Twilio SMS pricing
What Twilio Programmable Messaging really costs, why it is billed per segment as a developer API, and the fees that stack on top.
Twilio does not sell marketing plans the way most SMS apps do. It is a developer platform billed pay as you go, so the headline number is a per message segment rate rather than a monthly fee. In the United States a standard long code text runs about $0.0079 per segment sent or received, off a base list rate near $0.0083, and toll free sits around $0.0075 per segment. On top of that you rent numbers, a local number at $1.15 a month or a toll free number at $2.15 a month, and pay US A2P carrier fees of roughly $0.003 to $0.005 per message plus 10DLC registration. There is no campaign builder, contact list or inbox out of the box, you build on the API. Below is the model, then the things that move your real spend.
Plans and prices
Per segment, pay as you go APIPricing as of June 2026. Twilio Programmable Messaging is pay as you go: a US long code SMS runs about $0.0079 per message segment sent or received off a base list rate near $0.0083, and toll free about $0.0075 per segment. A local number is $1.15 a month and a toll free number $2.15 a month. US A2P carrier fees of roughly $0.003 to $0.005 per message and 10DLC registration apply on top, plus a $0.001 failed message fee. Volume discounts begin above about a million messages a month. Check the vendor for current pricing.
Per segment rate, numbers, carrier fees and build set the bill.
Four things separate the headline per message rate from what businesses actually pay on Twilio. Model these before you commit.
Twilio pricing FAQ
How does Twilio SMS pricing work?
Twilio Programmable Messaging is pay as you go, billed per message segment rather than as a monthly plan. A US long code text runs about $0.0079 per segment, plus number rental and US A2P carrier fees on top. Pricing as of June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.
How much does Twilio cost per text?
A standard US long code SMS runs about $0.0079 per message segment off a base list rate near $0.0083, and toll free about $0.0075 per segment. A long message splits into multiple segments that each cost the rate, and US carrier fees of roughly $0.003 to $0.005 per message apply on top. Verified June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.
Does Twilio have a free plan?
Twilio offers a small free trial credit to test the API, but there is no permanent free plan. It is pay as you go, so you fund an account and spend per message and per number. Number rental and carrier fees apply once you move beyond trial sending.
Is Twilio cheaper than an SMS marketing tool?
On the raw per message rate Twilio is very low, but it is an API with no campaign builder, contact management or inbox, so you build those yourself. For most marketers a packaged tool that bundles those features is cheaper once developer time and carrier fees are counted in.