How Much Does a Twilio Phone Number Cost?

Twilio phone numbers are rented monthly, and the cost varies significantly by number type, capability, and country. Most businesses start with a local long code number at $1.15 per month, but the right number type depends on your use case, volume, and regulatory environment. This guide breaks down the cost and capability of every number type available through Twilio.

Local Long Code Numbers

Local US phone numbers on Twilio are $1.15 per month per number and support voice, SMS, and MMS capabilities by default. Local numbers are the standard choice for most business SMS and voice applications, and they are required for A2P 10DLC registration in the US. You can provision as many local numbers as your account supports, and there is no discount for buying in bulk at the number rental level. For businesses sending high SMS volumes, distributing messages across multiple numbers in a messaging service pool helps maintain throughput without queuing, though each number still costs $1.15 per month.

Toll-Free Numbers

Toll-free numbers cost $2.00 per month on Twilio and are popular for businesses that want a nationally recognisable number that customers can call at no charge to themselves. Toll-free numbers support SMS and voice, and their SMS delivery is managed through toll-free verification rather than 10DLC, which has a different approval process and surcharge structure. Unverified toll-free numbers are subject to heavy message filtering by carriers, so verification is not optional for production use. Verified toll-free numbers support up to 25,000 messages per day, making them a cost-effective option for medium-volume SMS senders who want to avoid 10DLC complexity.

Short Codes

Dedicated short codes on Twilio are leased at approximately $1,000 per month and take 8 to 12 weeks to provision through the carrier approval process. Short codes support throughput of up to 100 messages per second, compared to 1 message per second on a standard 10DLC local number, making them the right choice only for very high-volume senders. Shared short codes were deprecated by US carriers in 2021 and are no longer available. Vanity short codes, which let businesses choose a memorable number like 12345, carry a premium of several hundred dollars per month above the standard lease rate.

International Numbers

Twilio offers phone numbers in over 100 countries, with pricing that varies widely by market. UK numbers start at approximately $1.00 per month, Australian numbers at $2.00, and German numbers at $1.50. Some countries require local address verification or business registration documentation before a number can be provisioned. Certain markets, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, only offer mobile number ranges at higher monthly rates. Businesses operating internationally should audit their number inventory regularly, as unused international numbers represent a straightforward cost reduction with no operational impact.

Conclusion

The right number type for your business depends on your volume, use case, and country requirements, and choosing the wrong type can cost significantly more than necessary or create compliance problems. Book a free consultation with our team and we will recommend the exact number configuration for your use case.