Gupshup vs Twilio
Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Gupshup
Conversational messaging platform for WhatsApp, RCS, SMS and voice, with AI agents for enterprises.
Twilio
Cloud APIs for SMS, voice, WhatsApp, email and phone verification, billed by usage.
The short answer
Gupshup is an enterprise conversational messaging platform focused on WhatsApp, RCS and SMS in India and emerging markets, with bots and AI agents included. Twilio is a developer API platform covering SMS, voice, WhatsApp, verification and email, with self-serve sign-up and published rates. Pick Gupshup for high-volume WhatsApp campaigns in those markets; pick Twilio for broad, self-serve communication APIs.
Gupshup or Twilio: our take
Both send WhatsApp, RCS and SMS messages through APIs, but they are built for different buyers. Gupshup's Conversation Cloud wraps its messaging APIs with campaign tools, a bot builder, AI agents including voice agents, a co-pilot for support staff and verified business chat inside Truecaller. It sends 120 billion+ messages a year for 50,000+ customers in 130+ countries, mostly banks, retailers, telecoms and ecommerce brands. Twilio is a toolkit for developers: messaging, voice calls, one-time codes, phone number lookup and email through SendGrid, plus the Flex contact center and Segment customer data platform.
Geography and channel mix differ. Gupshup is strongest in India, Indonesia and Latin America and leans on WhatsApp and RCS, with less focus on US voice and SMS. Twilio is strongest on voice and SMS in the US and elsewhere, though US 10DLC registration and carrier fees add setup work and cost.
Pricing is where the self-serve gap shows. Twilio publishes pay-as-you-go rates: SMS from $0.0083 per message, WhatsApp from $0.005 per message and voice from $0.014/min to make a call, $0.0085/min to receive, with a free trial that needs no credit card. Gupshup's pricing is mostly quoted by sales, though its pay-as-you-go platform fee is ₹0 a month on pay as you go, plus 18% GST, and AI messages come with 1,000 free a month, then ₹1.00 each. Onboarding is sales-led and heavier to set up than self-serve tools.
Choose Gupshup if you are a large brand running WhatsApp and RCS campaigns and support bots for customers in India or other emerging markets. Choose Twilio if you are a developer adding SMS, calls or 2FA codes to an app and want to start immediately with published prices.
Which should you pick?
Choose Gupshup if…
- Large brands sending high WhatsApp, RCS and SMS volumes in India and emerging markets
- Covers WhatsApp, RCS, SMS, Instagram and voice
- Handles very high message volumes for enterprises
Choose Twilio if…
- Developers adding SMS, calls, WhatsApp or 2FA codes to an app who want the widest set of features
- Covers SMS, voice, WhatsApp, RCS, verification and email in one account
- Pay as you go with no contract
About each app
What is Gupshup?
Gupshup is an India-born messaging company that large brands use to talk to customers over WhatsApp, RCS, SMS, Instagram and voice. It started as an SMS provider and is now one of the biggest WhatsApp Business API partners, sending more than a hundred billion messages a year for banks, retailers, telecoms and ecommerce companies. Its Conversation Cloud combines messaging APIs with campaign tools, a bot builder, AI agents (including voice agents) and a co-pilot for human support staff, and it runs verified business chat inside Truecaller. Compared with WATI or AiSensy it is built for enterprises and high volume, with sales-led onboarding rather than a simple self-serve plan; compared with Twilio it leans more on WhatsApp and RCS in emerging markets than on voice and SMS in the US. Pricing is usage-based and mostly quoted by sales. Everything runs as a cloud service accessed through the web console and APIs.
What is Twilio?
Twilio is the best-known communication platform for developers. Instead of buying phone lines or SMS gateways, a team calls Twilio's APIs to send and receive text messages, RCS and WhatsApp messages, make and route voice calls, verify users with one-time codes, and look up phone numbers. It also owns SendGrid for email, the Flex contact-center platform and the Segment customer data platform, and has added voice AI and conversation-memory products for building AI agents. Developers use it for appointment reminders, login codes, delivery alerts, call centers and support lines. Pricing is pay-as-you-go per message or per minute, with volume discounts and a free trial that needs no credit card; costs vary a lot by country and carrier fees. It is a hosted service used through REST APIs and SDKs for most languages, with a web console. The breadth of features is its strength, but at high volume teams often compare it with cheaper carriers such as Telnyx or Plivo.
Side by side
| Attribute | Gupshup | Twilio |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Best for | Large brands sending high WhatsApp, RCS and SMS volumes in India and emerging markets | Developers adding SMS, calls, WhatsApp or 2FA codes to an app who want the widest set of features |
| Status | Active | Active |
Gupshup vs Twilio pricing
Gupshup: paid
We couldn't verify Gupshup's plan details on its own site yet, so we don't list them.
