Switch from Twilio's® SMS API to Notifyre

If you're a developer looking to move your SMS integration away from Twilio, you're not alone. Whether it's the cost, the slow support, or wanting something simpler to work with, Notifyre is a solid alternative that won't make you start from scratch. This guide covers exactly what you need, how the SMS API works, and what to expect when you make the switch.

Why Switch from Twilio’s SMS API to Notifyre?

Twilio is a capable online SMS platform, but it comes with real frustrations:

• Cost: Twilio charges per message sent and received (Carrier fees excluded). Those costs add up fast as usage grows.
• Support: Getting a response can take days. There is no easy way to just talk to someone when something breaks in production.
• Complexity: For many use cases, the setup is more involved than it needs to be.

Real support shouldn't cost $1,500 a month extra.

Sending SMS through Twilio costs around 60% more* in Australia than it does through Notifyre. Receiving messages costs extra too, on both SMS and MMS. With Notifyre, inbound messages are included at no charge.

With Twilio, getting a real person on the phone costs $1,500* a month minimum on Twilio's Business Plan. A one-hour response time for critical issues costs more. That's before you send a single message.
We include phone, live chat, and email support for every account, at no extra cost. The same goes for security: AES 256-bit encryption, mandatory two-factor login, ISO 27001:2022 certification, and healthcare compliance are all standard.

Pricing was collected on 15/05/2026 and is subject to change. Notifyre pricing is in AUD. Twilio pricing is in USD and will vary with the exchange rate. The AUD equivalent figures above use an approximate rate of 1 USD = 1.55 AUD. Always check Notifyre's pricing page and Twilio's pricing page to confirm current rates before making any decisions.

The API at a Glance

The base URL for all requests is: 

https://api.notifyre.com

Authentication uses a token you generate from your dashboard, passed as a header on every request:

x-api-token: YOUR_API_TOKEN

All responses are JSON. Every endpoint in the docs includes a working code sample in .NET, Node.js, PHP, and cURL, so you can copy and run something real in minutes rather than spending time translating documentation into your language of choice. You switch between languages using the dropdown at the top of each code panel.

Sending SMS

The SMS API covers everything you'd expect: sending individual messages, checking delivery status, retrieving replies, and managing virtual numbers.

Here's how sending an SMS looks in Node.js:

javascript

const { NotifyreAPI, RecipientType } = require('notifyre-nodejs-sdk');  const api = new NotifyreAPI('YOUR_API_TOKEN'); const smsService = api.smsService;  smsService.submitSms({   body: 'Your appointment is confirmed for tomorrow at 10am.',   from: 'YourBrand',       // Leave empty to use a shared Notifyre number   recipients: [{ type: RecipientType.SmsNumber, value: '+61444444444' }],   scheduledDate: null      // Set a Unix timestamp to schedule, or null to send now });

And here's the same request in cURL, for those who prefer to work directly with the API:

bash

curl -X POST https://api.notifyre.com/sms/send \   -H "x-api-token: YOUR_API_TOKEN" \   -H "Content-Type: application/json" \   -d '{
    "body": "Your appointment is confirmed for tomorrow at 10am.",
    "from": "YourBrand",
    "recipients": [{ "type": "sms_number", "value": "+61444444444" }],
    "scheduledDate": null
  }'

A few things worth knowing:

• from accepts a sender name or your dedicated virtual number. Leave it empty to send from a shared Notifyre number.
• scheduledDate accepts a Unix timestamp if you want to queue messages ahead of time. Pass null to send immediately.
• Sending to multiple recipients in one request is supported, which is useful for notifications and reminders at scale.

Sending MMS

As well as standard SMS, Notifyre's API supports MMS, which lets you send messages that include images and other media alongside text. 

The endpoint is POST /mms/send/ and the parameters are straightforward:

• From the phone number the message is sent from (E.164 format)
• Subject optional, up to 20 characters
• Body the message text, up to 1000 characters
• CampaignName an optional label you can use to group and track messages

MMS is available in .NET, Node.js, PHP, and cURL, just like the SMS endpoints. If a customer sends you an MMS reply, you can receive it via webhook (covered below).

Webhooks: Reacting to Events in Real Time

Webhooks are how Notifyre tells your application when something has happened, without you having to keep checking. When an event occurs (a message is sent, a reply comes in, a fax is received), Notifyre sends an HTTP POST request to a URL you define on your server.

The events you can subscribe to are:

• sms_sent triggered when an SMS is sent from your account
• sms_received triggered when an inbound SMS arrives
• mms_received  triggered when an inbound MMS arrives
• fax_sent triggered when a fax is sent
• fax_received triggered when a fax is received

Setting up a webhook takes four steps:

1. Create an HTTPS endpoint on your server to receive POST requests
2. Make sure it returns a 2xx response when it receives an event
3. Go to Developer click on the Webhooks tab and click New, add your endpoint URL, and choose which events to subscribe to
4. Click Reveal to get your endpoint's secret key, which you use to verify that incoming requests are genuinely from Notifyre

Webhook signatures are worth calling out because they're handled properly here. Every webhook event includes a Notifyre-Signature header containing a timestamp and a signature generated using your endpoint's secret key. This lets you verify that the request came from Notifyre and hasn't been tampered with. The SDK handles this verification for you, and there's a built-in five-minute tolerance on the timestamp to account for minor clock differences between servers.

Security and Compliance

API security

• HTTPS enforced on all API requests, no unencrypted fallback
• Token-based authentication for all third-party integrations
• Webhook signatures to verify that incoming requests are genuinely from Notifyre
• Replay attack protection, so intercepted requests can't be resent to impersonate your app

Encryption

• AES 256-bit encryption on all stored data, including audit logs
• All data in transit encrypted via TLS 1.2, including emails sent through the platform
• HTTPS across all web apps and APIs, no exceptions
• Delivery logs and message records stored with lifetime retention, fully encrypted

Access controls

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) required for all accounts, no opt-out
• User-level permission settings to control who can send messages
• Automatic session timeout after 24 hours of inactivity
• Configurable auto-deletion of faxes after sending or receiving

Tested and certified

• ISO 27001:2022 certified, covering the full software build and release process
• HIPAA compliant, with signed Business Associate Agreements available for healthcare use
• Annual penetration testing by an independent third party
• Daily vulnerability scans run across all applications

Ready for the best Twilio SMS API alternative? 

Get started with Notifyre’s SMS API by exploring our API documentation and accessing sample code in .NET, Node.js, PHP, and cURL. Our quick start guides and GitHub repositories will help you integrate Notifyre’s SMS API into your applications in just a few lines of code. Questions during setup? The support team is available by live chat and phone. No ticket required.

Make the switch to Notifyre and experience the benefits a simple API and human support when you need it. Whether you’re transitioning from Twilio or starting fresh, Notifyre’s low-cost SMS API service provides your business with scalability, security, and reliability. Looking for a no-code SMS solution try out our Zapier SMS integration instead!