TL;DR
- US long code SMS (outbound and inbound): $0.0083 per message
- MMS outbound: $0.022 per message; MMS inbound: $0.0165 per message
- Toll-free SMS: $0.0083 per message plus carrier surcharges
- Short code rental: $1,000/month for a random code; $1,500/month for a vanity code
- 10DLC brand registration: $4.50 one-time fee (updated August 2025); campaigns from $1.50 to $10/month
- Phone number (long code): $1.15/month; toll-free: $2.15/month
- Carrier fees stack on top of all base prices
- Volume discounts kick in automatically at 150,000 messages per month
- Free trial available; no credit card required to start
Introduction
Twilio is the default SMS API for most developer teams. The documentation is comprehensive, uptime is strong, and the REST API is developer-friendly. But as you scale from a test app to production, your costs can spike. You pay Twilio's base rate, plus carrier fees, a phone number fee, and potential 10DLC registration.
💡 Before you build out your SMS integration, test it properly.
Apidog lets you automate test scenarios to validate your Twilio webhook responses against your OpenAPI spec. Confirm status codes, check response body schemas, and run contract tests in CI/CD. Use Apidog free to catch issues before production.
This guide breaks down every Twilio SMS pricing line item. Learn what drives your bill, which fees are easy to miss, and how Twilio compares to alternatives.
Twilio SMS Pricing Overview
Twilio uses pay-as-you-go pricing. You pay per message segment, per phone number per month, and for any extra features or registrations. There are no mandatory contracts or minimums unless you negotiate a committed-use discount.
- US SMS (long code): $0.0083 per message segment (inbound & outbound)
- Carrier fees, number rental, and 10DLC registration add to the base cost.
Twilio applies automatic volume discounts after 150,000 messages per month per number type. No negotiation required.
Pricing Breakdown: SMS, MMS, Toll-Free, and Short Codes
Long Code SMS (10-digit numbers)
Long codes are standard US 10-digit numbers for most A2P messaging.
| Message type | Price per segment |
|---|---|
| SMS outbound | $0.0083 |
| SMS inbound | $0.0083 |
| MMS outbound | $0.022 |
| MMS inbound | $0.0165 |
Key point: Twilio charges per segment, not per message.
- GSM-7: 160 chars/segment
- Unicode: 70 chars/segment
- Example: Sending 200 plain-text chars = 2 segments.
Toll-Free Numbers
Toll-free numbers use the same base SMS rates as long codes: $0.0083 per segment (inbound/outbound).
- MMS outbound: $0.022
- MMS inbound: $0.02 Toll-free numbers don't require 10DLC registration, but do require toll-free verification for high throughput.
Short Codes (5-6 digit numbers)
Short codes allow for high-throughput campaigns. Per-message SMS rate is $0.0083, but rental costs are much higher.
| Short code type | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Random short code | $1,000/month (billed quarterly) |
| Vanity short code | $1,500/month (billed quarterly) |
| Bring-your-own vanity | $500/month (billed quarterly) |
- MMS-enabled codes: $500 one-time fee
Volume Discounts
Twilio applies automatic tiered discounts for long code, toll-free, and short code messages:
| Monthly messages | Price per segment |
|---|---|
| 1 to 150,000 | $0.0083 |
| 150,001 to 300,000 | $0.0081 |
| 300,001 to 500,000 | $0.0079 |
| 500,001 to 750,000 | $0.0077 |
| 750,001 to 1,000,000 | $0.0075 |
| 1,000,001+ | $0.0073 |
Note: Volume is calculated per number type (long code, toll-free, short code).
What Affects Your Twilio Bill
Phone Number Type
Your sending number determines the rate table. If you split traffic across number types, you might not hit discount thresholds.
Message Segments
Messages are billed by segment. Unicode or longer messages increase your cost per send.
Carrier Fees
US carriers add surcharges on top of Twilio's base rate.
Long code carrier fees (outbound SMS):
| Carrier | Outbound fee |
|---|---|
| AT&T | $0.0035 |
| T-Mobile | $0.0045 |
| Verizon | $0.004 |
| US Cellular | $0.005 |
| All others | $0.004 |
MMS carrier fees are higher: e.g., AT&T adds $0.009, T-Mobile adds $0.01 per MMS.
Example: Outbound SMS to AT&T: $0.0083 (Twilio) + $0.0035 (carrier) = $0.0118 per segment.
Destination Country
International rates vary:
- UK: $0.04/message
- India: $0.0029/message
- Brazil: $0.075/message
Twilio provides a downloadable CSV with all rates.
10DLC Registration
US A2P 10DLC requires registration for business messaging on long codes. Unregistered traffic is likely to be filtered by carriers.
