OTP service providers in India, compared on price and setup
SMS, WhatsApp, email and push OTP providers in India with prices per code, DLT rules, and the options that need no DLT registration.
“OTP provider” covers four different channels in 2026: SMS, WhatsApp, email and in-app. They differ by an order of magnitude in price and by days in setup. Here is each one compared on what an Indian app pays and what it has to register.
By channel
| Channel | Price each in India | Setup | Phishable |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMS OTP | About Rs 0.10 to Rs 0.45 | DLT entity, header and templates | Yes |
| WhatsApp authentication | About Rs 0.115 plus GST, plus provider fees | WhatsApp Business account and template approval | Yes |
| Email OTP | A few paise; Rs 0.03 on SignOps | A verified sending domain | Yes |
| Push approval | Rs 0.30 on SignOps, about Rs 4.40 on Twilio | An SDK in your app | No, with number matching |
| Passkeys | Nothing per sign-in | WebAuthn on your server | No |
SMS OTP providers
| Provider | SMS OTP price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MSG91 | About Rs 0.15, Rs 0.13 at volume | Indian, SMS, WhatsApp and email |
| Gupshup | About Rs 0.17 | Indian, strong on WhatsApp |
| Kaleyra | About Rs 0.18 | Enterprise focus |
| Twilio | About Rs 0.45 | Global, billed in dollars |
All need DLT registration first. See SMS OTP cost in India and DLT.
Without DLT
If you want to start sending this week without DLT paperwork, use channels that do not go over SMS:
- Email OTP: two calls, send and verify. SignOps gives 500 codes to try, then 1,000 a month on Starter at Rs 499.
- Push approval: for users already signed in on their phone. 100 a day free.
- Passkeys: 10,000 sign-ins a month free.
How to choose
- Must you prove a phone number? Then you need SMS (or WhatsApp) once, at signup.
- For every login after that, move to email codes, push approval or passkeys. Each is cheaper or safer than SMS, and none needs DLT.
- Count resends. Real cost per login is the price times about 1.2 for most SMS routes.
Where SignOps fits
SignOps is not an SMS provider. It covers the logins after signup: email OTP, push approval and passkeys on one API key and one user id, plus push notifications, billed in rupees with a GST invoice. Keep your SMS provider for the first verification.
Sources: Message Central: SMS OTP pricing in India, WhatsApp Business API pricing, Twilio Verify pricing.