Amazon SNS vs Plivo
Compare Amazon SNS and Plivo 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 Amazon SNS only. Comparison charts will appear once both providers have sufficient data.
| Provider | Message volume | Growth | Status page updates (30d) | Status page updates (90d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 25M–100M | 2nd of 7 → | 0 | 0 |
 | — | — | 1 | 10 |
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Knock routed 25M–100M messages through Amazon SNS. Amazon SNS reported 0 status page updates over the last 90 days, while Plivo reported 10.
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.
| Provider | Median (p50) | p90 | p95 | p99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77ms | 378ms | 778ms | 794ms |
| — | — | — | — |
Amazon SNS has a median response time (p50) of 77ms, a p90 of 378ms, and a p99 of 794ms from January 2nd to April 2nd. 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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00% | 0.00% | Jan 2 | 91 | 0 |
| — | — | — | — | — |
Averaged across January 2nd to April 2nd, Amazon SNS shows a 0.00% 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 Amazon SNS incidents
Recent status page incidents for Amazon SNS
No incidents reported in the last 90 days
Recent Plivo incidents
Recent status page incidents for Plivo
Started Mar 28, 2026 — Resolved Mar 28, 2026
Mar 28, 14:52 UTC Resolved - This incident has been resolvedMar 28, 14:46 UTC Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the resultsMar 28, 14:13 UTC Identified - Issue has been identified. Fix is being implemented.Mar 28, 13:23 UTC Investigating - Some webhook events for voice calls are not being generated in the India region. We are actively investigating and working to resolve this as quickly as possible. Updates will be provided as they become available.
Started Feb 9, 2026 — Resolved Feb 9, 2026
Feb 9, 15:59 UTC Resolved - This incident has been resolved.Feb 9, 15:41 UTC Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results.Feb 9, 15:14 UTC Update - We are continuing to investigate this issue.Feb 9, 14:59 UTC Investigating - Please be advised that voice calls in the US region are currently being impacted by an infrastructure issue. We are investigating the matter alongside our infrastructure partner to resolve this as quickly as possible. We will provide further
Started Feb 9, 2026 — Resolved Feb 9, 2026
Feb 9, 12:52 UTC Resolved - This incident has been resolved.Feb 9, 12:26 UTC Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results.Feb 9, 12:25 UTC Investigating - Dear Valued Customer, We are observing failures to retrieve CDR and recordings. All other services are operating normally. Our engineers are actively working to resolve the issue and restore service. Please contact Plivo Support for any questions. Support portal: https://support.plivo.com/hc/en-us
Started Feb 8, 2026 — Resolved Feb 8, 2026
Feb 8, 17:11 UTC Resolved - This incident has been resolved.Feb 8, 14:49 UTC Monitoring - A fix has been implemented and we are monitoring the results.Feb 8, 13:41 UTC Investigating - Dear Valued Customer, We are currently experiencing intermittent message failures affecting a subset of Messaging traffic. Our engineering teams have identified the issue and are actively working to stabilize the service. Other platform services continue to operate normally. We are closely monitoring the situa
Started Feb 8, 2026 — Resolved Feb 8, 2026
Feb 8, 06:48 UTC Completed - The scheduled maintenance has been completed.Feb 8, 06:47 UTC Verifying - Verification is currently underway for the maintenance items.Feb 8, 03:30 UTC In progress - Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We will provide updates as necessary.Jan 20, 08:17 UTC Scheduled - Dear Valued Customer, We will perform planned maintenance on our Plivo database on Sunday, 8th February 2026 to improve the overall availability of our database engines. During that time
Pricing comparison
| Provider | Plan | Per message | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon SNS | Pay-as-you-go | $0.007 | $700 |
| Plivo | Pay-as-you-go | $0.0077 | $770 |
Amazon SNS
US outbound SMS costs $0.007 per message. Origination numbers are billed separately. Amazon SNS charges a flat $0.00302 carrier fee per message, regardless of destination carrier.
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.
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 |
Amazon SNS flat carrier fee. Amazon SNS charges a flat $0.00302 carrier fee per message, regardless of destination carrier. This makes costs more predictable compared to providers that pass through variable per-carrier fees.
Pros and cons
Amazon SNS
Plivo
Pros
- Among the lowest per-message costs for US domestic SMS
- Deep integration with the AWS ecosystem and IAM permissions
- Reliable infrastructure backed by Amazon's global network
- Supports 200+ countries and regions
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
Cons
- New accounts are sandboxed and require a support request to go to production
- SMS features are a subset of the broader SNS pub/sub service, which can be confusing
- Limited built-in analytics compared to dedicated SMS platforms
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
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Amazon SNS and Plivo?
Amazon SNS is a cost-effective SMS service built on AWS infrastructure, ideal for applications already in the AWS ecosystem. Plivo is a cost-effective communications platform with direct carrier connections, a Twilio-compatible API design, and a 99.99% uptime SLA. Amazon SNS is best suited for aws-native applications, while Plivo is geared toward cost-effective high-volume sms.
Which is cheaper, Amazon SNS or Plivo?
US outbound SMS costs $0.007 per message. Origination numbers are billed separately. Amazon SNS charges a flat $0.00302 carrier fee per message, regardless of destination carrier. 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. The best value depends on your sending volume and destination countries.
Which is faster, Amazon SNS or Plivo?
Based on real-world data from Knock, Amazon SNS has a median SMS API response time (p50) of 77ms. We don't yet have enough data for Plivo to make a direct comparison.
Which is more reliable, Amazon SNS or Plivo?
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Amazon SNS showed an error rate of 0.00%. 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, Amazon SNS or Plivo?
On the Knock platform, Amazon SNS handled 25M–100M messages from January 2nd to April 2nd. Amazon SNS volume has remained stable. We don't yet have enough data for Plivo to compare popularity.
Can I use both Amazon SNS and Plivo together?
Yes. Knock enables you to integrate multiple SMS providers into a single notification workflow. You can use Amazon SNS and Plivo 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 Amazon SNS vs Plivo?
Amazon SNS strengths include among the lowest per-message costs for us domestic sms and deep integration with the aws ecosystem and iam permissions. Plivo strengths include among the lowest per-message rates with automatic volume discounts and familiar api design modeled after twilio, making migration straightforward. On the other hand, Amazon SNS drawbacks include new accounts are sandboxed and require a support request to go to production, while Plivo drawbacks include narrower feature set with no native support for whatsapp or other messaging channels.
Use either provider with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate Amazon SNS, Plivo, or any combination of SMS providers into a single notification workflow. Manage templates, orchestrate cross-channel delivery, and switch providers without changing your code.