Softwr

Telecommunications · head to head

OneSignal vs Plivo

OneSignal logo

OneSignal

Telecommunications

Customer engagement and messaging, without the complexity

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Plivo logo

Plivo

Telecommunications

SMS and voice APIs priced to undercut the larger aggregators

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OneSignal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: OneSignal free plan email sends cap at 10,000 per month and web push is capped at 10,000 subscribers per send, per onesignal.com/pricing (Aug 2026); Plivo the headline per-message saving does not apply to US 10DLC registration fees or carrier surcharges, which are pass-through costs and identical across vendors.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OneSignal and Plivo actually diverge.

Attributes where OneSignal and Plivo differ
AttributeOneSignalPlivo
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumPer message and per minute, priced by destination country
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, PHP, Ruby, Go

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Telecommunications).

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 OneSignal

Nothing recorded that Plivo does not also cover.

Only in Plivo

  • Published country rate card
  • Programmable SMS and MMS
  • Programmable voice
  • Contact centre product
  • 10DLC registration

What people use each for

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

OneSignal

  • Sending push notifications to mobile app users when orders shipnot Plivo
  • Triggering email confirmations based on form submission eventsnot Plivo
  • Creating multi-step SMS and email journeys for onboarding usersnot Plivo
  • Sending in-app messages to users abandoning checkout flowsnot Plivo

Plivo

  • Products sending high volumes of transactional SMS where unit price determines channel viabilitynot OneSignal
  • Teams migrating from a more expensive aggregator without changing their architecturenot OneSignal
  • Notification and alerting systems with predictable, steady message volumenot OneSignal
  • Businesses wanting voice and messaging from one supplier with published ratesnot OneSignal

Where each one falls short

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

OneSignal

  • Free plan email sends cap at 10,000 per month and web push is capped at 10,000 subscribers per send, per onesignal.com/pricing (Aug 2026)
  • Professional and Enterprise plans require custom annual contracts with no published rate, per onesignal.com; SMS/RCS messaging and dedicated IPs are gated behind the Professional tier

Plivo

  • The headline per-message saving does not apply to US 10DLC registration fees or carrier surcharges, which are pass-through costs and identical across vendors.
  • The feature surface is narrower than the market leader, so products needing video, email or richer verification will need a second supplier.
  • Support is tiered and the entry tier is not appropriate for traffic that a business depends on commercially.
  • Deliverability on some international routes depends on an underlying carrier mix that can change without the customer being informed.
  • Its price advantage is smaller on US A2P traffic than on international routes, so a US-only sender may save considerably less than a headline comparison suggested.

Pricing, plan by plan

OneSignal

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10,000 free email sends/month
    • Unlimited mobile push
    • Basic analytics and automation
  • Growth$19/month
    • Base platform fee plus usage costs
    • Mobile push: $0.012 per monthly active user
    • Web push: $0.004 per subscriber
  • Professional$undefined/mo
    • Custom annual pricing
    • All Growth features plus SMS/RCS messaging
    • 24/7 prioritized support
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom annual pricing
    • Unlimited personalization
    • Dedicated success manager

Plivo

On request
  • Pay as you go$undefined/month
    • Published per-country rate card for SMS and voice
    • Volume discounts negotiated above published tiers
    • US 10DLC registration fees and carrier surcharges billed separately

Which should you pick?

Choose OneSignal if

  • You want to start without paying.
OneSignal review

Choose Plivo if

  • You need published country rate card.
  • You work on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, PHP, Ruby, Go.
  • You also want programmable sms and mms.
Plivo review

Questions people ask

Is OneSignal or Plivo better?
Neither clearly leads. OneSignal starts at Free and Plivo at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OneSignal or Plivo?
OneSignal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OneSignal and On request for Plivo.
Does OneSignal or Plivo run on more platforms?
OneSignal runs on Web. Plivo runs on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, PHP, Ruby, Go.
Can I use OneSignal for free?
Yes. OneSignal has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Plivo starts at On request.
What is OneSignal best used for?
OneSignal is most often used for sending push notifications to mobile app users when orders ship, triggering email confirmations based on form submission events, creating multi-step sms and email journeys for onboarding users, sending in-app messages to users abandoning checkout flows. Of those, sending push notifications to mobile app users when orders ship and triggering email confirmations based on form submission events are not what Plivo is typically brought in for.
What can OneSignal do that Plivo cannot?
Plivo covers Published country rate card, Programmable SMS and MMS, Programmable voice, Contact centre product.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OneSignal: How much does OneSignal cost?

OneSignal offers a free tier with 10,000 free email sends/month and unlimited mobile push. Growth plan starts at $19/month plus usage-based charges for mobile push ($0.012 per monthly active user) and web push ($0.004 per subscriber).

Source
Plivo: Will switching to Plivo cut our US messaging bill?

Partly. The per-message rate may fall, but 10DLC brand and campaign fees and the per-segment carrier surcharges are pass-through costs that are the same whichever provider you use.

OneSignal: Does OneSignal offer a free version?

Yes, OneSignal's free plan includes 10,000 free email sends per month, unlimited mobile push, basic analytics and automation, with up to 1 active journey and 2 message steps.

Source
Plivo: Does Plivo publish pricing?

Yes, as a per-destination rate card covering SMS and voice by country, so you can model your own destination mix before contacting sales.

OneSignal: What are OneSignal's email costs beyond the free tier?

After the 20,000 free email sends/month included in the Growth plan, OneSignal charges $1.50 per 1,000 additional emails.

Source
Plivo: How does it compare with Twilio?

Generally cheaper per unit on the same routes and narrower in scope. Twilio wins on ecosystem, channel breadth and documentation.

OneSignal: What is included in the Professional plan?

OneSignal's Professional plan includes custom annual pricing, all Growth features plus SMS/RCS messaging, 24/7 prioritized support, and optional dedicated IP for email.

Source
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