SMS and messaging APIs · Comparison
AWS End User Messaging SMS vs Plivo SMS API
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | AWS End User Messaging SMS | Plivo SMS API |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Compliance includedUS texting from your own AWS account, inside AWS’s SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA scope, with opt-outs, events and 10DLC registration as AWS APIs. | Worth the priceFor brands spending $1,000 a month or more, low published US rates and a full fee sheet, with opt-outs and 10DLC registration handled by the platform. |
| Overall score | 6.9Best | 4.6 |
| Free option | Paid only | Paid only |
| Card to start | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Approval wait | Sales call required |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $0.00774/US SMS + carrier fee | $1,000/mo minimum |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Seat + usage |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices |
| US SMS rate (10DLC) | $0.00774 per message part, outbound; inbound $0.0075 | $0.0077 per segment, outbound or inbound (list rate) |
| US carrier fees | One all-network fee: $0.00421 (10DLC, long code, toll-free) | Per carrier: AT&T $0.0035, T-Mobile $0.0045, Verizon $0.005 (outbound) |
| Local number | $1/mo (10DLC) | $0.50/mo |
| 10DLC registration fees | Brand $4.50, optional brand vetting $41.50, campaign $2/mo low-volume or $10/mo; no campaign vetting fee listed | Brand $4.50, campaign vetting $15, $1.50/mo low-volume campaign (billed quarterly) |
| Reference scenario (10,000 US texts/mo) | $122.88, computed | $1,046.46 with the $1,000 minimum, computed ($123.96 at list rates alone) |
| Free option | None for SMS; sandbox sends billed texts to up to 10 verified numbers | None for SMS; the $10 trial covers voice products |
| Volume discounts | None listed for SMS | Enterprise plan only, by sales |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | Listed in AWS SOC 1/2/3 and ISO 27001 scope | SOC 2 Type II (FAQ); ISO 27001 not stated |
| HIPAA BAA | HIPAA eligible under the AWS BAA (voice and WhatsApp excluded) | Offered; listed on the Enterprise plan |
| Non-US data region | The AWS Region you pick, EU Regions included | No (the India region has no SMS) |
| Opt-out handling | Automatic STOP/HELP by default; self-managed optional | Automatic STOP/HELP on US and Canadian long code and toll-free |
| SSO | SAML 2.0 through IAM Identity Center, no extra charge | Enterprise plan, by sales |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, AWS End User Messaging SMS pairs a published US price with AWS’s compliance scope, and SSO and an audit log at no extra charge. There is no trial, production needs approval per Region, and technical support is a paid plan. | From its public pages, Plivo lists low US rates and every US fee, with opt-outs and 10DLC registration built in. SMS now needs an Enterprise contract with a $1,000 monthly minimum, and some pages still describe pay-as-you-go. |
Evidence: AWS End User Messaging SMS: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Plivo SMS API: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- AWS End User Messaging SMS10DLC phone number$1/moPer number; charged while the registration is pending
- Brand registration $4.50 one-time; brand vetting $41.50 optional
- Campaign $2/mo low-volume or $10/mo regular
- $12.50 extra for public for-profit brands
- $50 T-Mobile campaign activation fee postponed until further notice
- Plivo SMS APILowest priceLong code number$0.50/moPer number; billed for the full month when removed mid-month
- Toll-free number $1.00/mo
- 10DLC: brand $4.50, campaign vetting $15, $1.50/mo low-volume or $10/mo standard campaign
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: AWS End User Messaging SMS 2026-10-15, Plivo SMS API 2026-10-15.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- NoneNone of these is self-serve: AWS End User Messaging SMS (Approval wait) and Plivo SMS API (Sales call required).
- Lowest starter price
- Plivo SMS API$1,000/mo minimum for the Enterprise (USD 1,000/month minimum commitment) plan.
- Highest overall score
- AWS End User Messaging SMS6.9/10 (Good). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
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