Connect Media vs Twilio vs Infobip: Which SMS Platform Fits Kenyan Businesses?

Updated 28 September 2026. Connect Media, Twilio and Infobip all let you send SMS through an API, but they are built for different buyers. Twilio is a US developer platform with a very wide product range. Infobip is a Croatian omnichannel platform strong in chat apps and enterprise messaging. Connect Media is a Nairobi platform focused on SMS, USSD, IVR and voice for businesses in Kenya and East Africa. This guide compares the three honestly, so you can pick the one that fits.

Short answer

• Choose Connect Media if you mainly send SMS to Kenyan numbers, want USSD or IVR as well, and prefer to pay in shillings with no minimum top-up and credit that never expires.
• Choose Twilio if you are building a global product, need email (SendGrid), a programmable contact centre or a customer data platform, and are comfortable paying in US dollars.
• Choose Infobip if you need many chat channels (WhatsApp, Viber, RCS and others), chatbots and customer journeys across many countries, usually under an enterprise agreement.

Connect Media vs Twilio vs Infobip at a glance

Company facts are from each company’s public materials. Check Twilio’s and Infobip’s own pricing pages for their current Kenya rates; we don’t quote competitors’ prices.

Connect Media

Connect Media is built for organisations that need to reach people in Kenya on any phone. You send bulk and transactional SMS to Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom numbers from one account, with branded sender IDs, delivery reports and two-way replies. The same account covers USSD menus, IVR and voice broadcast, and international SMS to more than 190 countries, including Uganda and Tanzania.

Strengths

• Local pricing: SMS from KES 1.0 with published rates, no minimum top-up and credit that never expires. No dollar card or exchange-rate surprises.
• USSD and IVR in the same account, which matters for SACCOs, banks, schools and field teams whose customers use basic phones.
• A simple API: one HTTPS endpoint with send, balance, history and inbox actions. See the developer docs.
• Support in Nairobi that knows Kenyan sender ID rules and network behaviour.

Limits to know

• Connect Media focuses on SMS, USSD, IVR and voice. If you need email marketing, a customer data platform or a full contact-centre suite, a global platform is a better fit.
• It is built around Kenya and East Africa. You can send international SMS, but a product with users mostly outside Africa may prefer a global provider.

Twilio

Twilio is one of the best-known communications platforms for developers. Beyond SMS and voice it offers WhatsApp, email through SendGrid, phone number verification, the Segment customer data platform and the Flex contact centre. In 2024 it reported about US$4.46 billion in revenue and more than 325,000 active customer accounts, and its fourth quarter was its first with a GAAP operating profit.

Strengths

• Excellent documentation, SDKs in many languages and a large developer community.
• One vendor for SMS, voice, email, verification and customer data across many countries.
• Self-serve signup; you can test quickly with a card.

Things to check for Kenya

• Billing is in US dollars, so your cost moves with the exchange rate and needs a card that allows USD payments.
• Kenyan networks require alphanumeric sender IDs to be registered whichever provider you use. Check how long registration takes through a global provider.
• USSD is not a core Twilio product, so USSD projects need a second provider.

Infobip

Infobip started in Croatia in 2006 and grew into a global omnichannel platform. It is especially strong in chat apps: WhatsApp, Viber, RCS, Apple Messages for Business, Telegram and more. It also offers customer journeys (Moments), an agent inbox (Conversations) and chatbots (Answers). It acquired the US messaging company OpenMarket in 2021.

Strengths

• A very wide channel list and strong WhatsApp Business tools.
• Chatbots and automated journeys in the same platform.
• Enterprise account management and global reach.

Things to check for Kenya

• Pricing for large volumes is usually agreed with sales, so it takes longer to see your real cost.
• For a business that mainly needs Kenyan SMS or USSD, an omnichannel suite may be more than you need.

Which should you choose?

• A school, SACCO, clinic or retailer sending fee reminders, receipts and alerts in Kenya: Connect Media. See solutions by industry.
• A Kenyan fintech that needs OTPs by SMS plus a USSD menu: Connect Media covers both in one account.
• A global SaaS company with users in dozens of countries that needs SMS, email and verification from one vendor: Twilio.
• A large brand running WhatsApp chatbots and customer journeys across many markets: Infobip.
• Both: many companies keep a global provider for chat apps or email and use a local provider for Kenyan SMS and USSD, where local pricing and support matter most.

Data protection: GDPR and Kenya’s Data Protection Act

Twilio and Infobip both publish security and compliance documentation, including GDPR data processing terms, which matters if you message people in the EU. If your customers are in Kenya, the Data Protection Act, 2019 applies: you need a lawful basis such as consent, a clear opt-out, and safeguards when personal data leaves Kenya. Whichever provider you choose, ask for its data processing agreement and where message data is stored.

Switching from Twilio or Infobip to Connect Media

Moving Kenyan SMS traffic usually takes a day or two. The main steps are registering your sender ID, updating the API call and testing delivery. The two requests below send the same message.

Twilio:

curl -X POST "https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts/$TWILIO_SID/Messages.json" \
  -u "$TWILIO_SID:$TWILIO_TOKEN" \
  --data-urlencode "To=+254712345678" \
  --data-urlencode "From=YourBrand" \
  --data-urlencode "Body=Your order has shipped."

Connect Media:

curl https://dashboard.connectmedia.co.ke/api.php \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CM_API_KEY" \
  -d action=send \
  -d sender=YourBrand \
  -d to=254712345678 \
  -d message="Your order has shipped."

Numbers go in 2547XXXXXXXX format, and a successful send returns code 201. Full steps are in the provider switching checklist and the API docs. Estimate your monthly cost with the SMS cost calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is Twilio or Infobip better?

Neither is better for everyone. Twilio suits developers building global products and teams that also need email or customer data tools. Infobip suits companies that need many chat apps, chatbots and enterprise account management. For Kenyan SMS and USSD, a local provider is often simpler and cheaper to run.

What is a good Infobip or Twilio alternative in Kenya?

Connect Media is a Nairobi-based alternative for SMS, USSD, IVR and voice, with SMS from KES 1.0, billing in shillings, no minimum top-up and credit that never expires.

Can I use Twilio and a local provider together?

Yes. Many businesses keep a global provider for email or chat apps and send Kenyan SMS and USSD through a local provider.

Do I need a new sender ID if I switch?

Usually you register your sender ID with your new provider so the networks allow it on their routes. See sender ID registration in Kenya.

Try Connect Media or call +254 707 339 945.