Hidden Costs and Fees
10DLC Registration Fees
Fees updated August 2025 (TCR changes):
-
Brand registration:
- Sole Proprietor/Low Volume: $4.50 one-time
- Standard (with secondary vetting): $46 one-time
-
Campaign registration:
- Vetting fee: $15 per campaign
- Monthly recurring: $1.50 to $10/month
| Campaign type | Monthly fee |
|---|---|
| Sole Proprietor | $2 |
| Low-volume mixed | $1.50 |
| Standard | $10 |
| Charity/501(c)(3) | $3 |
| Emergency services | $5 |
- Standard vetting: $41.50
- Vetting appeals: $11
- Auth Plus retry: $12.50 per retry
Phone Number Fees
- Long code: $1.15/month
- Toll-free: $2.15/month
Provisioning multiple numbers (for local presence or testing) increases costs.
Failed Message Processing Fee
- $0.001 per message in "Failed" status This fee applies during debugging or if carrier filtering increases.
Optional Feature Add-ons
- Engagement Suite (link shortening/tracking): $0.015 per outbound message after 1,000 free/month
- Compliance Toolkit (AI SMS review): $0.015 per outbound message
Support Plans
- Free developer support is limited
- Paid plans start at $250/month ("Developer" tier)
- Enterprise support costs more
How Twilio Compares to Alternatives
| Provider | US SMS outbound | US SMS inbound | Phone number | 10DLC required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio | $0.0083 + carrier fees | $0.0083 + carrier fees | $1.15/month | Yes |
| Plivo | $0.005 | $0.00035 | $0.80/month | Yes |
| Telnyx | $0.004 | $0.004 | $1.00/month | Yes |
| Bird (MessageBird) | ~$0.007 | ~$0.007 | Varies | Yes |
- Plivo and Telnyx are cheaper per message; Plivo's inbound rate is much lower.
- Telnyx bundles carrier fees differently—final price is often lower.
- Twilio is ahead in developer experience, documentation, integrations, and advanced features.
How to Test Twilio for Free
Twilio offers a free trial—no credit card required.
- Use the credit to send real messages and provision a test number.
- Trial messages to unverified numbers include a "Sent from your Twilio trial account" prefix (removed after upgrading).
-
Trial lets you:
- Provision test number
- Send/receive SMS via API
- Test webhook delivery
- Explore the Console and logs
No monthly minimums; pay only for what you use after upgrading.
How to Test Your Twilio SMS Integration with Apidog
Automated testing is critical for robust Twilio integrations. Manual testing doesn't scale, and won't catch schema issues in webhook payloads.
Apidog's Test Scenarios let you chain multiple API requests:
- Import your Twilio webhook endpoint spec into a scenario
- Add steps for each flow: send SMS, receive delivery callback, handle inbound reply
-
Orchestrate step sequence and data passing with
{{$.stepId.response.body.field}} - Automate: Validate all steps in a single run, just like real-world usage
Example workflow:
- Send SMS via Twilio API
- Capture message SID from response
- Receive webhook callback and validate payload
Contract Testing with Apidog:
- Response Validation checks each actual API response against your OpenAPI spec
- Ensures:
- HTTP status codes match your documentation
- Required fields are present
- Field types are correct
- No extra fields unless allowed by
additionalProperties
No need to write custom assertion scripts—just link your OpenAPI spec and let Apidog handle validation in every test step.
Get started:
- Download Apidog free
- Import your Twilio API spec or define webhook schema
- Build a test scenario mirroring your SMS send/receive flow
Conclusion
Twilio SMS API pricing starts at $0.0083 per segment for US long codes, but real per-message cost includes carrier fees, phone number rental, and 10DLC registration. For a single AT&T outbound message, expect about $0.0118 per segment. Standard 10DLC campaigns add $10/month per campaign.
- Pricing is transparent and discounts are automatic
- Don't rely on the base rate alone—model your total cost
- Build and test your integration thoroughly
Apidog makes it easy to automate Twilio integration tests and validate your webhook flows. Use Test Scenarios and Contract Testing to ensure your API responses match your spec, without writing custom test code.
FAQ
Q: What is the base price for a US outbound SMS on Twilio?
A: $0.0083 per message segment for US long code outbound SMS. Carrier fees (e.g., AT&T adds $0.0035) apply on top.
Q: Does Twilio charge for inbound SMS?
A: Yes. $0.0083 per segment for inbound SMS on long codes and toll-free numbers. Carrier fees may apply.
Q: What is 10DLC and do I have to pay for it?
A: 10DLC is the US registration system for A2P SMS from 10-digit long codes. Brand registration: $4.50 one-time. Campaign fees: $1.50 to $10/month.
Q: How much does a Twilio short code cost?
A: Random short code: $1,000/month (billed quarterly). Vanity: $1,500/month. One-time $500 setup fee if MMS-enabled. SMS rate: $0.0083/message.
Q: Does Twilio offer volume discounts?
A: Yes. First 150,000 messages/month per number type: $0.0083/segment. Rates drop in tiers to $0.0073 for >1M/month.
Q: Is there a free trial for Twilio?
A: Yes, with free credits and no credit card required. Trial messages to unverified numbers include a prefix.
Q: What's the cheapest Twilio alternative for SMS?
A: Plivo and Telnyx have lower per-message rates. Plivo: $0.005 outbound, $0.00035 inbound. Telnyx: $0.004/message. Both require 10DLC registration. Twilio wins in documentation and advanced features.
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