Compare
Traditional all-in-one business phone/CCaaS platforms rent you their numbers and mark up every minute and message. TelBuddy runs on your own Twilio account instead — here's exactly what that changes.
| Feature | TelBuddy + Your Own Twilio | Traditional All-in-One Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly software cost | $9.99 flat | $50–$150 per user |
| Per-seat pricing | ✕ None | ✓ Yes — cost climbs with every teammate |
| Who owns the phone number | You (in your own Twilio account) | The platform — number is lost if you cancel |
| SMS/voice usage rate | Twilio's own published wholesale rate | Marked up and bundled, rarely itemized |
| AI receptionist (voice + SMS) | ✓ Included add-on | Often a separate, expensive enterprise tier |
| Visual IVR / phone menu builder | ✓ Included | Varies — often requires professional services |
| Shared team SMS inbox | ✓ Included | ✓ Usually included |
| Vendor lock-in | Low — your Twilio account works with other tools too | High — numbers and data live inside their platform |
| Typical setup time | ~2 minutes (connect existing Twilio) | Days to weeks (number porting, onboarding calls) |
| Contract length | Month-to-month | Often annual contracts |
"Traditional all-in-one platforms" refers to the general category of bundled business-phone/CCaaS products, not any single named competitor. Twilio usage is billed by Twilio directly at their published rates — TelBuddy never marks up or resells telecom.
Traditional platforms bundle three things into one per-seat price: the phone number, the usage, and the software. TelBuddy only charges for the software — the number and usage stay a direct relationship between you and Twilio, at Twilio's own rates.
You buy it directly from Twilio — a few dollars a month, and it's genuinely yours.
Billed by Twilio at their published, transparent per-segment/per-minute rate. No markup layer.
This is the only thing TelBuddy charges for — $9.99/mo flat, regardless of team size.
Connect in about two minutes — no number porting, no contract.