Plivo covers SMS and voice. SendAPI adds WhatsApp Business API, transactional email, and OTP — all under one API key and one dashboard.
| Feature | SendAPI | Plivo |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp Business API | ✓ | ✗ |
| SMS API | ✓ | ✓ |
| OTP / Verify API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transactional Email API | ✓ | ✗ |
| Unified API key (all channels) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Single dashboard for all channels | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free trial (no credit card) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Transparent flat pricing | ✓ | ✗ |
| TypeScript, Python, Go SDKs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Idempotency keys | ✓ | ✓ |
| Webhook delivery receipts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dedicated IP pools (email) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Provider | Pricing Model |
|---|---|
| SendAPI | From $9/month. All channels included — WhatsApp, SMS, OTP, and email. 7-day free trial. |
| Plivo | Pay-per-message for SMS and voice. No WhatsApp or email API. Separate accounts required per channel. |
No. As of 2026, Plivo does not offer a WhatsApp Business API. Plivo focuses on SMS and voice. If you need WhatsApp messaging, you need a different provider. SendAPI is an official Meta Business Solution Provider (BSP) and supports the full WhatsApp Business Platform including template messages, two-way conversations, and media messages.
Yes. SendAPI covers everything Plivo does for SMS (programmatic sending, delivery receipts, local numbers) and adds WhatsApp Business API, transactional email, and OTP verification — all under a single API key. Developers who outgrow Plivo's SMS-only focus typically switch to SendAPI when they need WhatsApp or email in the same product.
Plivo charges per message with no monthly minimum. SendAPI uses flat monthly plans starting at $9/month that include all channels. For developers sending more than a few hundred messages per month, SendAPI's flat pricing is typically lower total cost once you factor in WhatsApp and email — which would require separate providers with Plivo.
Yes. The SendAPI SMS endpoint uses a similar REST structure to Plivo. The main change is updating your API endpoint URL and key. Webhook payload field names differ slightly, but most migrations complete in under a day. Our documentation covers the field mappings, and Growth/Business plan customers get migration support.
SendAPI supports SMS delivery in 190+ countries via our carrier network — comparable coverage to Plivo. For specific country availability or local number requirements, contact our sales team before switching.