Searchbug vs. Other Phone Number APIs: A Comparative Analysis
When shopping for a phone number API, it can be overwhelming to weed through all of the companies that offer seemingly similar services. However, while there are guidelines you can use to make sure you choose a reputable website, after that, you want to make sure you get the best service for your money.
Here, we cover the qualities you should look for in a good phone number API. We’ll also take a close look at some of the top phone number APIs on the market right now so that you can make the best decision for your business needs.
Qualities of a Good Phone Number API
There are some things you for sure want to make sure your phone number API does for you. A good phone number API should offer a range of features and capabilities that make it easy for you to work with phone numbers and integrate them into your applications.
Accuracy
First, you want the results to be accurate. The API should be able to validate and format phone numbers accurately and consistently. It should detect invalid or improperly formatted numbers and provide suggestions or corrections when possible—otherwise, what’s the point?
Features
Second, you want to make sure that the API has the features that you need. For example,
- Line type identification tells you the type of phone number (mobile, landline, VoIP, tollfree, etc.), which can be useful for categorizing and processing numbers differently based on their type so that you know how to use them effectively.
- Geolocation data associated with a phone number, such as country, city, zip code, and carrier, can be valuable for various applications, such as personalization and localization.
- Number portability is important in allowing you to determine if a phone number has been transferred between carriers.
- Bulk processing is convenient for applications that require processing a large number of phone numbers. The API should support bulk validation and formatting to improve efficiency.
Ease of Integration
Next, you want to assess the ease of integration. The API should be user-friendly, well-documented, easy to integrate into different programming languages and platforms, and should provide clear examples and code snippets.
Reliability
You also want the API to be scalable and reliable. This means that the API is able to handle a high volume of requests and provide reliable service with minimal downtime. Customer support is very important, too. Responsive customer support can greatly enhance your experience by providing assistance when issues arise and improving the reliability of your service.
Security
You want to ensure that the API follows best practices for data security and privacy when handling sensitive information like phone numbers. Without it, you risk lawsuits and other legal fees and fines, not to mention losing customer trust and business.
Pricing
Finally, of course, you want a phone number API with fair pricing. The most expensive service is not necessarily the best, and the cheapest is not necessarily the worst. However, you do want to keep in mind that companies pay for access to databases to be able to verify your own data against. So if you come across a deal that’s too good to be true, you want to be sure you are going to get accurate results.
You also want clear, transparent pricing. You shouldn’t wonder how much your volume will cost or be unpleasantly surprised at the end of the month or after using the service. Try to void hidden fees and unexpected costs. If you can avoid memberships, contracts, or monthly minimums, that’s even better!
Overall, a good phone number API should strike a balance between accuracy, flexibility, ease of use, and support for various use cases, enabling you to effectively work with phone numbers in your applications.
Top Phone Number API Services Currently on the Market
NumVerify
NumVerify is one of the first companies that comes up for a “phone number API” internet search. Their phone number API provides you with valid status, geolocation data, carrier, and line type. Additionally, their service supports 232 countries. Data is secured via 256-bit HTTPS encryption, and they offer advanced tools for all of their subscription packages.
Subscriptions start at $14.99/month up to $129.99/month depending on request volume. They do offer a free option that works for 1,000 requests per month.
Last year, one dissatisfied customer reported system bugs, slow return time compared to competitors, and poor customer service. To get in contact with NumVerify, you complete and submit a form with the promise of a response in 1-2 business days.
Twilio
Twilio is one of the most well-known and widely used cloud communications platforms. It offers a robust phone number API that allows developers to send and receive SMS messages, make and receive phone calls, and perform other phone number-related tasks. Twilio supports multiple programming languages, has extensive documentation, and offers customer support.
Twilio has reported 99.95% uptime which translates into amazingly reliable availability. They also offer pay-as-you-go pricing which means you don’t have to lock yourself into a contract. And, with volume discounts, the more phone numbers you process, the less you pay per number.
Unfortunately, however, support is not that easy to access. The “Talk to Support” link takes you to an article search page, and while they do have a “Hello, how can we help?” chat box on their site, there is no obvious phone number, email address, or form to use to ask questions or describe a problem.
Quick, accessible, reliable support is essential to receiving good service for those (albeit rare) times when you might experience problems. It’s especially important if you are new to phone number API service and need help getting started.
