Plivo alternative
Plivo sells building blocks for business communication: SMS and MMS APIs, rented phone numbers, and voice AI agents. Your team writes the code that ties them together. AI Chat is a finished assistant you text from the Messages app on your phone.
Both live in your text thread, but they do different jobs. Plivo helps companies talk to their customers. We help you get your own day done.
If you are weighing us against ChatGPT, read Why Use AI Chat SMS When You Can Just Use ChatGPT?. For other platforms in this group, see our Twilio and Sendblue pages.
What Plivo says
The headline on plivo.com reads "Build human-like voice AI Agents." Plivo pitches a "No-code AI Agent studio" where teams can "Build, test, and deploy omni-channel AI Agents in minutes." The same page lists "150+ Countries connected."
On messaging, Plivo has a RCS page that calls RCS "The future of messaging." RCS is in early access there, and businesses can request a spot. Plivo also sells MMS, priced in the table below.
Plivo's homepage says new accounts get $10 in free credits, with no credit card required. After that, you pay per message, per minute, and per number.
US prices from Plivo's US SMS pricing page, as of Oct 30, 2026:
| Item | Send (outbound) | Receive (inbound) |
|---|---|---|
| SMS, Long Codes | $0.0077/sms | $0.0077/sms |
| SMS, Toll-Free | $0.0079/sms | $0.0079/sms |
| MMS, Long Codes | $0.0180/mms | $0.0180/mms |
| MMS, Toll-Free Numbers | $0.0200/mms | $0.0200/mms |
| Long Codes rental | $0.50/month | |
| Toll-Free Numbers rental | $1.00/month |
Plivo notes that "Additional carrier surcharge fees apply to inbound and outbound SMS usage." The surcharges are listed on the same pricing page.
For voice, Plivo's US homepage lists "AI Agents $0.03/min excluding telephony."
What you get if you text us
Save one number: (305) 588-2170. It works in the US and Canada, right inside Messages. There is nothing to install. Your first 50 messages are free, with no account or card.
iPhone and Mac users see real iMessage blue bubbles. Other phones get SMS or RCS from their carrier.
Remind me Tuesday at 4pm to call the dentist
Done. I'll text you Tuesday at 4:00 PM to call the dentist.
Send me a short brief on mortgage rates every Monday at 7
You got it. Mortgage rate brief every Monday at 7:00 AM.
Reminders show up as texts. You can ask for a daily brief on any topic, set alerts, and count on long term memory between chats. Web search, /image, and personas through /mode all live in the same thread.
Link Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Outlook. Text /connect gmail or /connect calendar, or just ask in plain words. You get a sign in link that you control.
AI Chat is the product itself. There is no API to learn, no number to rent, and no agent studio to set up.
After the free messages, Unlimited is $15 a month with 100 a day and 2,000 a month fair use. You can also pay as you go, starting at 200 messages for $10.
Side by side
| AI Chat SMS | Plivo | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Today. Text (305) 588-2170 in the US and Canada. | Today. Sign up at plivo.com. |
| Price | 50 free messages, no card. Then $15/month Unlimited, or pay as you go from $10. | $10 in free credits (their homepage). US Long Codes SMS $0.0077/sms plus carrier surcharges. Long Codes $0.50/month. |
| Product | A personal AI assistant in Messages. | Messaging APIs, phone numbers, and voice AI agents for businesses. |
| Who it is for | People who want an assistant they can text. | Developers and companies reaching their customers. |
| Reminders | Yes. They arrive as texts. | You build them yourself with the API. |
| Memory | Yes. Long term, across chats. | Not offered as a personal memory feature. |
| Briefings | Yes. Daily briefs on any topic. | You build the system that sends them. |
| Gmail | Yes. /connect gmail. | Not a personal Gmail assistant. |
| Google Calendar | Yes. /connect calendar. | Not a personal calendar assistant. |
| Docs, Sheets, Outlook | Yes. Same /connect list. | Not offered. |
| Messaging APIs | No. We are the finished product. | Yes. SMS and MMS APIs, with RCS in early access. |
| Numbers you rent | No. One shared public number. | Yes. Long Codes, Toll-Free Numbers, and Short Codes. |
| Voice AI agents | No. We are a texting assistant. | Yes. No code AI Agent studio, AI Agents $0.03/min excluding telephony (US page). |
| Image gen and personas | Yes. /image and /mode. | Not offered. |
| Coverage | US and Canada. | 150+ countries connected (their homepage). |
Where Plivo wins
Plivo fits a business that texts thousands of customers or runs phone agents across 150+ countries. You get APIs, numbers to rent, and a no code studio for voice agents. If you need that kind of plumbing, Plivo built it and we did not.
Where we win
AI Chat is ready the moment you send a text. You get 50 free messages, $15 Unlimited, and one number to save. There is no code to write and no surcharge table to read.
Reminders, briefs, alerts, memory, personas, and /image all live in one thread. Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Outlook connect with /connect.
Which one you want
Building messaging or voice agents for your customers? Pick Plivo.
Want an assistant for yourself, starting today? Text us.
FAQ
Is AI Chat built on Plivo? AI Chat is the finished product you text. You never deal with the carriers or APIs behind it.
Can I get my own number from AI Chat? No. Everyone texts the same public number, (305) 588-2170.
Does Plivo have a free trial? Yes. Plivo's homepage says new accounts get $10 in free credits, with no credit card required.
What does Plivo charge for US SMS? Long Codes cost $0.0077/sms to send or receive, as of Oct 30, 2026. Carrier surcharges are extra and listed on Plivo's US pricing page.
Does AI Chat work with Gmail and Calendar?
Yes. Text /connect gmail or /connect calendar and follow the link.
Text it today
No download needed.
Text (305) 588-2170. Fifty free messages. US and Canada. Standard message rates apply.
Ready to text your AI?
No app to download. Text us to start — one tap opens Messages with our number. 50 free messages to start.
Text (305) 588-2170
US & Canada only. Standard message rates apply.