Gupshup pricing pagePlatforms
| Platform | Gupshup | Twilio |
|---|---|---|
| Web |
Gupshup facts
6 of 6 verified- Channels
- WhatsApp, RCS, SMS, voice
- Checked Nov 8, 2026gupshup.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “Reach and engage customers on WhatsApp, RCS, SMS and Voice, with AI Agents handling conversations 24/7.”
- Customers
- 50,000+ in 130+ countries
- Checked Nov 8, 2026gupshup.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “Trusted by 50,000+ customers in 130+ countries across industries, Gupshup handles 120 Billion+ messages annually.”
- Message volume
- 120 billion+ a year
- Checked Nov 8, 2026gupshup.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “Trusted by 50,000+ customers in 130+ countries across industries, Gupshup handles 120 Billion+ messages annually.”
- Team size
- About 900 people, 12 offices
- Checked Nov 8, 2026gupshup.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “900 Strong global team 12 Global offices”
- Platform fee
- ₹0 a month on pay as you go, plus 18% GST
- Checked Nov 8, 2026gupshup.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “₹0 / month platform fee Pay only for what you send, from a prepaid wallet. Plus 18% GST.”
- AI messages
- 1,000 free a month, then ₹1.00 each
- Checked Nov 8, 2026gupshup.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “1,000 AI Messages free every month then ₹1.00 each”
Twilio facts
7 of 7 verified- Pricing
- Pay as you go
- Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Start for free. Then pay as you go.”
- Free trial
- Yes, no credit card required
- Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Sign up for a free trial—no credit card required.”
- From $0.005 per message
- Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Starts at $0.005 to send or receive a WhatsApp message.”
- SMS price
- From $0.0083 per message
- Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “SMS and MMS messages. Starts at $0.0083 to send or receive a message.”
- WhatsApp price
- From $0.005 per message
- Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Starts at $0.005 to send or receive a WhatsApp message.”
- Voice price
- From $0.014/min to make a call, $0.0085/min to receive
- Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Starts at $0.0085/min to receive and $0.014/min to make a call.”
- Email price
- From $0.0013 per email
- Checked Nov 8, 2026twilio.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Starts at $0.0013/email.”
Pros and cons of Gupshup
- Covers WhatsApp, RCS, SMS, Instagram and voice
- Handles very high message volumes for enterprises
- AI agents and bot builder on the same platform
- Strong presence in India, Indonesia and Latin America
- No public price list; pricing is quoted by sales
- Heavier to set up than self-serve WhatsApp tools
- Less focus on US voice and SMS than Twilio-style APIs
Pros and cons of Twilio
- Covers SMS, voice, WhatsApp, RCS, verification and email in one account
- Pay as you go with no contract
- Free trial with no credit card
- Mature docs and SDKs for most languages
- Per-message rates are higher than some carrier-owned rivals
- Carrier fees and US 10DLC registration add cost and setup work
- The product range is large and can be hard to navigate
Other apps to consider
SinchInstead of Gupshup
Global enterprise CPaaS with WhatsApp, RCS and SMS, strong with telecom-grade messaging.
MSG91Instead of Gupshup
Cheaper self-serve Indian provider for SMS, OTP and WhatsApp with public pricing.
PlivoInstead of Gupshup
Simpler SMS and voice API with pay-as-you-go pricing, for teams that don't need Gupshup's bot-building tools.
BirdInstead of Twilio
One prepaid balance for email, SMS, WhatsApp and voice, with a free shared inbox.
ClickSendInstead of Twilio
Dashboard-based texting with prepaid credit for teams who don't want to code.
Retell AIInstead of Twilio
Builds complete AI phone agents on top of Twilio numbers instead of coding call flows yourself.
Gupshup vs Twilio: common questions
Is Gupshup better than Twilio?
Gupshup is an enterprise conversational messaging platform focused on WhatsApp, RCS and SMS in India and emerging markets, with bots and AI agents included. Twilio is a developer API platform covering SMS, voice, WhatsApp, verification and email, with self-serve sign-up and published rates. Pick Gupshup for high-volume WhatsApp campaigns in those markets; pick Twilio for broad, self-serve communication APIs.
Is Gupshup free?
No. Gupshup is paid, though it may offer a trial.
Is Twilio free?
No. Twilio is paid, though it may offer a trial.
Is Gupshup or Twilio open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Gupshup and Twilio support?
Gupshup: Web. Twilio: Web.