An MSG91 alternative for apps that want more than SMS
What MSG91 charges for SMS and email OTP, where it is the right choice, and when SignOps push, approvals and passkeys cost less.
MSG91 is one of India’s largest messaging providers: SMS, WhatsApp, email and voice, priced in rupees. If you are looking at alternatives, it is usually for one of two reasons: the SMS OTP bill has grown, or you need things MSG91 does not do, like push notifications or approving logins on a phone.
What MSG91 charges
| MSG91 | |
|---|---|
| SMS OTP | About Rs 0.15 a message, about Rs 0.13 at volume |
| Free for 5,000 a month; Rs 2,000 a month plan, then Rs 0.02 an email | |
| Meta’s rate plus MSG91’s fee | |
| Billing | Rupees, prices before GST |
MSG91 and SignOps side by side
| MSG91 | SignOps | |
|---|---|---|
| SMS OTP | Yes | No |
| WhatsApp OTP | Yes | No |
| Email OTP | Yes | Yes, Rs 0.03 a code, 1,000 a month on Starter |
| Push approval for logins | No | Yes, Rs 0.30, 100 a day free |
| Passkeys | No | Yes, 10,000 sign-ins a month free |
| Push notifications | No | Yes, 1,000 devices free, Rs 499 for 5,000 |
| DLT needed | For SMS | No |
When MSG91 is the right choice
- You need SMS or WhatsApp to prove phone numbers.
- You send marketing SMS or WhatsApp campaigns.
When SignOps is the better fit
- Logins after signup. Moving returning users from SMS OTP to push approval, passkeys or email codes cuts the SMS bill and removes the code a fraud caller can ask for.
- Push notifications to Android, iOS and the web on the same user id.
- No DLT paperwork to start.
Using both
- Signup: SMS OTP through MSG91 to prove the phone number.
- Login on the same phone: a passkey, no code at all.
- Login on a new device: a push approval to the phone they signed up on.
- No trusted phone answers: an email code.
The SMS bill drops to one message per user instead of one per login.
Sources: MSG91 email pricing, Message Central: SMS OTP pricing in India.