Bandwidth vs Telnyx (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bandwidth and Telnyx share a 1.6 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about the free plan, where Bandwidth grades higher, or features, where Telnyx does.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, 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
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 Telnyx if
- Fits if you are a developer who wants to put calling and texting into your own product
- Works for teams that want to pay per minute and per message instead of per seat
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a phone system with desk phones or a per-user plan, as there is none
- Skip it if you have no developer, because setup needs code
- Watch out: monthly cost depends on volume and destination, with carrier fees and taxes on top
- Watch out: short codes cost $1,000 a month, and 800 numbers need a 12-month term at $40 a month after a $500 fee
- Watch out: Growth and Enterprise are minimum spends of $2,000 and $5,000 a month
How we grade them
| 1.6GPABandwidthWeak | 1.6GPATelnyxWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CNumbers start at $1 a month and the rest is per minute or per message, so cost follows volume and has no per-user comparison. Growth needs $2,000 a month of spend and Enterprise $5,000. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial through a Build developer account, with terms not stated. | FNo free plan and no trial on record; pay as you go starts at a $0 monthly minimum. |
| Features | DVoice, messaging, SIP trunking and numbers as APIs. It needs your own app or phone system to be useful. | CNumbers, voice API, SIP trunking, SMS, MMS, WhatsApp and voice AI agents. It is a platform, and there is no ready-made phone system on top. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It's built for developers who write code against it. | DNo store rating on record. Setup needs development work against its API. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Teams, Zoom Phone, Webex Calling, Genesys Cloud CX, Five9 and Google Voice SIP Link. | BWeb console and an API, with 2 integrations on record. No phone or desktop app. |
| Best for | voice and text APIs on its own carrier network | a developer building voice and messaging into an app |
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 Telnyx. How we grade
Where they differ
- Telnyx also covers AI support agent, online fax and whatsApp messaging.
At a glance
| Bandwidth | Telnyx | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $1 per phone number / month, plus per-minute and per-message usage |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial through a Build developer account; terms not stated | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Bandwidth Inc. | Telnyx LLC |
| Price read from | bandwidth.com | telnyx.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Telnyx
- It is an API platform: there is no ready-made desk phone system or per-user plan, so setup needs development work.
- Voice, SMS and number charges are per use, so monthly cost depends on volume and destination, with carrier fees and taxes on top.
- The Growth plan needs $2,000 a month of spend and Enterprise $5,000; both are minimums rather than flat fees.
- Short codes cost $1,000 a month and 800 numbers need a 12-month term at $40 a month after a $500 one-time fee.
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.
Telnyx
- Phone numbers
- Local, toll-free and international numbers from one inventory, with voice and SMS on the same line. Adding SMS and MMS to a number costs $0.10 a month.
- Voice API and SIP trunking
- Programmable calling billed per minute, with SIP trunking rates from $0.0032 a minute, plus recording, conferencing and call transfer as options.
- SMS, MMS and WhatsApp
- Messaging is priced per message part, from $0.004 for SMS, plus carrier fees. WhatsApp calling on a Telnyx number is listed from $0.0025 a minute.
- Voice AI agents
- AI voice agents combine orchestration, speech to text and text to speech in one per-minute rate, listed from $0.05 a minute.
- Carrier network
- Telnyx describes itself as a licensed carrier on its own backbone, with voice and number coverage in 130+ countries.
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.
Telnyx
Pay as you go$0
per month minimum, with usage billed per use
Every product at its published rate with no minimum spend and no platform fee. Local and toll-free numbers start at $1 a month.
Growth$2,000
per month minimum spend
15% off voice, messaging and numbers, plus automatic volume discounts as usage grows. Other products stay at published rates.
Enterprise$5,000
per month minimum spend
Custom contracts, custom rates and dedicated support at volume. Sold through sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bandwidth or Telnyx?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bandwidth publishes no starting price, and Telnyx starts at $1 per phone number / month, plus per-minute and per-message usage.
Which has a free plan, Bandwidth or Telnyx?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Bandwidth nor Telnyx has a free plan. Bandwidth has 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.