Plivo

Overview

Plivo is a cloud communications platform founded in 2011 that now leads with voice AI agents. It offers APIs for voice calls, SIP trunking, SMS, MMS, WhatsApp and RCS on numbers it rents in many countries, plus a no-code AI Agent Studio. Its plan table puts SMS, MMS, RCS and WhatsApp on the Enterprise plan in the US data region, while pay as you go covers voice, SIP trunking and voice agents.

Key features

• Message API for SMS, MMS and WhatsApp, with HMAC-signed callbacks
• Powerpack number pools with sticky sender
• 10DLC brand and campaign registration and toll-free verification by API
• RCS with rich cards and suggested replies, in early access
• Voice API, SIP trunking and audio streaming for Pipecat, LiveKit, Vapi and other voice agent stacks
• AI Agent Studio for voice, chat, SMS and WhatsApp agents, with handoff to human teams
• SDKs in Python, Node.js, Java, Go, .NET, PHP and Ruby, a CLI built for coding agents and a docs-search MCP server
• Zapier, n8n and Make integrations
• SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS Level 1 and GDPR, with HIPAA and a BAA on Enterprise

Pricing

Pay as you go starts with $10 in free credits and caps usage at $2,500 a month. The Enterprise plan starts at $1,000 a month and is required for SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, Verify and short codes in the US. Listed US rates are $0.0077 per SMS, $0.018 per MMS and $0.0077 per RCS rich message, plus carrier fees, and long code numbers cost $0.50 a month. Voice AI agents cost $0.03 a minute plus telephony.

How it compares to Linq

Plivo's channels do not include iMessage. Linq sends iMessage, RCS and SMS through one API at a flat monthly price from $260 with no per-message fees; Plivo bills SMS per message and puts it behind a $1,000 monthly Enterprise minimum in the US. Plivo places and answers phone calls through its Voice API, while Linq's docs say its API does not place or answer calls. Both list SOC 2 and GDPR.

Best for

Teams building voice AI agents that also need SMS or WhatsApp at enterprise volume.

Sources

• plivo.com/llms.txt
• plivo.com/docs/llms.txt
• plivo.com/pricing
• plivo.com/sms/pricing/us
• plivo.com/docs/faq/account/plans
• plivo.com/rcs
• plivo.com/ai-agents
• plivo.com/chat/overview
• plivo.com/security
• plivo.com/legal/sla
• plivo.com/docs/messaging/api/messages
• plivo.com/docs/messaging/concepts/signature-validation
• plivo.com/docs/messaging/concepts/callbacks
• plivo.com/docs/messaging/concepts/powerpack
• plivo.com/docs/integrations/overview
• plivo.com/docs/integrations/agno
• plivo.com/docs/cli/agents
• plivo.com/docs/cli/voice-agent/test-websocket
• plivo.com/docs/faq/developer-tools/mcp-server
• plivo.com/docs/numbers/number-porting
• github.com/plivo/mcp