Twilio SMS pricing in the United States: cost per message and monthly totals
Published and updated
Twilio charges $0.0083 per outbound SMS to the United States, checked on September 4, 2026. textbee is a flat monthly plan that includes up to 5,000 messages on Pro instead, because the message goes out over the SIM in a phone you already own.
Monthly cost at 1K, 5K and 25K messages
At 5,000 messages a month, Twilio costs $41.50 for messages, $1.15 for the number and $22.50 in carrier fees, about $65.15; textbee Pro is $9.99 flat.
At 25,000 messages a month, Twilio costs $207.50 for messages, $1.15 for the number and $112.50 in carrier fees, about $321.15; textbee Scale is $29.99 flat.
| Provider | 1K messages | 5K messages | 25K messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio | $13.95$8.30 messages, $1.15 number, $4.50 carrier fees | $65.15$41.50 messages, $1.15 number, $22.50 carrier fees | $321.15$207.50 messages, $1.15 number, $112.50 carrier fees |
| textbee | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $29.99Scale plan, up to 25,000 messages included |
textbee plans include the messages shown. There is no per message fee, number rental or carrier surcharge.
Provider prices checked on September 4, 2026
Estimate your own volume
textbee
$9.99
Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included
Free plan covers up to 300 messages a month
Twilio
$13.95
$8.30 messages, $1.15 number, $4.50 carrier fees
Provider rates vary by country and time. Check each provider's site for current pricing. textbee uses your Android phone; you pay your carrier, not per-message fees to textbee. Provider prices checked on September 4, 2026.
Inbound messages and number rental
Inbound messages are billed per message on top of the number rental, and US carrier fees are added to both directions.
A Twilio US long code costs $1.15 a month on top of the per message rate.
Sending SMS in the United States from your own number
textbee sends through an Android phone holding a local SIM in the United States, so you pay whatever your carrier plan charges for an SMS rather than a per message API rate. One phone sends roughly 10 to 15 messages a minute, so a large blast takes time to drain. Carriers can filter bulk patterns on consumer SIMs. Marketing messages still need consent from the recipient under the local rules. Local regulator and carrier rules still apply to what you send and when, the same as they would through any provider.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Twilio charge per SMS in the United States?
Twilio lists $0.0083 per outbound SMS segment to the United States, checked on September 4, 2026. A message longer than one segment is billed as more than one message, and number rental and carrier fees are charged on top.
Does the price include inbound messages?
No. Inbound messages are billed separately from outbound. Inbound messages are billed per message on top of the number rental, and US carrier fees are added to both directions.
What does textbee cost for the same volume?
$9.99 a month on Pro, which includes up to 5,000 messages, so 1,000 or 5,000 messages cost the same $9.99 a month. Under 300 messages a month the Free plan covers it at $0. The destination does not change the price, because the message goes out over the SIM in your own phone, and your carrier still bills its own plan for the SMS.
Sources
- Twilio SMS pricing, United States, checked on September 4, 2026