Twilio vs Vonage
Compare Twilio and Vonage 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 Vonage to publish statistically meaningful benchmarks yet. The data below reflects Twilio only. Comparison charts will appear once both providers have sufficient data.
| Provider | Message volume | Growth | Status page updates (30d) | Status page updates (90d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 100M–500M | 1st of 7 → | 25 | 25 |
 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Knock routed 100M–500M messages through Twilio. Twilio reported 25 status page updates over the last 90 days, while Vonage reported 0.
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.
Twilio has a median response time (p50) of 74ms, a p90 of 107ms, and a p99 of 139ms from January 2nd to April 2nd. Comparison charts for Vonage 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, Twilio shows a 0.00% daily error rate. Comparison data for Vonage 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 Twilio incidents
Recent status page incidents for Twilio
Ongoing since Apr 30, 2026
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Apr 29, 20:00 PDT - Apr 30, 00:00 PDTMar 12, 00:34 PDT Scheduled - Twilio is conducting a planned maintenance from 29 April 2026 at 20:00 PDT until 30 April 2026 at 00:00 PDT. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays or failures delivering SMS to and from United States and Canada handsets when sending via long codes, short codes and toll free numbers.
Ongoing since Apr 29, 2026
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Apr 29, 13:00 - 17:00 PDTMar 31, 07:43 PDT Scheduled - The Tele2 network in Russia is conducting a planned maintenance from 29 April 2026 at 13:00 PDT until 29 April 2026 at 17:00 PDT. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to Tele2 Russia handsets.
Ongoing since Apr 27, 2026
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Apr 27, 13:00 - 17:00 PDTMar 31, 07:42 PDT Scheduled - The Tele2 network in Russia is conducting a planned maintenance from 27 April 2026 at 13:00 PDT until 27 April 2026 at 17:00 PDT. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to Tele2 Russia handsets.
Ongoing since Apr 23, 2026
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Apr 22, 20:00 PDT - Apr 23, 00:00 PDTMar 12, 00:33 PDT Scheduled - Twilio is conducting a planned maintenance from 22 April 2026 at 20:00 PDT until 23 April 2026 at 00:00 PDT. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays or failures delivering SMS to and from United States and Canada handsets when sending via long codes, short codes and toll free numbers.
Ongoing since Apr 22, 2026
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Apr 22, 13:00 - 17:00 PDTMar 31, 07:42 PDT Scheduled - The Tele2 network in Russia is conducting a planned maintenance from 22 April 2026 at 13:00 PDT until 22 April 2026 at 17:00 PDT. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to Tele2 Russia handsets.
Recent Vonage incidents
Recent status page incidents for Vonage
No incidents reported in the last 90 days
Pricing comparison
| Provider | Plan | Per message | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio | Pay-as-you-go | $0.0083 | $830 |
| Vonage | Pay-as-you-go | $0.0085 | $846 |
Twilio
Outbound SMS to US numbers costs $0.0083 per message. Inbound messages are $0.0075 each. Phone numbers start at $1.15/month for local numbers. Carrier surcharges of ~$0.003–$0.005 per message apply on top of the base rate.
Vonage
Free trial with verified number restrictions. US outbound SMS costs $0.00846 per message. Inbound messages are $0.00679 each. 10DLC carrier fees apply for US A2P messaging.
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 |
Pros and cons
Twilio
Vonage
Pros
- Largest ecosystem of SDKs, tutorials, and community resources for SMS
- Trusted by Airbnb, Uber, and Netflix for mission-critical messaging
- Comprehensive compliance tooling with opt-out management and content filtering
- Supports SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, and voice in a single platform
Pros
- Adaptive routing with automatic carrier failover for improved deliverability
- Built-in Verify API for 2FA/OTP without extra development effort
- Competitive per-message pricing with simple JSON-over-HTTP API patterns
- Global coverage across 200+ countries with local number support
Cons
- Per-message pricing can add up at high volumes without committed-use discounts
- Phone number provisioning and compliance setup can be complex for new users
- Support response times vary by plan tier
Cons
- Documentation trails market leaders, especially for complex scenarios
- Platform analytics are basic, providing only delivery receipts and usage logs
- Premium support with 24/7 phone access is expensive, starting at $3,300/month
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Twilio and Vonage?
Twilio is the most widely adopted cloud communications platform, offering SMS, MMS, voice, and WhatsApp through a unified API. Vonage is a communications platform with adaptive carrier routing, built-in verification APIs, and competitive per-message pricing. Twilio is best suited for full-featured sms at scale, while Vonage is geared toward cost-effective global sms.
Which is cheaper, Twilio or Vonage?
Outbound SMS to US numbers costs $0.0083 per message. Inbound messages are $0.0075 each. Phone numbers start at $1.15/month for local numbers. Carrier surcharges of ~$0.003–$0.005 per message apply on top of the base rate. Free trial with verified number restrictions. US outbound SMS costs $0.00846 per message. Inbound messages are $0.00679 each. 10DLC carrier fees apply for US A2P messaging. The best value depends on your sending volume and destination countries.
Which is faster, Twilio or Vonage?
Based on real-world data from Knock, Twilio has a median SMS API response time (p50) of 74ms. We don't yet have enough data for Vonage to make a direct comparison.
Which is more reliable, Twilio or Vonage?
From January 2nd to April 2nd, Twilio showed an error rate of 0.00%. We don't yet have enough data for Vonage to compare reliability directly. Knock automatically retries failed requests to minimize the impact of transient errors.
Which is more popular, Twilio or Vonage?
On the Knock platform, Twilio handled 100M–500M messages from January 2nd to April 2nd. Twilio volume has remained stable. We don't yet have enough data for Vonage to compare popularity.
Can I use both Twilio and Vonage together?
Yes. Knock enables you to integrate multiple SMS providers into a single notification workflow. You can use Twilio and Vonage 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 Twilio vs Vonage?
Twilio strengths include largest ecosystem of sdks, tutorials, and community resources for sms and trusted by airbnb, uber, and netflix for mission-critical messaging. Vonage strengths include adaptive routing with automatic carrier failover for improved deliverability and built-in verify api for 2fa/otp without extra development effort. On the other hand, Twilio drawbacks include per-message pricing can add up at high volumes without committed-use discounts, while Vonage drawbacks include documentation trails market leaders, especially for complex scenarios.
Use either provider with Knock
Knock enables you to integrate Twilio, Vonage, or any combination of SMS providers into a single notification workflow. Manage templates, orchestrate cross-channel delivery, and switch providers without changing your code.