Overview
This guide lists SIP-capable providers that offer persistent phone numbers with voice (VoIP) and SMS, summarizes pricing and payment options (only listing crypto where it is a supported payment method), and gives practical use cases for work, development, personal, and company scenarios.
Key features compared
- SIP registration (soft-phone / browser)
- SMS send & receive (API / portal)
- Monthly price per number (example / typical)
- Typical per-SMS cost (example)
- Payment methods (crypto listed only if directly supported)
Provider summary table
| Provider | Countries with numbers* | SIP registration | SMS send & receive | Monthly price (example) | Typical per‑SMS cost (example) | Payment methods (crypto only if supported) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio | 70+ | SIP Domain / SIP Trunk | Yes (Messaging API) | US: $1.00/mo (varies by country) | US ~ $0.0075 / SMS | Credit/debit, PayPal |
| Plivo | 30+ | SIP Endpoint | Yes (Messaging API) | US: $0.80/mo (varies) | US ~ $0.006 / SMS | Credit/debit, PayPal |
| Telnyx | 60+ | SIP Trunk & SIP URI | Yes (Messaging API) | From $1.00/mo | SMS ~ $0.004–$0.007 / SMS | Credit/debit, PayPal |
| SignalWire | 30+ | SIP Trunking / WebRTC | Yes (SMS & MMS) | US example: $0.50–$0.80/mo | SMS outbound example: ~$0.004 | Credit/debit, PayPal |
| VoIP.ms | US, CA, EU, AU, many | SIP registration | Yes (portal + API) | US local ~ $0.99/mo | SMS ~ $0.01 / SMS | Credit/debit, PayPal |
| Vonage (Nexmo) | 70+ | SIP Trunk | Yes (SMS API) | US ~ $0.90–$1.00/mo | SMS ~ $0.0065 / SMS | Credit/debit, PayPal |
| MessageBird | 70+ | SIP Trunk / WebRTC | Yes (Messaging API) | ~ $1.00/mo (varies) | SMS per country varies (example ~ $0.006) | Credit/debit, PayPal |
| Bandwidth | US, CA | SIP Trunk | Yes (SMS API) | US ~ $0.99/mo for numbers | SMS ~ $0.006 / SMS | Credit/debit |
| Callcentric | US, CA, EU | SIP URI / SIP Trunk | Yes (SMS via app/API) | US local ~ $0.99/mo | SMS ~ $0.01 / SMS | Credit/debit, PayPal |
| Sipgate | DE, UK, AT, CH, NL | SIP URI / WebRTC | Yes (portal/API) | DE Business example: €4.99/mo | SMS ~ €0.02 / SMS | Credit/debit, SEPA |
| RingCentral | 100+ | SIP Trunk / soft‑client | Yes (app/API) | Plans start ≈ $7.99+/user/mo (includes number) | SMS ~ $0.01 / SMS (US) | Credit/debit, PayPal |
| Grasshopper | US, CA | SIP / apps | Yes (SMS via app) | Plans start ~$14+/mo (includes number) | SMS: plan dependent | Credit/debit only |
| Callout: Bitrefill / Crypto cards | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | (Not listed — crypto not a provider payment method) |
*Prices and SMS rates vary by country, number type (local/toll-free/short code), and carrier. Confirm on provider pages for your required country and number type.
Use cases and recommended providers
1) Developer / QA (API-first, automated tests)
- Needs: Programmable SMS, easy API, sandboxing, per-number stability.
- Recommended: Twilio, Telnyx, Plivo, SignalWire.
- Why: Excellent APIs, SDKs, test credentials, broad country support.
- Notes: Use a low-cost local number for functional tests; keep number active to avoid recycling.
2) Small business / Customer support
- Needs: Shared team access, call routing, SMS for notifications, retention.
- Recommended: RingCentral, Vonage, MessageBird, Bandwidth.
- Why: Built-in user management, dashboards, business features plus SIP trunks.
- Notes: Consider per-user plans vs single number; verify SMS throughput limits for notifications.
3) Personal / Privacy‑focused
- Needs: Persistent number, SIP soft‑phone, browser/WebRTC compatibility, low cost.
- Recommended: VoIP.ms, Sipgate, Telnyx.
- Why: Low monthly fees, SIP registration to Linphone/Jitsi, retain numbers long-term.
