Amazon SNS vs Plivo
Compare Amazon SNS and Plivo based on observed SMS API performance, features, and pricing
Live performance comparison
Real-world performance data from messages sent through Knock
We don't have enough message volume through Knock for Plivo to publish statistically meaningful benchmarks yet. The data below reflects Amazon SNS only. Comparison charts will appear once both providers have sufficient data.
| Provider | Message volume | Growth | Status page updates (30d) | Status page updates (90d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25M–100M | 2nd of 7 → | 0 | 0 |
| — | — | 5 | 7 |
From February 13th to May 14th, Knock routed 25M–100M messages through Amazon SNS. Amazon SNS reported 0 status page updates over the last 90 days, while Plivo reported 7.
Response time
Response time measures how long each provider takes to accept an SMS API request from Knock, including connection overhead and any automatic retries. Lower values mean faster message hand-off.
| Provider | Median (p50) | p90 | p95 | p99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79ms | 382ms | 779ms | 803ms |
| — | — | — | — |
Amazon SNS has a median response time (p50) of 79ms, a p90 of 382ms, and a p99 of 803ms from February 13th to May 14th. Comparison charts for Plivo will appear once enough data is available.
Error rate
Error rate tracks the ratio of 5xx responses and timeouts to total SMS API requests. Knock automatically retries failed requests, so transient provider errors rarely affect end-user delivery.
| Provider | Avg. daily error rate | Highest daily rate | Peak error date | Zero-error days | Days above 0.01% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00% | 0.00% | Feb 13 | 91 | 0 |
| — | — | — | — | — |
Averaged across February 13th to May 14th, Amazon SNS shows a 0.00% daily error rate. Comparison data for Plivo will appear once enough message volume is available. Knock automatically retries failed requests to minimize the impact of transient errors on end-user delivery.
About these metrics: Data represents messages sent through Knock during the specified period. Response time measures time from Knock to provider acceptance. Error rate includes only provider 5xx responses and timeouts.
Recent Amazon SNS incidents
Recent status page incidents for Amazon SNS
No incidents reported in the last 90 days
Recent Plivo incidents
Recent status page incidents for Plivo
Ongoing since May 16, 2026
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT May 16, 23:30 UTC - May 17, 02:30 UTCMay 8, 11:40 UTC Scheduled - Dear Valued Customer, We will perform planned maintenance on our Plivo database to improve the overall availability of our database engines. During that time Plivo customers may find intermittent service failure. When is the maintenance? 16th May 2026 23:30 - 17th May 2026 02:30 UTC 16th May 2026 16:30 - 16th May 2026 19:30 PDT What services will be affected? All Plivo services will be in
Started May 12, 2026 — Resolved May 12, 2026
May 12, 10:50 UTC Resolved - Dear Valued Customer, We recently experienced intermittent Inbound Call failures in India region. Our engineering and operations teams promptly investigated and resolved the issue. The root cause was identified, and corrective actions have been implemented to prevent recurrence. Incident Start Time: 12th May 2026 10:50 UTC Incident End Time: 12th May 2026 11:20 UTC If you have any questions or concerns regarding this incident, please contact Plivo Support. Suppor
Started May 11, 2026 — Resolved May 11, 2026
May 11, 02:30 UTC Completed - The scheduled maintenance has been completed.May 10, 23:30 UTC In progress - Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We will provide updates as necessary.Apr 27, 06:41 UTC Scheduled - Dear Valued Customer, We will be performing a planned database maintenance to improve the overall availability of our database engines. The impact should be minimal with downtime and should last no more than 180 minutes. When is the maintenance? 11th May 2026 05:00 IST - 11th
Started May 4, 2026 — Resolved May 4, 2026
May 4, 02:30 UTC Completed - The scheduled maintenance has been completed.May 3, 23:30 UTC In progress - Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We will provide updates as necessary.Apr 21, 11:15 UTC Scheduled - Dear Valued Customer, We will be conducting a series of planned maintenance activities across our database infrastructure to enhance the overall reliability, performance, and availability of our platform. When is the maintenance? 3rd May 2026 23:30 - 4th May 2026 02:30 UTC 3r
Started Apr 26, 2026 — Resolved Apr 26, 2026
Apr 26, 04:30 UTC Completed - The scheduled maintenance has been completed.Apr 26, 00:30 UTC In progress - Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We will provide updates as necessary.Apr 8, 09:14 UTC Scheduled - Dear Valued Customer, We will be conducting a series of planned maintenance activities across our database infrastructure to enhance the overall reliability, performance, and availability of our platform. When is the maintenance? 26th April 2026 00:30 - 26th April 2026 04:30
Pricing comparison
| Provider | Plan | Per message | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon SNS | Pay-as-you-go | $0.007 | $700 |
| Plivo | Pay-as-you-go | $0.0077 | $770 |
Amazon SNS
US outbound SMS costs $0.007 per message. Origination numbers are billed separately. Amazon SNS charges a flat $0.00302 carrier fee per message, regardless of destination carrier.
