Twilio Verify vs AWS End User Messaging SMS
Default scenario: At 100K verifications / month, US numbers, estimated bills are $14,340/yr for AWS End User Messaging SMS and $75,120/yr for Twilio Verify. That’s a $60,780 difference before accounting for different features or operating costs.
The services may differ in features, performance, support and the work you need to do yourself. Read the notes and test what matters to your setup.
Your selected usage
100K verifications / month, US numbers
- Twilio Verify: $75,120/yr estimated
- AWS End User Messaging SMS: $14,340/yr estimated
Estimated costs at different usage levels
| Usage | Twilio Verify | AWS End User Messaging SMS |
|---|---|---|
| 10k10K verifications / month, US numbers | $7,512/yr$0.0626 per verification | $1,434/yr$0.0120 per verification |
| 100k100K verifications / month, US numbers | $75,120/yr$0.0626 per verification | $14,340/yr$0.0120 per verification |
| 1M1M verifications / month, US numbers | $751,200/yr$0.0626 per verification | $143,400/yr$0.0120 per verification |
US rates, one SMS per verification. International rates vary 10×+; carrier fees and SMS pumping fraud aren’t included. Try your own numbers against all sms / otp verification providers.
Side by side
| Twilio Verify | AWS End User Messaging SMS | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Managed OTP API: $0.05 per successful verification plus Twilio SMS and carrier fees; no 10DLC registration needed. | AWS SMS API (formerly Pinpoint SMS): pay per message plus carrier fees; you build the OTP flow and register 10DLC numbers. |
| Headquarters | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Parent jurisdiction | 🇺🇸 United States (Twilio) | 🇺🇸 United States (Amazon) |
| EU self-serve plan | No / not documented | Available; check eligible plans and regions |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | payg | payg |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Open source | No | No |
| Source last checked | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-06 |
| Pricing evidence | Published rates | Published rates |
Which should you choose?
AWS End User Messaging SMS has the lower estimated bill at every usage level we tested, from 10K verifications / month, US numbers to 10M verifications / month, US numbers.
Choose Twilio Verify if…
Our data shows no advantage on price, residency, jurisdiction or licensing. Compare features in the notes below.
Choose AWS End User Messaging SMS if…
- it has the lower estimated bill at 10k, 100k and 1M usage
- you need EU data residency on a self-serve plan
Based on estimated list-price bills and the facts above. Features, performance and support aren’t scored.
Twilio Verify pricing
Calculated from the listed vendor rates; exclusions still apply.
| Successful verification fee | US SMS segment |
|---|---|
| $0.05 | $0.0126 |
$0.05 per successful verification (not charged for failed or expired ones) plus $0.0083 per US SMS attempt. US carrier fees also apply; Twilio's published 10DLC carrier fees are AT&T $0.0035, T-Mobile $0.0045, Verizon $0.005 per segment, averaged here to $0.0043, giving $0.0126 per SMS. Verify sends from Twilio's pre-registered senders, so no 10DLC brand or campaign fees. Includes Fraud Guard SMS-pumping protection. Volume discounts by contract.
Twilio Verify plan limits, full rates and cheaper alternatives · official pricing page
AWS End User Messaging SMS pricing
Calculated from the listed vendor rates; exclusions still apply.
| US SMS segment |
|---|
| $0.01195 |
US outbound SMS $0.00774 per message part (10DLC, toll-free or short code) plus a $0.00421 carrier fee (10DLC/toll-free; short code $0.00417), from the official per-country price CSV linked on the pricing page. 10DLC: company registration $4.50 one-off, authentication $12.50, optional vetting $41.50, campaign $10/month ($2 low-volume), number $1/month; toll-free number $2/month; short code $650 setup + $995/month. SMS Protect filtering adds $0.01/message. Can be operated from EU regions.
AWS End User Messaging SMS plan limits, full rates and cheaper alternatives · official pricing page
Frequently asked questions
Is Twilio Verify cheaper than AWS End User Messaging SMS?
AWS End User Messaging SMS has the lower estimated bill at every usage level we tested, from 10K verifications / month, US numbers to 10M verifications / month, US numbers. At 100K verifications / month, US numbers, the estimates are $75,120/yr for Twilio Verify and $14,340/yr for AWS End User Messaging SMS. Estimates use list prices and leave out features, support and operating costs.
Do Twilio Verify and AWS End User Messaging SMS offer EU data residency?
AWS End User Messaging SMS offers EU data residency on a self-serve plan. Twilio Verify doesn’t document it on a self-serve plan.
Do Twilio Verify and AWS End User Messaging SMS have a free tier or trial?
Neither has a free tier or trial in our data.
Where are Twilio Verify and AWS End User Messaging SMS based?
Twilio Verify is headquartered in the United States and owned by Twilio (the United States). AWS End User Messaging SMS is headquartered in the United States and owned by Amazon (the United States).