- Notes: Avoid free disposable numbers if you need stability.
4) Company / Enterprise
- Needs: Carrier-grade trunking, number porting, compliance (A2P messaging, registration), analytics.
- Recommended: Bandwidth, Twilio, Vonage, MessageBird.
- Why: Scale, carrier relationships, compliance support for large SMS volumes and short codes.
- Notes: Discuss direct carrier agreements and compliance for high-volume messaging.
5) Side projects / hobbyist
- Needs: Low cost, WebRTC, open-source soft-phones, simple API.
- Recommended: VoIP.ms, Telnyx, SignalWire.
- Why: Cheap numbers, easy SIP registration, sample code for hobby apps.
- Notes: Linphone and JsSIP are good open-source clients for integration.
Quick setup examples
Browser WebRTC client (general pattern)
- Order a SIP/WebRTC-capable number from a provider (Telnyx, Twilio, SignalWire, etc.).
- Retrieve SIP/WebRTC credentials or token from the provider dashboard.
- Use an open-source browser library (e.g., JsSIP or SIP.js) to register and place/receive calls via WebRTC.
- Use provider messaging API for sending/receiving SMS; combine with webhooks to surface inbound messages in your UI.
Linphone (desktop) + Telnyx (SIP)
- Configure Linphone with SIP credentials provided by Telnyx (SIP URI, username, password, transport).
- Use Telnyx REST API for SMS send/receive and webhook events for inbound messages.
Payment notes
- Payments listed are only those methods providers accept directly (crypto is listed only if a provider explicitly supports cryptocurrency on their billing page).
Maintenance and retention tips
- Keep the number active (monthly payments and occasional inbound SMS/calls) to avoid recycling.
- For WhatsApp and apps with stricter verification, use a long-term, paid number (not free or public short‑lived virtual numbers).
- Consider number porting support if you want to move a number between providers.
Limitations & legal / compliance reminder
- Pricing and payment methods vary by country and change frequently — confirm on the provider’s official pricing and billing pages before purchasing.
- Ensure you comply with local laws, carrier A2P rules, and the terms of the services you sign up for when sending SMS or using numbers for verifications.
References (APA 7)
Twilio. (n.d.-a). Phone numbers. Twilio. https://www.twilio.com/phone-numbers
Twilio. (n.d.-b). Pricing — Messaging. Twilio. https://www.twilio.com/messaging/pricing
Twilio. (n.d.-c). Programmable Voice pricing — United States. Twilio. https://www.twilio.com/voice/pricing
Plivo. (n.d.-a). Phone numbers pricing. Plivo. https://www.plivo.com/pricing/phone-numbers/
Plivo. (n.d.-b). SMS messaging pricing. Plivo. https://www.plivo.com/pricing/sms/
Telnyx. (n.d.-a). Global phone numbers pricing. Telnyx. https://telnyx.com/pricing/phone-numbers
Telnyx. (n.d.-b). SMS and MMS pricing. Telnyx. https://telnyx.com/pricing/messaging
Telnyx. (n.d.-c). Elastic SIP Trunking pricing. https://telnyx.com/pricing/sip-trunking
SignalWire. (n.d.-a). Numbers pricing. SignalWire. https://signalwire.com/pricing/numbers
SignalWire. (n.d.-b). Messaging pricing. SignalWire. https://signalwire.com/pricing/messaging
VoIP.ms. (n.d.-a). Pricing. VoIP.ms. https://voip.ms/pricing
VoIP.ms. (n.d.-b). SMS. VoIP.ms/wiki/page/SMS. https://voip.ms/wiki/page/SMS
Vonage. (n.d.). Pricing — Communications APIs. Vonage. https://www.vonage.com/communications-apis/pricing/
MessageBird. (n.d.). Pricing. MessageBird. https://www.messagebird.com/en/pricing
Bandwidth. (n.d.). Pricing. Bandwidth. https://www.bandwidth.com/pricing/
Callcentric. (n.d.). Callcentric — Pricing & plans. Callcentric. https://www.callcentric.com
Sipgate. (n.d.). Pricing & tariffs. Sipgate. https://www.sipgate.co.uk/pricing
RingCentral. (n.d.). Pricing & plans. RingCentral. https://www.ringcentral.com/pricing.html
Grasshopper. (n.d.). Pricing. Grasshopper. https://www.grasshopper.com/pricing/