Twilio is the most popular API for programmable SMS, voice and WhatsApp. Pricing is usage-based and varies by country; here's what it costs and how to start with the free trial.
| Servizio | Prezzo | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Outbound SMS | ~$0.0079 / segment | Per 160-char segment; + carrier fees |
| Inbound SMS | ~$0.0075 / msg | Received messages |
| Phone number | ~$1.15 / month | Local US number |
| Voice (outbound) | ~$0.014 / min | US; varies by destination |
| conversation-based | Meta fees + Twilio markup |
Twilio gives new accounts a free trial credit (typically around $15) so you can test SMS and voice before paying. Trial accounts can only message verified numbers and add a "Sent from a Twilio trial account" prefix — upgrade to remove those limits.
1. Iscriviti a twilio.com and verify your email and phone.
2. On the Console dashboard you'll see your Account SID E Auth Token — these are your credentials.
3. Clic Get a phone number to claim a number (uses trial credit).
4. For production, create a dedicated API Key under Account → API keys & tokens (safer than the root Auth Token).
Send a test SMS:
For transactional email instead of SMS, SendGrid or Resend are far cheaper per message. For SMS specifically, Vonage, MessageBird and AWS SNS compete with Twilio — compare per-country rates, since the carrier fee often dominates.
US outbound SMS ≈ $0.0079/segment, inbound ≈ $0.0075, a phone number ≈ $1.15/month. Varies a lot by country and carrier fees.
Sign up for the free trial; your Account SID and Auth Token are on the Console dashboard. For production, create a standalone API Key under Account → API keys & tokens.
Yes — about $15 of credit, but trial accounts can only text verified numbers and add a trial prefix until you upgrade.
Not affiliated with Twilio. Prices are reference estimates — always verify on the official pricing page.