What it is
Twilio is a communications API platform: developers use it to send and receive SMS, WhatsApp messages, calls and email (through SendGrid), verify users with one-time codes and build contact centers with Flex. It's pay-as-you-go with wide country coverage, which is why it often sits underneath products that need messaging at scale.
How to use it
- Send SMS and WhatsApp from your app with a few lines of code.
- Verify users with codes over SMS, WhatsApp, voice or email using Verify.
- Automate calls with IVR menus wired to your systems.
- Design low-code flows in Studio, its visual editor.
- Build a custom contact center with Flex.
What it's good for
- A delivery app sending verification codes and order updates by SMS and WhatsApp.
- A fintech confirming transactions with one-time passcodes.
- A scheduling SaaS adding WhatsApp and SMS reminders to its product.
Pros
- Docs and SDKs for the most common programming languages
- SMS and voice coverage in 180+ countries
- Verify handles multichannel authentication through one API
- Pay as you go, with no required monthly minimum
Cons
- Requires developers: there's no ready-made support inbox
- Costs stack up: numbers, Twilio's per-message fee and Meta or carrier charges
- Support with guaranteed response times is a paid add-on
