Plivo vs Telnyx
Compare Plivo and Telnyx 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 Telnyx only. Comparison charts will appear once both providers have sufficient data.
| Provider | Message volume | Growth | Status page updates (30d) | Status page updates (90d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 4 | 15 |
| <1M | 4th of 7 → | 58 | 164 |
From May 30th to August 28th, Knock routed <1M messages through Telnyx. Telnyx reported 164 status page updates over the last 90 days, while Plivo reported 15.
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.
Telnyx has a median response time (p50) of 313ms, a p90 of 727ms, and a p99 of 2988ms from May 30th to August 28th. 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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 0.80% | 22.09% | Aug 26 | 16 | 57 |
Averaged across May 30th to August 28th, Telnyx shows a 0.80% 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 Plivo incidents
Recent status page incidents for Plivo
Started Aug 25, 2026 — Resolved Aug 25, 2026
Aug 25, 14:16 UTC Resolved - This incident has been resolved. Aug 25, 07:41 UTC Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. Aug 25, 07:25 UTC Identified - Dear Valued Customers, We are currently observing an intermittent issue where a subset of voice calls are not triggering status callbacks, including ringing, hangup, and call-status webhook events. Call processing itself is unaffected, and calls are connecting and completing normally. We have identified
Started Aug 14, 2026 — Resolved Aug 14, 2026
Aug 14, 00:30 UTC Completed - The scheduled maintenance has been completed. Aug 13, 22:30 UTC In progress - Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We will provide updates as necessary. Aug 5, 05:57 UTC Scheduled - Dear Valued Customer, We will be performing planned maintenance on our carrier layer to improve the overall reliability and resilience of our network infrastructure. Maintenance Window 2026-08-13 22:30 UTC to 2026-08-14 00:30 UTC 2026-08 14 04:00 IST to 2026-08-14 06
Started Aug 5, 2026 — Resolved Aug 5, 2026
Aug 5, 20:30 UTC Completed - The scheduled maintenance has been completed. Aug 5, 18:30 UTC In progress - Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We will provide updates as necessary. Aug 5, 05:55 UTC Scheduled - Dear Valued Customer, We will be performing planned maintenance on our carrier layer to improve the overall reliability and resilience of our network infrastructure. Maintenance Window 2026-08-05 18:30 UTC to 2026-08-05 20:30 UTC 2026-08 06 00:00 IST to 2026-08-06 02
Started Aug 1, 2026 — Resolved Aug 1, 2026
Aug 1, 03:37 UTC Resolved - This incident has been resolved. Jul 31, 18:36 UTC Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. Jul 31, 17:45 UTC Identified - We have identified the issue with our cloud service provider. Our team is working closely with them to resolve the issue, and we will provide another update as soon as more information becomes available. Jul 31, 17:01 UTC Investigating - Dear Valued Customer, We are observing outbound call failures in
Started Jul 20, 2026 — Resolved Jul 20, 2026
Jul 20, 09:15 UTC Resolved - This incident has been resolved. Jul 20, 06:15 UTC Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results. Jul 20, 06:05 UTC Investigating - Dear Valued Customers, We are currently observing intermittent call failures affecting both inbound and outbound calls to India. Our team is actively working with our carrier partner to identify the root cause and restore service as quickly as possible. We will provide our next update within the next
Recent Telnyx incidents
Recent status page incidents for Telnyx
Started Aug 27, 2026 — Resolved Aug 27, 2026
Status: Resolved Issue was resolved Affected components Programmable Wireless (Operational)
Started Aug 27, 2026 — Resolved Aug 27, 2026
Status: Resolved This is resolved Affected components Kimi-K2.6 (Operational)
Ongoing since Aug 27, 2026
Status: Scheduled The Wireless team will be applying configuration updates to Network Functions on the US East site. The work includes UPF configuration changes requiring restarts, timer parameter updates, and logging configuration enablement. There will be rolling restarts of some components, which have the potential to cause disruption to active data sessions. These disruptions are not expected to last more than 5 minutes. This would affect users connected in North, Central and South America
Ongoing since Aug 27, 2026
Status: Scheduled Our Wireless Engineers will perform maintenance on our Wireless services billing infrastructure. Small delays in WDR generation may occur. Affected components Programmable Wireless (Under maintenance)
Started Aug 27, 2026 — Resolved Aug 27, 2026
Status: Complete Maintenance has completed Affected components Europe (Operational) US (Operational) Europe (Operational) US (Operational) Australia (Operational)
Pricing comparison
| Provider | Plan | Per message | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plivo | Pay-as-you-go | $0.0077 | $770 |
| Telnyx | Pay-as-you-go | $0.004 | $400 |
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.
Telnyx
No free tier. Outbound SMS to US numbers costs $0.004 per message. Inbound messages are $0.004 each. Phone numbers start at $1.00/month for local numbers. Carrier surcharges are passed through at cost with no markup.
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 |
Pros and cons
Plivo
Telnyx
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
Pros
- Among the lowest per-message rates for US domestic SMS
- Private IP network provides lower latency than providers using the public internet
- Transparent, pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly minimums
- Strong developer experience with well-documented APIs and SDKs
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
Cons
- Smaller community and ecosystem compared to Twilio
- No free trial credits for new accounts
- Feature set is narrower than full-suite platforms like Twilio
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Plivo and Telnyx?
Plivo is a cost-effective communications platform with direct carrier connections, a Twilio-compatible API design, and a 99.99% uptime SLA. Telnyx is a developer-first communications platform with competitive pricing and a private IP network for reliable SMS delivery. Plivo is best suited for cost-effective high-volume sms, while Telnyx is geared toward cost-effective developer sms.
Which is cheaper, Plivo or Telnyx?
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. No free tier. Outbound SMS to US numbers costs $0.004 per message. Inbound messages are $0.004 each. Phone numbers start at $1.00/month for local numbers. Carrier surcharges are passed through at cost with no markup. The best value depends on your sending volume and destination countries.
Which is faster, Plivo or Telnyx?
Based on real-world data from Knock, Telnyx has a median SMS API response time (p50) of 313ms. We don't yet have enough data for Plivo to make a direct comparison.
Which is more reliable, Plivo or Telnyx?
From May 30th to August 28th, Telnyx showed an error rate of 0.80%. 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, Plivo or Telnyx?
On the Knock platform, Telnyx handled <1M messages from May 30th to August 28th. Telnyx volume has remained stable. We don't yet have enough data for Plivo to compare popularity.
Can I use both Plivo and Telnyx together?
Yes. Knock enables you to integrate multiple SMS providers into a single notification workflow. You can use Plivo and Telnyx 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 Plivo vs Telnyx?
Plivo strengths include among the lowest per-message rates with automatic volume discounts and familiar api design modeled after twilio, making migration straightforward. Telnyx strengths include among the lowest per-message rates for us domestic sms and private ip network provides lower latency than providers using the public internet. On the other hand, Plivo drawbacks include narrower feature set with no native support for whatsapp or other messaging channels, while Telnyx drawbacks include smaller community and ecosystem compared to twilio.
Use either provider with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate Plivo, Telnyx, or any combination of SMS providers into a single notification workflow. Manage templates, orchestrate cross-channel delivery, and switch providers without changing your code.