice and numbers [source] | Messaging, Voice API and number APIs [source] |
| MCP server | Twilio Labs MCP server (alpha, MIT) [source] | Official MCP server (TypeScript) in telnyx-node [source] |
| Open source | not verified | not verified |
| Compliance | not verified | HIPAA listed on the pricing pages [source] |
| Data retention | not verified | not verified |
| Phone numbers | Local $1.15/month, toll-free $2.15/month (US) [source] | From $1.00 per number per month [source] |
Verdict: when to use which
Use Twilio if you want many channels (SMS, voice, WhatsApp, email through SendGrid) on one account and a free trial without a card.
Use Telnyx if you send or call at volume and want lower listed rates, with carrier pass-through shown as a separate line.
FAQ
Is Telnyx cheaper than Twilio?
On the listed US base rates, yes: $0.004 against $0.0083 per SMS. Carrier fees apply on both, so compare full invoices at your volume.
Which works with Vapi?
Vapi lists transport rates for both: Twilio inbound $0.008/min and outbound $0.014/min, Telnyx $0.0055/min.
Is there an MCP server?
Twilio Labs publishes an alpha MCP server (MIT). Telnyx's official MCP server is in its telnyx-node repository; the older Python one is deprecated.
More
Other agent tool comparisons: Postiz vs Ayrshare · Resend vs Postmark · Vapi vs Retell AI · Browserbase vs Steel · Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy · Exa vs Tavily