Plivo
Plivo is a cloud communications platform that offers voice and SMS APIs. Developers can use Plivo’s APIs to send and receive SMS messages, make and receive calls, and implement various phone number-related features. Plivo also provides a user-friendly dashboard and comprehensive documentation.
Plivo offers volume discounts and competitive pay-as-you-go pricing so that you only pay for the data you need with no monthly commitments or contracts. They prioritize data security and privacy by maintaining GDPR, CCPA, and Privacy Shield compliance.
But unfortunately, again, customer service has been reported as a downfall of this provider by more than one reviewer. First of all, support is limited to the submission of a ticket. There are no other contact details to get in touch with live support. Furthermore, support is reported to have recently changed with inquiries directed overseas, problems left unresolved, and breaches not prevented or rectified. Clearly, reliable, effective support is paramount to a positive customer experience and fewer headaches.
Telnyx
Telnyx is a telecommunications platform that provides real-time communication services, including voice and messaging APIs. Their phone number API allows developers to buy, provision, and manage phone numbers programmatically and also enables SMS and voice interactions.
If you haven’t already noticed, pay-as-you-go-pricing and volume discounts are two of the best features to prioritize in a phone number API service. Telnyx offers this competitive pricing model as well as transparent pricing for each of their services. There are also lots of ways to get in touch with Telnyx support (even if they’ve been reported as “arrogant,” “slow,” “inexperienced,” and unorganized) including web form, product expert email and phone number, 24/7 Mission Control Portal, and support center.
Overall, Telnyx has pretty positive reviews, but even the 4- and 5-star reviews have had a thing or two to say about their support. One reviewer reported that “general support can be slow to inexperienced at worst, needing multiple escalations before getting anywhere.” A second reviewer has shared a similar complaint explaining that there is poor communication among support leaving the customer to repeat the problem to each agent.
Other drawbacks reported include “extremely complicated to setup [sic], even for someone with experience,” and they no longer offer the chat box with the overall experience with the service becoming less and less personal.
Vonage/Nexmo
Nexmo, now part of the Vonage API Platform, is another prominent player in the phone number API space. It provides a suite of communication APIs, including SMS and Voice APIs, enabling developers to integrate phone number functionality into their applications with ease.
Although you are able to try Vonage for free, pricing is not transparent. You are not able to determine the pricing structure until after creating an account and trying out the service which, according to some reviewers, is “clumsy,” overcomplicated, difficult to integrate, and “a bit intimidating” with “lengthy” and “unclear” documentation for getting started.
However, Vonage offers a web form, a phone number, and a chat box to get in touch with their API team. This provides customers with a variety of options for getting in touch with support.
Searchbug
Searchbug is “a lean and scrappy” people search company frustrated with the scams and tricks used by others in the industry and dedicated to offering good data with transparent pricing. There are no setup fees, no contracts, and no monthly minimums. Searchbug offers DIY data services that users can access any time of day or night.
Searchbug’s phone number APIs allow developers to verify phone numbers for sending text messages, verify user-entered phone numbers on websites and forms, and ensure delivery of communications to mobile users among other benefits. Pricing is transparent with pricing calculators you can use to estimate your cost according to the number of records per month, pay-as-you-go pricing, and cumulative, volume-based discounts—the rate automatically goes down as your monthly volume increases!
Searchbug also checks the box for ease of integration with customers reporting, an “impressed” first-time user, “makes locating information a breeze,” and “the search results are clear to understand.” One customer has shared that he enjoys “the format and services offered” while another has praised Searchbug for being personal: “One thing Searchbug is really really good at is that they have real people watching the data we send for processing. Other data companies don’t do this.”
Now, just like any other service, Searchbug has experienced its fair share of negative reviews. However, almost all of the issues reported could have been resolved had the customers contacted support (via webform, chat, or phone call) prior to reviewing.
When it comes to the quality of support, customers have reported “excellent customer service,” “technical support superb,” a prompt team “in responding and always ready to help,” and “customer service is very responsive.”
Conclusion
When comparing phone number API services, consider factors such as pricing (with your volume in mind), features or services offered, ease of integration, and customer support. Keep in mind the specific requirements of your project and the scalability of the services for your future needs.
If you have a need for phone number API service within the United States and Canada, check out Searchbug. Try it today!