Plivo
Pay-as-you-go with no minimums or monthly fees. US outbound SMS costs $0.0077 per message. Inbound messages are $0.0055 each. Volume discounts available for high monthly usage. Carrier surcharges apply on top of the base rate.
US carrier surcharges
All US A2P SMS sent via 10DLC incurs mandatory carrier fees on top of the provider base rate. Most providers pass these through at cost.
| Carrier | Outbound SMS | Inbound SMS |
|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile | $0.0045 | $0.0025 |
| AT&T | $0.003 | $0.003 |
| Verizon | $0.004 | $0.00 |
| US Cellular | $0.005 | $0.00 |
Amazon SNS flat carrier fee. Amazon SNS charges a flat $0.00302 carrier fee per message, regardless of destination carrier. This makes costs more predictable compared to providers that pass through variable per-carrier fees.
Pros and cons
Amazon SNS
Plivo
Pros
- Among the lowest per-message costs for US domestic SMS
- Deep integration with the AWS ecosystem and IAM permissions
- Reliable infrastructure backed by Amazon's global network
- Supports 200+ countries and regions
Pros
- Among the lowest per-message rates with automatic volume discounts
- Familiar API design modeled after Twilio, making migration straightforward
- 99.99% uptime SLA with direct carrier connections to 190+ countries
- Free inbound messages and no monthly minimums or base fees
Cons
- New accounts are sandboxed and require a support request to go to production
- SMS features are a subset of the broader SNS pub/sub service, which can be confusing
- Limited built-in analytics compared to dedicated SMS platforms
Cons
- Narrower feature set with no native support for WhatsApp or other messaging channels
- Smaller community and fewer third-party tutorials compared to Twilio
- Web dashboard is functional but not polished for managing large number inventories
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Amazon SNS and Plivo?
Amazon SNS is a cost-effective SMS service built on AWS infrastructure, ideal for applications already in the AWS ecosystem. Plivo is a cost-effective communications platform with direct carrier connections, a Twilio-compatible API design, and a 99.99% uptime SLA. Amazon SNS is best suited for aws-native applications, while Plivo is geared toward cost-effective high-volume sms.
Which is cheaper, Amazon SNS or Plivo?
US outbound SMS costs $0.007 per message. Origination numbers are billed separately. Amazon SNS charges a flat $0.00302 carrier fee per message, regardless of destination carrier. Pay-as-you-go with no minimums or monthly fees. US outbound SMS costs $0.0077 per message. Inbound messages are $0.0055 each. Volume discounts available for high monthly usage. Carrier surcharges apply on top of the base rate. The best value depends on your sending volume and destination countries.
Which is faster, Amazon SNS or Plivo?
Based on real-world data from Knock, Amazon SNS has a median SMS API response time (p50) of 79ms. We don't yet have enough data for Plivo to make a direct comparison.
Which is more reliable, Amazon SNS or Plivo?
From February 13th to May 14th, Amazon SNS showed an error rate of 0.00%. We don't yet have enough data for Plivo to compare reliability directly. Knock automatically retries failed requests to minimize the impact of transient errors.
Which is more popular, Amazon SNS or Plivo?
On the Knock platform, Amazon SNS handled 25M–100M messages from February 13th to May 14th. Amazon SNS volume has remained stable. We don't yet have enough data for Plivo to compare popularity.
Can I use both Amazon SNS and Plivo together?
Yes. Knock enables you to integrate multiple SMS providers into a single notification workflow. You can use Amazon SNS and Plivo side by side, route traffic between them, or migrate from one to the other without changing your application code.
What are the main pros and cons of Amazon SNS vs Plivo?
Amazon SNS strengths include among the lowest per-message costs for us domestic sms and deep integration with the aws ecosystem and iam permissions. Plivo strengths include among the lowest per-message rates with automatic volume discounts and familiar api design modeled after twilio, making migration straightforward. On the other hand, Amazon SNS drawbacks include new accounts are sandboxed and require a support request to go to production, while Plivo drawbacks include narrower feature set with no native support for whatsapp or other messaging channels.
Use either provider with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate Amazon SNS, Plivo, or any combination of SMS providers into a single notification workflow. Manage templates, orchestrate cross-channel delivery, and switch providers without changing your code.