Bandwidth vs Plivo (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Plivo grades higher than Bandwidth: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Plivo grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bandwidth
Voice, messaging and number APIs on its own carrier network
Free trial
Plivo
Voice, SMS and AI voice agent platform billed by usage
Free trial · from $1,000/mo
Which one is for you
Pick Bandwidth if
- Fits if you're building calling or texting into your own software
- Works for phone providers who need a carrier network
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a desk phone or softphone app, as there isn't one
- Watch out: rates are US figures, exclude taxes and fees, and SIP trunking pricing is on request
- Pricey if you text a lot, as 10DLC is $0.004 for SMS and $0.015 for MMS, and short codes cost more
- Skip it if you want to know the trial's terms first, as they aren't stated
Pick Plivo if
- Fits if you build voice or AI-agent calling into your own product
- Works for developers who want pay-per-use pricing
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want an office phone with extensions and an app
- Tight if you want SMS or WhatsApp, which start at $1,000 a month on Enterprise
- Watch out: pay as you go covers the US and India; 190+ countries need Enterprise
- Watch out: rates are starting prices, so a given country can cost more
How we grade them
| 1.6GPABandwidthWeak | 1.8GPAPlivoWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CUS local calls are $0.0100 a minute out and $0.0055 in, with volume pricing by quote. That's usage billing, so it can't be set against per-seat prices. | CPay as you go has no monthly fee, with per-minute and per-message rates. Enterprise starts at $1,000 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial through a Build developer account, with terms not stated. | C$10 in free credits with no credit card. It's a credit, not a free plan. |
| Features | DVoice, messaging, SIP trunking and numbers as APIs. It needs your own app or phone system to be useful. | DSIP trunking, audio streaming, voice AI agents, SMS and WhatsApp APIs. It's pieces for building on, not an office phone, and SMS and WhatsApp sit on Enterprise. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It's built for developers who write code against it. | DNo store rating on record. You work with it through APIs and code. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Teams, Zoom Phone, Webex Calling, Genesys Cloud CX, Five9 and Google Voice SIP Link. | BWeb, with LiveKit and Pipecat connections. |
| Best for | voice and text APIs on its own carrier network | voice and text for developers, billed by use |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bandwidth and Plivo. How we grade
Where they differ
- Bandwidth also covers business phone line.
- Plivo also covers AI agents and whatsApp messaging.
In commonWebPublic APIBusiness texting
At a glance
| Bandwidth | Plivo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $1,000 per month for the Enterprise plan; pay as you go has no monthly fee |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial through a Build developer account; terms not stated | $10 in free credits, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Bandwidth Inc. | Plivo Inc. |
| Price read from | bandwidth.com | plivo.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bandwidth
- Usage rates are quoted for the US: US local outbound calls are $0.0100 a minute and inbound $0.0055, as listed.
- A 10DLC text is $0.004 outbound for SMS and $0.015 for MMS; short code and toll-free messages cost more.
- It is a carrier and API platform, not a packaged office phone with desk phones or a softphone app.
- Rates exclude taxes and fees, and SIP trunking and full pricing are given only on request.
Plivo
- This is a usage-billed API platform, not an office phone system with desks, extensions and a softphone app.
- SMS, WhatsApp and the Verify API are Enterprise-only, which starts at $1,000 per month.
- Pay as you go lists coverage in the United States and India only; 190+ countries need Enterprise.
- Per-minute and per-message rates are listed as starting prices, so the rate for a given country can be higher.
Key features
Bandwidth
- Voice API
- Embeds calling in an application with 6-second billing increments, recording, conferencing, answering machine detection, text-to-speech and media streaming.
- Messaging API
- Sends SMS and MMS over 10DLC, short code and toll-free numbers, with RCS and alphanumeric sender options named in the product menu.
- SIP trunking and numbers
- Usage-based SIP trunking, number management, porting, caller ID and emergency calling for phone systems that run on premises or in the cloud.
- Authentication API
- Sends two-factor authentication codes and call verification to protect user sign-ins, billed per authentication or per call.
- Platform integrations
- The product menu lists Microsoft Teams Direct Routing and Operator Connect, Zoom Phone, Webex Calling, Genesys Cloud CX, Five9 and Google Voice SIP Link.
Plivo
- SIP trunking
- Carrier trunks for inbound and outbound calls, listed from $0.0010 a minute outbound and $0.0028 a minute inbound, with secure trunking and call recording as add-ons.
- Audio streaming
- Streams live call audio to your own software, with noise cancellation as an add-on; the pricing page names LiveKit and Pipecat as supported frameworks.
- Voice AI agents
- Hosted voice agents at $0.03 a minute before telephony, with a builder, simulation testing, transfer to a human and a knowledge base included.
- SMS and Verify API
- Business texting and one-time-passcode verification, available on the Enterprise plan, with messages listed from $0.0077 each.
- WhatsApp API
- Messages and calls through the WhatsApp Business API, listed from $0.0034 a message and $0.0040 a minute, on the Enterprise plan only.
Plans
Bandwidth
Volume-based pricingCustom
Pay per use at published US rates, with volume pricing by quote; SIP trunking and full product pricing are available on request.
Plivo
Pay as you go$0
Billed by use: coverage in the US and India, SIP trunking, audio streaming, AI agents and numbers, up to $2,500 of monthly usage.
Enterprise$1,000
per month and up
190+ countries, SMS, WhatsApp and Verify API, shortcodes, custom sender IDs, BAA, HIPAA and SSO, with custom pricing and volume discounts.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bandwidth or Plivo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bandwidth publishes no starting price, and Plivo starts at $1,000 per month for the Enterprise plan; pay as you go has no monthly fee.
Which has a free plan, Bandwidth or Plivo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Bandwidth nor Plivo has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.