MSG91 vs Twilio

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

MSG91

Indian cloud communication platform with APIs for SMS, OTP, WhatsApp, email and voice.

Free plan + paid

Visit MSG91 MSG91 profile

Twilio

Cloud APIs for SMS, voice, WhatsApp, email and phone verification, billed by usage.

Paid

Visit Twilio Twilio profile

The short answer

MSG91 and Twilio both sell APIs for SMS, OTP, WhatsApp, email and voice. MSG91 is built around India, handling DLT registration and low local SMS rates, and adds a support inbox. Twilio has the wider global product range, docs and SDKs. Indian startups usually get a cheaper, simpler setup with MSG91; teams sending worldwide or needing calls, verification and contact-center tools at scale usually pick Twilio.

MSG91 or Twilio: our take

Both platforms put messaging behind one set of APIs. MSG91 covers WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, email and voice, and is best known for transactional SMS and OTPs in India, where it handles the local DLT registration rules; international SMS reaches 210+ countries with retries over alternate carrier routes. Twilio covers SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, voice, verification and phone-number lookup, owns SendGrid for email, Flex for contact centers and Segment for customer data, and has added voice AI products. Its docs and SDKs for most languages are mature, though the range is large enough to be hard to navigate.

The products around the APIs differ. MSG91 bundles ready-made apps: an OTP widget, a campaign tool for event-triggered journeys, segmentation, a URL shortener and Hello, a ticketing and live-chat inbox for website chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. Twilio's equivalent for support is Flex, a full contact-center platform aimed at larger operations.

Pricing is pay-as-you-go on both, by channel and country. MSG91 lists Indian SMS from ₹0.25 per SMS, down to ₹0.16 at volume. Hello has a free plan with 2 inboxes and 50 tickets, then ₹1,500 a month for Hello Basic and ₹3,000 a month for Hello Premium, plus 18% GST. Twilio lists SMS from $0.0083 per message, WhatsApp from $0.005 per message, email from $0.0013 per email, and voice from $0.014/min to make a call, though carrier fees and US 10DLC registration add cost and setup. Twilio has a free trial with no credit card.

For an Indian startup sending OTPs and notifications to Indian numbers and wanting a support inbox from the same vendor, MSG91 is the practical, lower-cost choice. For products with users in many countries, or that need voice routing, contact-center software or the widest feature set, Twilio is the safer fit, at a higher per-message price than some rivals.

Choose MSG91 if…

Indian startups that need SMS, OTP and WhatsApp APIs from one low-cost vendor
You want a free option (Twilio is paid only)
One account for SMS, OTP, WhatsApp, email, RCS and voice
Handles Indian SMS rules such as DLT registration

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

What is MSG91?

MSG91 is a communication platform, based in India, that developers use to send SMS, one-time passwords, WhatsApp messages, email, RCS and voice calls through a single set of APIs. It is best known for transactional SMS and OTP delivery in India, where it handles the local DLT registration rules, and it routes international SMS to more than 210 countries with automatic retries over alternate carrier routes. Around the APIs it offers ready-made apps: an OTP widget, a campaign tool for event-triggered journeys across channels, a customer segmentation tool, a URL shortener, and Hello, a ticketing and live-chat inbox that brings website chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger together. Messaging is pay-as-you-go by channel, while Hello has a free plan and paid monthly or yearly tiers. It suits Indian startups and businesses that want one low-cost vendor for OTPs, notifications and support chat; global teams may prefer Twilio's wider documentation and coverage.

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	MSG91	Twilio
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web	Web
Best for	Indian startups that need SMS, OTP and WhatsApp APIs from one low-cost vendor	Developers adding SMS, calls, WhatsApp or 2FA codes to an app who want the widest set of features
Status	Active	Active

MSG91 vs Twilio pricing

MSG91: free plan + paid

Starting price: ₹1,500 a month (Hello Basic, plus 18% GST) source
Premium plan: ₹3,000 a month (Hello Premium, plus 18% GST) source
Free plan: Yes, 2 inboxes and 50 tickets source
SMS price (India): From ₹0.25 per SMS, down to ₹0.16 at volume source

MSG91 pricing page

Twilio: paid

Free trial: Yes, no credit card required source
SMS price: From $0.0083 per message source
WhatsApp price: From $0.005 per message source
Voice price: From $0.014/min to make a call, $0.0085/min to receive source
Email price: From $0.0013 per email source

Twilio pricing page

Platforms

Platform	MSG91	Twilio
Web

MSG91 facts

7 of 7 verified

Channels: WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, email, voice; Checked Nov 8, 2026msg91.com(opens source in a new tab); “Secure and robust APIs for WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, Email, Voice”
SMS reach: 210+ countries; Checked Nov 8, 2026msg91.com(opens source in a new tab); “Enjoy Low Latency Delivery-Worldwide Reach 210+ countries reliably with localized telecom operators.”
Starting price: ₹1,500 a month (Hello Basic, plus 18% GST); Checked Nov 8, 2026msg91.com(opens source in a new tab); “Basic 1,500 INR / month”
Premium plan: ₹3,000 a month (Hello Premium, plus 18% GST); Checked Nov 8, 2026msg91.com(opens source in a new tab); “Premium 3,000 INR / month”
Free plan: Yes, 2 inboxes and 50 tickets; Checked Nov 8, 2026msg91.com(opens source in a new tab); “Free 0 INR / month Get started Included 2 Inbox 50 Tickets”
SMS price (India): From ₹0.25 per SMS, down to ₹0.16 at volume; Checked Nov 8, 2026msg91.com(opens source in a new tab); “5,000 ₹0.25 ₹1250”
Customers: 30,000+ businesses; Checked Nov 8, 2026msg91.com(opens source in a new tab); “Trusted by 30,000+ global businesses CONTACT CENTER Hello Empower your employees, Support your customers.”

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.”
WhatsApp: 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 MSG91

One account for SMS, OTP, WhatsApp, email, RCS and voice
Handles Indian SMS rules such as DLT registration
Free plan for its Hello support inbox
SMS reach to 210+ countries
Strongest in India; fewer local numbers elsewhere than Twilio
Pricing differs per channel and region, which takes work to compare
Free Hello plan is capped at 50 tickets a month

More MSG91 alternatives

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

More Twilio alternatives

Other apps to consider

Plivo
Instead of MSG91
Lower-cost SMS and voice APIs with a simple pay-as-you-go model and global reach.
Gupshup
Instead of MSG91
Larger Indian provider for enterprises sending high WhatsApp, RCS and SMS volumes.
Exotel
Instead of MSG91
Indian provider stronger on voice, IVR and contact-centre features than on OTPs.
Sinch
Instead of Twilio
Global SMS, voice and verification APIs from a large carrier-connected provider, often chosen for messaging at scale.
Bird
Instead of Twilio
One prepaid balance for email, SMS, WhatsApp and voice, with a free shared inbox.
ClickSend
Instead of Twilio
Dashboard-based texting with prepaid credit for teams who don't want to code.

MSG91 vs Twilio: common questions

Is MSG91 better than Twilio?

Is MSG91 free?

MSG91 has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.

Is Twilio free?

No. Twilio is paid, though it may offer a trial.

Is MSG91 or Twilio open source?

Neither is open source.

Which platforms do MSG91 and Twilio support?

MSG91: Web. Twilio: Web.