Made in India
Starts at
Pay as you go
Exotel
by Exotel · Bengaluru, Karnataka · Since 2011
Cloud telephony, SMS and customer conversation platform.
SMS & OTP platformsMade in India
- Starting price
- From ₹9,999 (prepaid)
- Dabbler: 5,000 credits, 5-month validity
- Free trial / plan
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial with 500 free credits
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Web
- App Advisor rating
- 4.7
- transparency & India fit
What is Exotel?
Exotel is a Bengaluru-based cloud communications platform. It offers a cloud business phone system with virtual numbers (Exophones) and multi-level IVR, a contact center suite, and communication APIs for SMS, WhatsApp and RCS.
Exotel publishes prepaid INR plans for its business phone system: Dabbler at ₹9,999, Believer at ₹19,999 and Influencer at ₹49,499. Each includes call and SMS credits and has a fixed validity period. SMS starts at INR 0.18 per SMS for volumes of 100,000+, plus GST. Contact center and enterprise pricing are handled by sales.
What works well
- +Published INR prepaid plans with credits, Exophones and agent seats included
- +7-day fully functional free trial with 500 free credits
- +One vendor for voice, SMS, WhatsApp and RCS
- +DLT-ready SMS platform with template and sender ID management
- +Startup programme (₹6,000 free credits) and 15% extra credits for non-profits
What to watch out for
- −Plans are prepaid credit packs with validity limits, not simple monthly subscriptions
- −Only the 100,000+ volume SMS rate is published; lower-volume SMS rates need a sales quote
- −Indian SMS carries an extra DLT charge of 2.5 paise per SMS
- −Contact center and enterprise pricing are not published
Best suited for: Indian SMBs that want a virtual number, IVR and a small calling team on prepaid credits · Product teams sending OTPs, alerts and transactional SMS through an API · Businesses combining calls, SMS and WhatsApp with one provider
AI analysis of Exotel
Analysing Exotel — pricing, features, reviews and alternatives…
Generated by App Advisor's native engine from this listing's verified data — not a paid placement.
Exotel features
Researched from Exotel's official product pages · updated September 2026.
Business phone system
- Virtual numbers (Exophones)
- Multi-level IVR
- Agent seats per plan
- Call and SMS credits
SMS
- Transactional and promotional SMS
- OTPs, login alerts and security notifications
- DLT template and sender ID management
- Regional Indian language support
- CSV upload, scheduling, pause/resume
- Up to 500,000 contacts per campaign
- REST APIs
Messaging & analytics
- Unified messaging across SMS, WhatsApp and RCS
- Real-time analytics dashboards
Exotel pricing (INR)
SourceEvery edition as published by the vendor · free trial: 7-day fully functional free trial with 500 free credits. Prices exclude GST unless stated. Full Exotel pricing breakdown
Dabbler
₹9,999
5-month validity; rental ₹4,999
- 5,000 credits
- 1 Exophone
- 3 agents
- Multi-level IVR
Believer
₹19,999
11-month validity; rental ₹10,499
- Marked most popular
- 9,500 credits
- 2 Exophones
- 6 agents
- Multi-level IVR
Influencer
₹49,499
11-month validity; rental ₹10,499
- 39,000 credits
- 10 Exophones
- Unlimited agents
- Multi-level IVR
Enterprise Contact Center
Contact sales
- Pricing not published on the plans page
Other pricing options & add-ons
SMS
For 100,000+ SMS; GST applicable
From INR 0.18 per SMS
DLT charge (India SMS)
Added on top of the SMS rate
2.5 paise per SMS
WhatsApp conversation fees
Plus a per-message fee of INR 0.06
Marketing INR 0.86; Utility/Authentication INR 0.115; Authentication International INR 2.3; Service free
Exotel for Startups
Valid 6 months, with a virtual landline
₹6,000 free credits
Non-profits
Bonus credits
15% extra credits
- • Multi-part SMS: each part over 160 characters is billed as a separate SMS
- • SMS is billed as soon as it is submitted to Exotel. Only messages marked 'failed-dnd' are not charged
- • Exotel's SMS docs list volume tiers but no rates, and say to contact sales for pricing on your account
- • Rental and credit terms are as shown on the business phone system pricing page
Buying for a team? App Advisor can get you a volume quote and any partner discount available.
