Comparison
HonkIO vs Plivo for SMS in Canada
Plivo is a messaging API with low listed rates for Canada. HonkIO texts only people in Canada, with CASL consent checks, French opt-outs, data stored in Canada and prices in Canadian dollars. Here is how they compare, from Plivo's public pages as of October 2026.
In short
- Plivo lists a lower price per text: $0.0077 per segment from a local number plus a carrier surcharge of $0.0072 to $0.0100, in a currency its page does not name. HonkIO charges $0.03 CAD per segment, with no surcharges.
- Plivo's numbers cost less: $0.75 a month for a local number and $1.00 for toll-free, against $2.50 CAD and $99.00 CAD at HonkIO.
- HonkIO stores your data in Canada (Montréal). Plivo lists the sub-processors that store its customer data in the United States.
- HonkIO checks for a CASL consent record before every send. Plivo's Canada coverage page recommends express consent and does not name CASL.
- HonkIO honours the French opt-out ARRÊT. The opt-out keywords in Plivo's docs are English.
Side by side
HonkIO and Plivo, from Plivo's public pages as of October 2026.
| Compared | HonkIO | Plivo |
|---|---|---|
Outbound SMS from a local number, per segment Plivo adds a surcharge per Canadian carrier, from $0.0072 to $0.0100, so about $0.0149 to $0.0177 per segment in all. HonkIO has no surcharges. | $0.03 CAD | $0.0077 plus a surcharge |
Outbound SMS from a toll-free number, per segment | $0.03 CAD | $0.0079 plus a surcharge |
Received SMS, per segment Plivo lists no surcharge on received texts. | $0.03 CAD | $0.0077 |
Local number | $2.50 CAD a month, plus $1.00 once | $0.75 a month |
Toll-free number | $99.00 CAD a month | $1.00 a month |
Sender types in Canada Plivo lists a Canadian short code at $4,000 once plus $700 a month, and supports numeric senders only. | Local and toll-free | Local, toll-free and short code |
Currency Plivo's Canada price page shows amounts with $ and no currency code. | CAD | Not named |
Trying it out | Test keys, no card | $10 free credit, no card |
Where data is stored Plivo's sub-processor list places the services that store its customer data in the US. | Canada | United States |
CASL consent check on each send Plivo's Canada coverage page recommends express consent and does not name CASL. | Yes | Not described |
French opt-out (ARRÊT) | Built in | Not listed |
Data processing agreement | Accepted in the dashboard | On request |
The Plivo column comes from Plivo's public pages, checked in October 2026; each one is listed under Sources. Prices are as listed, before taxes. HonkIO prices are in Canadian dollars.
What it costs
List prices, as each provider publishes them.
Plivo lists $0.0077 per outbound segment from a local number, $0.0079 from a toll-free number and $0.0250 from a short code. Sends also carry a carrier surcharge: $0.0088 for Bell and Virgin, $0.0097 for Rogers and Fido, $0.0100 for Telus, $0.0072 for Freedom and Videotron, and $0.0080 for other carriers. A text from a local number therefore costs about $0.0149 to $0.0177 per segment. Received texts are $0.0077, with no surcharge. The page shows $ without a currency code.
Per text and per number, Plivo's listed prices are lower than HonkIO's: a local number is $0.75 a month and toll-free $1.00. Plivo also has an Enterprise plan from $1,000 a month; HonkIO has no plans.
HonkIO charges $0.03 CAD per segment, sent or received, from a prepaid balance, with no carrier fees, no plans and no minimums, before taxes. A local number is $2.50 CAD a month plus $1.00 once, and a toll-free number is $99.00 CAD a month. New accounts can send 250 texts a day, raised on request after 30 days of sending.
Where your data is stored
Where data is kept at rest, and what is processed elsewhere.
HonkIO stores messages, phone numbers, consent records and logs in Canada, in AWS ca-central-1 (Montréal). API requests are processed on US-hosted infrastructure before they are stored, and each text passes through a US-based routing provider on its way to the mobile carriers; the privacy policy lists both. You accept a data processing agreement in the dashboard, and HonkIO has completed a privacy impact assessment under Quebec Law 25.
Plivo's sub-processor list (last updated August 13, 2025) places the services that store its customer data, AWS among them, in the United States, with no Canadian location. Its privacy policy (last updated May 27, 2026) says data resides in different locations around the globe and may be transferred to the US, and offers a data processing agreement on request.
Plivo lets you choose, per message, not to store the content or to redact phone numbers. By default it keeps numbers for 90 days and content for 7 days, according to a June 2024 post on its blog.
Consent and opt-outs
CASL applies to commercial texts sent to people in Canada, whichever provider carries them.
HonkIO refuses a send (HTTP 451) when there is no consent record for the number or the person has opted out, and live keys cannot skip the check. It tracks express and implied consent, expires implied consent after two years, and treats STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, ARRET and ARRÊT as opt-outs, with START or UNSTOP to opt back in. The CRTC National Do Not Call List covers telemarketing calls and faxes, not texts, so there is no DNCL check on a send. This is how HonkIO applies CASL, not legal advice.
Plivo's Canada coverage page recommends getting express consent before texting. It does not name CASL.
Plivo's opt-out handling (DND) is on by default for Canadian long codes and toll-free numbers: STOP, END, QUIT, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, UNSUB and STOP ALL opt out, and START, YES, RESUME, UNSTOP and GO opt back in. French keywords are not listed.
When Plivo is the better choice
Where we would point you to Plivo instead.
- Price per text matters most. Plivo's listed local rate with the surcharge is lower than HonkIO's $0.03 CAD, whether its $ means Canadian or US dollars.
- You need many numbers. Plivo's local and toll-free numbers cost a fraction of HonkIO's.
- You need a short code in Canada.
- You send outside Canada. HonkIO sends only to Canadian numbers.
When HonkIO fits
HonkIO is built for messaging people in Canada.
- Your recipients are in Canada and you want consent checked before each send, not after a complaint.
- You want your data stored in Canada, with the processing outside Canada disclosed.
- You want to pay in Canadian dollars from a prepaid balance, with no carrier fees to add up.
- You want French opt-outs and API errors in English or French without extra setup.
- You want verification codes, SDKs for Node.js, Python and PHP, and an MCP server for AI assistants on the same account.
Moving from Plivo
There is no Plivo-specific guide yet. The SMS quickstart covers sending, delivery webhooks and statuses, and most integrations change the base URL, the key and the request fields. Record consent for your recipients first (POST /v1/compliance/consents): HonkIO refuses texts to numbers without it.
Questions
- Is HonkIO cheaper than Plivo?
- No, not per text or per number. As of October 2026, Plivo lists $0.0077 per local segment to Canada plus a carrier surcharge of $0.0072 to $0.0100, and numbers from $0.75 a month, in a currency its page does not name. HonkIO charges $0.03 CAD per segment and $2.50 CAD a month for a local number, with consent checks and storage in Canada included.
- Does Plivo store data in Canada?
- Plivo's sub-processor list places customer data storage in the United States, and its privacy policy says data may be transferred to US locations, as of October 2026. HonkIO stores data in Canada (Montréal); API requests are processed on US-hosted infrastructure before they are stored.
- Does Plivo handle ARRÊT?
- Its opt-out docs list English keywords only, as of October 2026. HonkIO treats ARRET and ARRÊT as opt-outs, alongside STOP and the other English keywords.
Sources
What this page says about other providers comes from their public pages, checked in October 2026. If something has changed, tell us at support@honkio.ca and we will correct it.
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