Provider limitations
WhautoVoice works the same way on every provider you connect, but the providers themselves do not offer the same features. This page shows where they differ so you can pick the right provider for each number.
Comparison
| Capability | Telnyx | Twilio | Plivo | Vonage | Vobiz (coming soon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browser calling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app calling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | While the app is open (no push) |
| Call recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Start/stop recording during a call | Yes | Yes | Yes | No. Decided when the call is answered | Yes |
| Hold | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transcription | Not yet | Real time, no recording needed, caller and team separated | From the recording after the call, English only, one block of text | From the recording after the call, caller and team separated | Not yet |
| Sentiment | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Answering machine detection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI agent over SIP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ConversationRelay (fallback AI mode) | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Number purchase in-app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Delete recordings at the provider | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| WhatsApp calls in | Yes | Yes | Not yet | Not yet | Yes (not yet proven live) |
| WhatsApp calls out | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Telnyx
Telnyx connects with one API key and is the other carrier that carries WhatsApp calls both ways. Hold, transfer, mid-call recording control, answering machine detection and AI voice agents over SIP all work. Agent softphones are SIP credentials on the TeXML application WhautoVoice manages for you, and should be left alone in the Telnyx portal. Two things to know:
- No transcription yet. The Transcribe calls option is unavailable on Telnyx numbers. Put a number on Twilio, Plivo or Vonage if you need transcripts.
- WhatsApp calls arrive on an unguarded endpoint. Telnyx accepts calls to the endpoint WhautoVoice creates by its address alone, which is long and random. Twilio additionally asks WhatsApp for a password. See Connect Telnyx.
Twilio
Twilio is the most complete option and the safest default. Agents can hold, transfer and start or stop recording mid-call. Transcription is live: text appears on the call's Transcript tab while the conversation is happening, both sides shown separately, and it works without a recording (WhautoVoice still asks you to turn on Record calls first so a transcript never exists without its audio). It is the only provider that supports the ConversationRelay (fallback, Twilio only) AI mode, which is useful if your AI engine cannot be reached over SIP. Twilio only lets you buy numbers in countries your Twilio account has cleared regulatory checks for, so the Country list in Buy number may be shorter than you expect. The one thing it lacks is sentiment.
Vonage
Vonage attaches everything to an application, which makes setup longer (see Connect Vonage) but is otherwise a full-featured choice with a strong Southeast Asia footprint. The practical consequences of its design:
- No mid-call hold. The Hold button is hidden on the softphone. Agents can mute or transfer instead.
- Recording is decided at answer time. With Record calls on, every conversation is recorded from pick-up; with it off, nothing is. The softphone's Record button is hidden because there is no way to change it during the call.
- Recordings cannot be deleted at Vonage. WhautoVoice removes its own copy at the end of your retention period, but the copy on Vonage stays until you deal with it there.
- Transcription comes from the recording, after the call, with the caller and your team shown separately.
- Sentiment. Vonage is the only provider that returns a sentiment reading with the transcript.
Plivo
Plivo is cost-effective and the best choice for India. Hold, transfer and mid-call recording control all work, as do AI voice agents over SIP. The limitation is transcription: Plivo transcribes English only, needs the call to be recorded, and returns one block of text without separating who said what. If you want live, speaker-separated transcripts in other languages, put that number on Twilio. Agent softphones appear as endpoints under Voice > Endpoints in the Plivo console and should be left alone. See Connect Plivo.
Rules that apply to every provider
- Transcribe calls always needs Record calls on, even on Twilio. See Call routing.
- Recording starts when someone picks up. Hold music and ringing are never captured.
- WhautoVoice counts every connected minute, AI agent or agent, as a processed minute against your plan. The provider bills you for the call itself at its own rates.
- Emergency numbers such as 911, 999, 112, 995 and 000 cannot be dialled through WhautoVoice on any provider.
Coming soon
- Vobiz, the carrier for India: rupee billing with a GST invoice, Indian numbers including the 140 and 160 series, and calls kept inside the country as Indian regulation requires. The integration is built and documented in Connect Vobiz; what is not done is proving it against a real Vobiz account, which is why it is not offered yet. Three things to know before you plan around it: the Transcribe calls option will not be available on Vobiz numbers; the mobile app will ring only while it is open, because Vobiz has no mobile SDK and no push; and WhatsApp calls will arrive but cannot be returned, because Vobiz has nowhere in its call documents to put the password WhatsApp requires on a call the business starts.
- Exotel, an India cloud telephony provider with TRAI-compliant local calling.
- Infobip, carrier-grade voice across the UAE, Singapore, Malaysia and Africa.
All three appear on the Integrations page as Coming soon and cannot be connected yet. Email hello@whautovoice.com if one matters to you and we will tell you where it is on the roadmap.
Related
Email us at hello@whautovoice.com and we will get you sorted.