Integrations, security & India
For Indian businesses
- All published plan and SMS prices are in INR; GST is applicable
- Indian SMS must follow DLT rules; Exotel adds 2.5 paise per SMS for DLT
Trust, compliance & who uses Exotel
Customers named by the vendor
25B+ interactions a year (vendor claim)Logos shown include ICICI Bank, HDFC, Uber and Zomato (vendor claim)
Is Exotel the best choice for you?
Best choice if you are…
- Indian SMBs that want a virtual number, IVR and a small calling team on prepaid credits
- Product teams sending OTPs, alerts and transactional SMS through an API
- Businesses combining calls, SMS and WhatsApp with one provider
Look elsewhere if you are…
- Buyers who only want a WhatsApp inbox — compare WATI or Interakt
- Very small teams wanting a low monthly fee rather than a ₹9,999+ prepaid pack
Still comparing? Get an unbiased shortlist and demos arranged for free.
Sources (5) · updated September 2026
Exotel screenshots
Specifications
- Category
- SMS & OTP platforms
- Vendor
- Exotel
- Headquarters
- Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Founded
- 2011
- Pricing model
- Subscription
- Starting price
- ₹9,999/mo
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Platforms
- Web
- Best for
- Small business, SMB, Mid-market
- Made in India
- Yes
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Exotel — frequently asked questions
What is Exotel pricing?+
Exotel's business phone system plans are prepaid. Dabbler costs ₹9,999 (5,000 credits, 1 Exophone, 3 agents, 5-month validity). Believer costs ₹19,999 (9,500 credits, 2 Exophones, 6 agents, 11 months). Influencer costs ₹49,499 (39,000 credits, 10 Exophones, unlimited agents, 11 months). Contact center pricing is quoted by sales.
What is Exotel's SMS price in India?+
Exotel's pricing page lists SMS from INR 0.18 per SMS for volumes of 100,000+, with GST extra. Indian SMS also carries a DLT charge of 2.5 paise per SMS. Rates for lower volumes are not published, so ask Exotel sales for a quote.
How much does an OTP SMS cost on Exotel?+
Exotel does not publish a separate OTP rate. OTPs go out as transactional SMS. The only published rate is from INR 0.18 per SMS at 100,000+ volume, plus the 2.5 paise DLT charge and GST. Confirm your exact rate with Exotel.
How does Exotel bill SMS?+
SMS is billed when it is submitted to Exotel, and only messages marked 'failed-dnd' are not charged. A message longer than 160 characters is sent as a multi-part SMS, and each part is billed separately.
Does Exotel have a free trial?+
Yes. Exotel offers a 7-day fully functional free trial with 500 free credits for testing calls and SMS. There is no free plan.
Does Exotel have offers for startups?+
Yes. Exotel for Startups gives ₹6,000 in free credits valid for 6 months, with a virtual landline. Non-profits get 15% extra credits.
What are Exotel's WhatsApp charges?+
Exotel lists conversation fees of INR 0.86 for marketing, INR 0.115 for utility and authentication, and INR 2.3 for international authentication. Service conversations are free. A per-message fee of INR 0.06 applies on top.
What is Exotel?+
Exotel is sms & otp platforms by Exotel, an Indian company from Bengaluru. Cloud telephony, SMS and customer conversation platform.
How much does Exotel cost?+
Exotel starts at about ₹9,999 per month according to the vendor's published pricing. Plans and taxes vary, so confirm on the official site.
Does Exotel offer a free trial or free plan?+
Exotel typically offers a free trial before you commit to a paid plan.
Is Exotel made in India?+
Yes. Exotel is built by Exotel, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Who is Exotel best suited for?+
Exotel suits small business, smb, mid-market buyers looking for sms & otp platforms.
What are the best alternatives to Exotel?+
Popular alternatives in sms & otp platforms include Gupshup, MSG91, SMSCountry. Use App Advisor's compare tool to see them side by side.
How is Exotel deployed?+
Exotel is available as a cloud (SaaS) product, with web access.
Guides that mention Exotel
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About Exotel
Exotel · Bengaluru, Karnataka · Founded 2011 · 5 products in our catalogue · Indian company
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