SIP Trunking
Telnyx v. Twilio: Who’s The Best SIP Trunking Provider?
Telnyx and Twilio are 2 of the most popular names in SIP Trunking. This comparison shows how they differ and why it matters.
Telnyx and Twilio are both popular providers for Elastic SIP Trunking services, but their products differ in some fundamental ways. Luckily, we’re here to highlight the differences between these providers and demonstrate the effects that these differences have on your experience with Elastic SIP Trunking.
Telnyx vs. Twilio: List Pricing
Cost savings are one of the most compelling reasons to migrate from a traditional business telephony system to a SIP Trunking solution, but with the growing popularity of SIP trunking, some providers have begun implementing traditional telco practices and inching prices upwards. Here's how Telnyx base pricing stacks up against Twilio:
| Telnyx | Twilio | |
|---|---|---|
| Local Numbers | $1 / month | $1 / month |
| Toll-free Numbers | $1 / month | $2 / month |
| Local Outbound Calls | From $0.005 to $0.009 / minute | From $0.007 to $0.25 / minute |
| Toll-free Outbound Calls | FREE | $0.007 / minute |
| Local Inbound Calls | $0.0035 / minute | $0.0045 / minute |
| Toll-Free Inbound Calls | $0.015 / minute | $0.018 / minute |
Telnyx vs. Twilio: Communications Network
Your SIP trunking provider's network is ultimately what decides whether your calling experience is crystal clear, secure and lag-free, or unreliable and jittery. Telnyx and Twilio took two very different approaches to building a communications network - here's how they compare:
| Telnyx | Twilio | |
|---|---|---|
| Network Type | Private network Our global IP network was designed from the ground up for real-time voice and data communications, so your calls are crystal-clear, secure and have ultra-low latency. | Public internet The internet was not built for real-time communications, and it shows - with high latency, packet loss, and poor security causing endless call quality issues. |
| Network Ownership | Fully owned We control our infrastructure, so we control routing, quality, and traffic for high-quality calls and low post-dial delay. | Network reseller Using other providers’ servers and middlemen for routing and telephony leads to persistent routing and quality issues. |
| Cloud | Multi-cloud Our network points of presence leverage AWS, Google Cloud and Azure for added redundancy. | Single-cloud Relying solely on one cloud provider for all network services increases the risk of network failure. |
Telnyx vs. Twilio: Telephony
A good SIP trunking provider should start by being a good telephony provider. Traditional telco features like number inventory, porting and carrier licenses make a huge difference when it comes to scaling your communications. Here's how Telnyx and Twilio compare for telephony features:
Licensed carrier status in 20+ countries worldwide and close partnerships with Tier-1 carriers in over 140 countries for numbering.
Middlemen and resellers add markups and restrictions to Twilio's numbering inventory, meaning you pay more for a worse selection.
<strong>FastPort<sup>Ⓡ</sup></strong><br> Streamlined, automated, self-service porting process with real-time data validation and on-demand activation.</td>
Document-heavy, opaque porting process that can take up to four weeks.
Status in 20+ countries, ensuring full regulatory compliance and access to local telephony assets.
No guarantee of regulatory compliance and restrictions on number access and telephony operations.
Telnyx vs. Twilio: Support
Whether you're upgrading your SIP infrastructure, migrating to a new provider, or troubleshooting call failures, SIP trunking support is an essential tool in keeping your communications running smoothly. Here's how Telnyx and Twilio stack up on technical support:
| Telnyx | Twilio | |
|---|---|---|
| Support Availability | 24/7 support for every customer Our 24/7 support is available by phone, chat and email for every single one of our customers, so your questions never have to wait until Monday. | Pay-to-play customer support Email-only support, and only during business hours as standard. Further support is behind a paywall, with a $1500 / month minimum extra charge for 24/7 phone support. |
| Direct network troubleshooting | Direct troubleshooting We own our own network, so we can diagnose, trace and solve rare routing and call failure issues in a matter of minutes, without needing to wait on a carrier’s response. | Indirect troubleshooting No network ownership, so diagnosing call failures and persistent routing issues means working with a variety of carriers, slowing down time to resolution. |
FAQ
What is Twilio and Telnyx? Twilio is a CPaaS that relies on third-party networks and carrier relationships. Telnyx is a full-stack infrastructure provider that owns a private global IP backbone and holds telecom licenses in many countries.
Which platform delivers lower latency and better call quality? Platforms that own their network and colocate compute near telephony points of presence typically achieve lower latency and fewer jitter issues. Direct carrier connectivity, private backbones, and HD codecs are key factors to evaluate in real-world call tests.
Do both platforms support MMS and advanced messaging via API? Both support programmatic MMS, which means you can send and receive media through an MMS API integrated into your applications. Expect differences in regional carrier support, throughput, and pricing, so validate requirements in a small pilot.
Is Twilio shutting down? Twilio is not shutting down as a company, but it retired its Video API in December 2024. Businesses using that product needed to migrate, while Twilio continues to offer messaging and voice services.
How do pricing models compare for voice and messaging? Both use usage-based pricing, but rates can vary by country, number type, feature set, and volume tiers. Model total cost of ownership across your traffic mix, including per-minute voice, per-message fees, storage, and support.
How do SMS and MMS differ when comparing the two platforms? SMS is text only, while MMS supports media, a distinction covered in this SMS vs. MMS guide. When comparing providers, weigh per-message costs, carrier restrictions, and analytics across both channels.
What should I plan for when migrating from Twilio to Telnyx? Plan number porting, webhook mapping, and message schema updates guided by the Telnyx messaging types documentation. A phased cutover with parallel testing reduces risk and makes rollbacks straightforward.
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