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Telecommunications · head to head

Bandwidth vs Groove

Bandwidth logo

Bandwidth

Telecommunications

Voice, messaging and emergency calling APIs run on the company's own US carrier network

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Groove logo

Groove

Customer Support

Simple, powerful support for growing businesses

From
$12/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bandwidth commercial terms are negotiated contracts rather than a published rate, so a small team cannot start without going through a sales process.; Groove billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
  • They diverge on capability: Bandwidth covers Owned US carrier network, Groove covers Shared inbox.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bandwidth and Groove actually diverge.

Attributes where Bandwidth and Groove differ
AttributeBandwidthGroove
Starting priceOn request$12/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, RubyWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryTelecommunicationsCustomer Support
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bandwidth

  • Owned US carrier network
  • Programmable voice
  • Messaging APIs
  • Emergency calling
  • Global numbering

Only in Groove

  • Shared inbox
  • Knowledge base
  • Live chat
  • Automation rules
  • Reporting
  • Collision detection
  • Slack
  • Salesforce

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bandwidth

  • Unified communications and contact centre providers needing wholesale voice termination under their own brandnot Groove
  • Enterprises with high call volumes where a wholesale margin on every minute is materialnot Groove
  • VoIP deployments with US emergency calling obligations requiring E911 and dynamic locationnot Groove
  • Platforms needing local numbers across many countries from a single suppliernot Groove

Groove

  • Shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teamsnot Bandwidth
  • Handling email, chat and messaging support in one queuenot Bandwidth

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bandwidth

  • Commercial terms are negotiated contracts rather than a published rate, so a small team cannot start without going through a sales process.
  • US A2P messaging still requires 10DLC brand and campaign registration, and those fees plus per-segment carrier surcharges are charged on top of the negotiated message rate.
  • The self-serve developer experience is weaker than the aggregators it competes with, so teams prototyping quickly start elsewhere and migrate later, if ever.
  • Its owned-network advantage is a United States advantage; international coverage arrived through the Voxbone acquisition and does not rest on the same model.
  • Committed volume pricing means an organisation whose traffic falls short of forecast pays for capacity it did not use.

Groove

  • Billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
  • A minimum of 250 tickets a month applies, which is a $3,000 annual commitment before any usage
  • A quiet month still pays the 250 ticket floor
  • No mailbox limit is published

Pricing, plan by plan

Bandwidth

On request
  • Bandwidth$undefined/year
    • Committed volume contracts quoted per customer
    • Per-minute and per-message rates negotiated by destination
    • US 10DLC registration and carrier surcharges billed in addition

Groove

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • 1 mailbox
    • Knowledge base
    • Live chat
  • Plus$20/month
    • 5 mailboxes
    • Full reporting
    • Rules
  • Pro$35/month
    • 25 mailboxes
    • Salesforce
    • Enterprise SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose Bandwidth if

  • You need owned us carrier network.
  • You work on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, Ruby.
  • You also want programmable voice.
Bandwidth review

Choose Groove if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.
Groove review

Questions people ask

Is Bandwidth or Groove better?
Neither clearly leads. Bandwidth starts at On request and Groove at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bandwidth or Groove?
Bandwidth starts at On request and Groove at $12/month.
Does Bandwidth or Groove run on more platforms?
Bandwidth runs on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, Ruby. Groove runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Bandwidth best used for?
Bandwidth is most often used for unified communications and contact centre providers needing wholesale voice termination under their own brand, enterprises with high call volumes where a wholesale margin on every minute is material, voip deployments with us emergency calling obligations requiring e911 and dynamic location, platforms needing local numbers across many countries from a single supplier. Of those, unified communications and contact centre providers needing wholesale voice termination under their own brand and enterprises with high call volumes where a wholesale margin on every minute is material are not what Groove is typically brought in for.
What can Bandwidth do that Groove cannot?
Bandwidth covers Owned US carrier network, Programmable voice, Messaging APIs, Emergency calling. Groove covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Automation rules.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bandwidth: Is Bandwidth a carrier or a reseller?

It is a licensed carrier operating its own US network. That removes the wholesale margin an aggregator pays its upstream and gives direct control over routing and regulatory functions such as E911.

Groove: How is Helply priced?

Helply uses per-ticket pricing at 1 dollar per ticket. This single price covers all features including resolutions, drafts, churn alerts, upsell flags, feature requests, and documentation.

Source
Bandwidth: Do 10DLC fees apply on top of Bandwidth's rates?

Yes. US A2P messaging requires brand and campaign registration with The Campaign Registry, and the registration fees plus per-message carrier surcharges are billed in addition to whatever per-message rate you negotiated.

Groove: Do I need to pay per team member for Helply?

No, Helply charges per ticket, not per seat. You can bring your entire team, AEs, PMs, and integrations without additional per-person charges.

Source
Bandwidth: Did Bandwidth acquire Voxbone?

Yes, in 2020, for 519.4 million dollars. Voxbone supplied international phone numbering and became the basis of Bandwidth's coverage outside the United States.

Groove: What's included in Helply's per-ticket price?

The per-ticket price of 1 dollar includes resolutions, drafts, churn alerts, upsell flags, feature requests, documentation, and all AI capabilities with no separate add-on charges.

Source
Groove: Is there a free trial for Helply?

Helply offers a free 12-minute demo walkthrough. Enterprise plans are also available for larger organizations.

Source
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