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Pricing is quote-based.
Bandwidth does not publish a monthly starting price: its Communications APIs are priced by usage, and monthly and annual rates are not published. The listed rates include U.S. SMS from $0.004 per message and local outbound voice at $0.0100 per minute. Authentication is also pay-per-use, while SIP trunking requires a quote. There is no free plan listed, and a free trial is not published. Your bill depends on which APIs and billable features you use.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messaging APIs | — | Quote | Text messaging application builders |
| Voice API | — | Quote | Application voice calling teams |
| Authentication | — | Quote | Teams adding multi-factor authentication |
| SIP Trunking | — | Quote | Premises-based or cloud telecom teams |
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
MMS costs more than SMS
Listed U.S. MMS rates range from $0.015 to $0.020 per message, compared with $0.004 to $0.008 for SMS, depending on the messaging type.
Voice features bill separately
Transcription, recording, conferencing, answering machine detection and in-app calling each have separate usage rates in addition to listed call charges.
Authentication is per use
Two-factor authentication is $0.0500 per authentication; Call Verification is $0.1500 per call. No monthly bundle price is published.
SIP pricing requires a quote
Bandwidth describes SIP Trunking as customizable and usage-based, but does not publish a rate. Contact the vendor for a quote.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Teams building text messaging | Messaging APIs | Rates are listed by U.S. messaging type: 10DLC, short code and toll-free, with separate SMS and MMS prices. |
| Teams adding calling to apps | Voice API | Listed rates cover local inbound and outbound calls, plus separately priced voice features such as transcription and recording. |
| Teams adding multi-factor authentication | Authentication | The listed usage rates are $0.0500 per two-factor authentication and $0.1500 per Call Verification. |
04Is Bandwidth Communications APIs worth the money?
Bandwidth is easier to price for some API use cases than a quote-only offer: it publishes per-message, per-minute and per-authentication rates. But there is no published monthly starting price, and SIP Trunking pricing requires a quote, so the plan grid does not reveal a predictable total bill. It may suit teams that can forecast usage and want these communications services from one provider; compare your expected volumes and feature mix before switching.
Bandwidth Communications APIs pricing FAQ
How much does Bandwidth Communications APIs cost?
There is no published monthly starting price. Bandwidth uses usage-based pricing, with public rates for some services: U.S. SMS starts at $0.004 per message, local outbound voice is $0.0100 per minute, and two-factor authentication is $0.0500 per authentication. SIP Trunking requires a quote.
Does Bandwidth offer a free plan or trial?
The pricing information lists no free plan. A free trial is not published, so check with Bandwidth directly if you need to confirm whether trial access is available for a specific API or use case.
How does Bandwidth charge for SMS and MMS?
The listed U.S. rates depend on the messaging type. 10DLC costs $0.004 per SMS and $0.015 per MMS; short code costs $0.008 per SMS and $0.020 per MMS; toll-free costs $0.007 per SMS and $0.020 per MMS.
How much does Bandwidth SIP Trunking cost?
Bandwidth describes SIP Trunking pricing as customizable and usage-based, but does not publish a per-minute rate or monthly price in the published pricing information. A quote is required, so ask the vendor for pricing based on your intended usage.