Telnyx vs Zadarma (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Zadarma grades higher than Telnyx: 3.2 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Zadarma grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Zadarma
Cloud PBX and virtual numbers in 110+ countries, free to start
Which one is for you
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
Pick Zadarma if
- Fits if you run a team of up to 5 and want a PBX without a monthly fee
- Works for businesses that want numbers in many countries on one account
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you need minutes included, because Standard includes none and charges calls and numbers separately
- Watch out: prices depend on the region selector, and the figures here are the page's default World region
- Watch out: annual prices need yearly payment and plans cap users at 5, 10 or 20
- Skip it if you use Linux, since the calling apps page lists no Linux app
How we grade them
| 1.6GPATelnyxWeak | 3.2GPAZadarmaVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AOffice is $39 a month for 10 users, about $3.90 a user, under half of the $8.40 that is 60% of the $14 where business-phone tools start. The Standard plan itself is $0. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on record; pay as you go starts at a $0 monthly minimum. | BStandard is $0 a month for up to 5 users with the PBX features, and one person could live on it. Calls, numbers and some extra PBX features are paid for as used. |
| Features | 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. | BCloud PBX, numbers in 110+ countries, apps and a webphone, a built-in CRM, AI agent and speech analytics, and an API. Nothing in the listing is missing from a small team's phone job. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. Setup needs development work against its API. | CNo store rating on record. Numbers, extensions and call routing all need setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb console and an API, with 2 integrations on record. No phone or desktop app. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and a browser extension, with 6 integrations and an API. No Linux app listed. |
| Best for | a developer building voice and messaging into an app | a small team wanting a free cloud phone system |
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: Telnyx and Zadarma. How we grade
Price against what you get
Telnyx starts at $1 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zadarma starts at $39 a month and scores 3.0.
Zadarma scores higher, and starts $38 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other business phone systems on the chart, none scores higher than Telnyx for less, and 6 score higher than Zadarma for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Telnyx also covers online fax and whatsApp messaging.
- Zadarma also covers transcription and call tracking.
At a glance
| Telnyx | Zadarma | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $1 per phone number / month, plus per-minute and per-message usage | $39 per month for up to 10 users, billed annually ($44 monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Standard plan: $0 a month for up to 5 PBX users, with calls, numbers and extra PBX features paid for separately as used. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Telnyx LLC | Zadarma |
| Price read from | telnyx.com | zadarma.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Zadarma
- Prices depend on the region selector; the figures here are the page's default World region.
- The Standard plan includes no minutes or numbers, so calls and numbers are charged separately.
- Annual prices apply to yearly payment; the monthly figures are higher, and plans cap users at 5, 10 or 20.
- Linux apps are not listed on the calling-apps page.
Key features
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.
Zadarma
- Free cloud PBX
- Voice menus, call routing, call recording, working-hours rules and extensions for up to 5 users at no monthly charge on the Standard plan.
- Numbers in 110+ countries
- Landline, mobile, national and toll-free virtual numbers can be added, and existing numbers can be ported in.
- Calling apps and webphone
- Apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, a browser webphone using WebRTC, a Chrome plugin and support for SIP phones.
- Teamsale CRM
- A free built-in CRM stores customers and makes or receives calls in the browser, with an auto dialler and bulk email.
- AI agent and speech analytics
- An AI voice agent answers and places calls from a knowledge base, and speech recognition transcribes recorded calls.
- Integrations and API
- The page cites over 20 integrations, including HubSpot, and an API for custom connections.
Plans
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.
Zadarma
Standard$0
per month for up to 5 users
Free cloud PBX with 4 voice menus, 200 MB of recording storage and 5 concurrent outgoing calls; no included minutes or numbers.
Office$39
per month for up to 10 users, billed annually ($44 billed monthly)
2,500 free outgoing minutes, 1 virtual number, 400 speech recognition minutes, 100 AI agent minutes and 6 voice menus.
Corporation$79
per month for up to 20 users, billed annually ($88 billed monthly)
5,000 free outgoing minutes, 2 virtual numbers, 1,000 speech recognition minutes, 200 AI agent minutes and 12 voice menus.
Ways to pay less
Telnyx
No public discounts listed.
Zadarma
- Annual discount
Annual payment lowers plan prices
The pricing page toggle shows Office at $39 and Corporation at $79 a month with annual payment, against $44 and $88 paid monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Telnyx or Zadarma?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Telnyx is cheaper to start with: $1 a month, against $39 a month for Zadarma. Telnyx starts at $1 per phone number / month, plus per-minute and per-message usage, and Zadarma starts at $39 per month for up to 10 users, billed annually ($44 monthly).
Which has a free plan, Telnyx or Zadarma?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Zadarma has a free plan. Telnyx does not.
Which platforms do Telnyx and Zadarma run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Zadarma lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.