Two SMS providers, compared on price, features and ratings, so you can pick fast.
Updated October 2026
THE VERDICT
MessageMedia wins on SMB-friendly SMS. Plivo wins on developer experience and channel coverage.
MessageMedia and Plivo take different pricing approaches. Plivo rates higher with developers (4.5 vs 4.0 on G2). Pick based on volume and team, and the scorecard below breaks down where each one leads.
Winner cells are tinted, green where MessageMedia leads, violet where Plivo does.
FAQ
Plivo rates higher on G2 (4.5 vs 4.0). Ratings are aggregated from public review platforms as of the date shown.
Paid plans start at about USD 49 per month for the Basics plan on an annual commitment, which includes 1,000 SMS per month with additional messages around USD 0.033 each. Higher tiers include Conversations at 99, Pro at 249, Pro Plus at 450 and Advanced at 799 per month, each with larger message allowances and lower per-message overage rates. US toll-free and A2P 10DLC numbers cost about USD 25 per month, with the first number included free on all plans, and carrier pass-through fees are billed on top.
Plivo offers official server-side SDKs for Python, PHP, Node.js, Ruby, Java, .NET (C#), and Go. These wrap the Plivo REST APIs for sending SMS, making voice calls, and generating call-control XML. There are also client SDKs for browser and mobile voice.
Yes. Many teams route different message types through different providers or fail over between them. Courier lets you send through both behind a single API and switch providers without changing your code.
Why not both?
Use both behind one API.
Route MessageMedia, Plivo, or both, and switch providers without changing your code. Courier sits in front of every channel.
Pricing, plans and feature availability as of October 2026 and may change. Ratings are aggregated from public review platforms. MessageMedia is a Sinch product.