A Chat API is an application programming interface. It lets consumers utilize a real-time chat service with effortless scalability and infrastructure that can be easily incorporated into a website or application. Its many features are designed to let you connect with the larger group community through chat. Some of the top chat API messaging platforms are Twilio and TalkJS. In this article, we compare TalkJS and Twilio features and look at the core differences between TalkJS and Twilio chat pricing.

Comparison of TalkJS and Twilio

Here’s a quick comparison of TalkJS and Twilio:

 1. Feature

TalkJS is a developer-friendly, robust chat API that you can integrate into your website or mobile app. It has a fully functional pre-built chat UI and integrates with any language or framework. You can have a chat solution up and running in only a few hours:

• Available for web and mobile
• Highly customizable UI theme
• Multi-language chat interface
• Pre-built chat UI
• On-premise installation (0nly with enterprise plan)
• WhatsApp Integration (possible with third-party API)
• 1-on-1 chat
• Full conversation history
• Group chat
• Profanity filter
• Search
• Webhooks
• Real-time Translation (comes out of the box and supports 34 languages)
• Read indicators
• Typing indicators
• Presence indicators
• Delivered indicators
• Chatbots
• Desktop notifications
• Email notifications
• Location sharing
• Mask contact info
• Push notifications
• Reply-via-email directly (sync to chat)
• SMS notifications

Twilio chat API is software that allows businesses to interact with their consumers via SMS, audio, video, and chat. Twilio uses APIs to democratize channels like voice, text, chat, video, WhatsApp, and email, making it simple for any company to develop meaningful interactions with customers on their preferred channels.

• Available for web and mobile
• SMS messaging
• MMS messaging
• WhatsApp Integration
• 1-on-1 chat
• Full conversation history (depending on the price)
• Group chat
• Profanity filter
• Webhooks
• Real-time Translation (possible with Microsoft translator API and webhooks
• Read indicators
• Typing indicators
• Presence indicators
• Delivered indicators
• Chatbots
• Desktop notifications
• Location sharing
• Push notifications
• SMS notifications

2. Chat UI

To speed up the front-end part of the integration, chat APIs offer a back-end-as-service and UI components or Sketch designs (UI design kit). Twilio requires you to design and build the chat UI from the ground up, giving you total control over the design. However, this may take a few months to accomplish. TalkJS is a single-package chat solution that includes both the frontend and backend. You will receive the infrastructure, code, and a fully working chat with customizable UI (Themes), including the design. Because the UI is forward compatible, the chat will continue to function on future devices, browser bugs, and new features. That is, a chat solution may be set up in hours. The TalkJS theme is a CSS file with specific properties that you may use to customize the UI’s look and feel. The introductory chat UI layout remains the same, but you can customize it to match your site’s design. The updated version of the themes takes the concept to a whole new level.

3. Multichannel messaging API

Twilio is the market leader in Web chat APIs, with a comprehensive feature set and flexible choices. Its APIs span all forms of digital communication, including programmatic SMS and MMS, WhatsApp, audio and video, conversational chat APIs, Facebook Messenger, and Google’s Business Messages. Twilio allows developers to link their application software with practically any communication channel. Furthermore, the conversations API allows you to start with a single channel, such as online or in-app chat, and then quickly extend to other channels (MMS, voice, video, chat) as customer preferences change. The best aspect is that adding a new channel does not necessitate rebuilding your entire back end or code against a brand-new API. TalkJS is a messaging API that focuses on making it as simple as possible to create chat apps. Though it isn’t as robust or feature-rich as some of the other options, it allows them to set up a chat experience on their website with only a few lines of code. TalkJS is an attractive option for enterprises that desire the capabilities of real-time messaging software without having to spend much on a development team. Hence, if you require a chat feature for direct messaging, a chatroom, or group chat, then TalkJS chat API should be chosen.

4. Support

In the case of TalkJS, premium assistance is included in all price tiers at no extra charge. In addition, customers may contact the support team via the website live chat, which is staffed with developers. Twilio charges an additional fee for support. However, there’s a free option with no response time guarantee, and the cheapest premium assistance plan costs $250 per month or 4% of monthly spending.

5. Pricing

Both TalkJS and Twilio chat pricing is based on the number of monthly active users (MAUs). Twilio’s conversations pricing  includes:

• 2500 MAU – $125 per month
• 5000 MAU – $250 per month
• 10000 MAU – $475 per month
• 20000 MAU – $900 per month
• 50000 MAU – $2250 per month
• 100000 MAU – $4500 per month

After 20k MAU, you must contact Twilio sales for a price estimate. In addition, Twilio charges $0.25 per GB per month for media storage and $250 for premium support. The price of TalkJS includes:

• Basic – $279 per month – includes 10000 MAU, each additional MAU  $0.04 (up to 30 participants)
• Growth – $569 per month – includes 25000 MAU, each additional $0.03 (up to 300 participants)
• Customized – Enterprise

The TalkJS Basic and Growth plans both provide core messaging functionalities as well as some advanced ones, such as:

• Custom email notifications and domain (Growth)
• Customizable chat UI theme
• Pre-built UI
• Priority access to the roadmap (Growth)
• Reply-via-email directly (email-chat sync)
• Support via chat
• Webhooks

The Enterprise plan is the best option for use cases requiring custom paperwork, on-premise installation, guaranteed performance under heavy load, or a proper SLA. It also comes with at-rest encryption and specialized customer service.

Final Thoughts

Considering Twilio vs. TalkJS, Twilio can be a good alternative if your messaging feature requires SMS, video, or audio capabilities. However, if you want to deliver a solution specializing in chat messaging quickly, the TalkJS chat API with the pre-built chat UI should be your choice. Helplama provides dedicated customer support as a service that is outsourced. Clients receive a fully managed customer service system that includes voice, live chat, email, and other options. Helplama provides local customer support agents from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. So they can talk in more local vernacular and better understand local customers. The entire training, understanding of your business, and so on is on Helplama. So contact Helplama now, and everything will be taken care of, including customer support.