CRMs that let you use your own Twilio account (checked September 2026)

Only a handful of CRMs let you connect your own Twilio account, so that texts and calls bill to you at Twilio's rates instead of being resold: Groundbase, HighLevel, Freshsales, Kommo, Vtiger and Odoo have it built in, and HubSpot supports it for calls only. Close, Follow Up Boss, Zoho CRM's built-in phone and HubSpot's SMS resell their own messaging, and Pipedrive, Salesforce and Zoho need an add-on from someone else.

Everything below was checked against each vendor's own help pages and pricing pages on 16 September 2026. This changes — HighLevel made its own phone system the default and Zoho closed its direct Twilio connection to new users — so treat the date as part of the answer.

I build Groundbase, which is one of the CRMs on this list. I've tried to write the version I'd want to read if I weren't.

The short answer

What "your own Twilio account" actually means

It means you sign up with Twilio yourself, buy your numbers there, and give the CRM your Account SID and Auth Token. The CRM sends and receives through your account. Twilio bills you directly, at Twilio's published rates, on an invoice with your name on it.

Three things look like it and aren't:

A CRM that runs on Twilio underneath. Lots of CRMs do. Follow Up Boss says so plainly — its numbers "are provided by Twilio and subject to Twilio's policies" — but they're Follow Up Boss's numbers on Follow Up Boss's account, and it sets the price. Zoho is the same shape: it retired its direct Twilio connection for new users and built "Built-in Telephony over Twilio" instead, paid for in Zoho credits.

"Bring your own carrier." Close offers this, and the name suggests more than it does. Your existing number forwards incoming calls into Close, but, in Close's own words, "BYOC does not impact outgoing calls." Outbound still goes through Close, and texting only works on numbers rented from Close.

A marketplace app. Pipedrive, Zoho and Salesforce can all reach your Twilio account, but only through an add-on built and priced by someone else. That can work well. It's also another subscription, another support desk, and another thing that can break when either side changes.

Why it's worth caring about

Cost. You pay what Twilio charges and nothing on top. I broke down what that actually comes to — carrier fees and all — in what Twilio SMS actually costs.

You own the number. It lives in your Twilio account, not the CRM's. If you leave the CRM, your number stays with you, and so do the customers who have it saved.

The bill is auditable. Every message and every minute is a line item you can check, rather than a credit balance someone else calculated.

Your compliance record is yours. US texting registration (A2P 10DLC) is tied to your business in your account. When you switch tools, the registration doesn't have to be redone.

The honest downside

It is more work up front, and nobody selling this should skip that part.

• You set up Twilio yourself. An account, a number, and — if you text US numbers — A2P 10DLC registration, which can take days to weeks to approve.
• Two companies are involved. When a text fails, the answer might be in the CRM or in your Twilio console, and you're the one who checks.
• You read the errors. A bundled phone system hides carrier problems from you. Your own account shows them to you.

If you want to sign up and be texting in ten minutes, a CRM with its own built-in phone numbers will get you there faster, and you'll pay for the convenience in the per-message price. That's a legitimate trade. It just isn't this one.

Each option, and who it isn't for

Groundbase. Built for one person: contacts, deals, texts and calls through your own Twilio, email through your own mailbox, invoicing, booking links and workflows, with web, desktop and Android apps. Not for: teams, anyone who needs WhatsApp, or anyone who wants zero setup.

HighLevel. "Yes, Twilio remains supported," according to its own help centre, updated this month — but its LC Phone system is now the default and recommended option. Flat pricing with unlimited users makes it strong for agencies running many client accounts. Not for: one person who wants a simple CRM — at $97/month, much of what you're paying for is agency tooling.

Freshsales. A mainstream sales CRM where connecting Twilio is a settings screen asking for your Account SID and Auth Token. Not for: anyone who wants calls on their own Twilio as well — the Twilio connection its help article describes is for texts.

Kommo. Messaging-first, built around chat inboxes, with a Twilio SMS integration its own page says is "available on all plans, including the free trial period." Not for: anyone who wants to pay monthly — "Monthly payment is not currently available," and the minimum is six months.

Vtiger. Twilio is one of the SMS providers you can pick in settings, using your own Account SID and Auth Token. Check which edition includes it before you buy — the help article doesn't say.

Odoo. Odoo's own sms_twilio module lets Odoo send texts through your Twilio account. Makes most sense if you already run Odoo for accounting or inventory. Not for: anyone who just wants a CRM — Odoo is a whole business suite — or who needs calls.

HubSpot. Twilio Connect lets you place calls through your own Twilio account, with "no additional charge from HubSpot" for those minutes, on Sales or Service Hub Professional or Enterprise seats. Texting is different: HubSpot says "a Twilio account is not required" because SMS is its own paid add-on. Not for: anyone who wants texts on their own Twilio, or one person on a budget. Groundbase vs HubSpot for solo founders goes into the rest.

Salesforce. Twilio's own app, Twilio for Salesforce, uses your Twilio account, but "supports only SMS" and "supports the Enterprise and Unlimited editions of Salesforce." Not for: small businesses on Salesforce's cheaper editions, which it doesn't support.

Pipedrive. "Pipedrive doesn't have a built-in calling integration," per its own support article; calls and texts come from marketplace apps, several of which connect to your own Twilio. Not for: anyone who wants it built in and supported by one company. Groundbase vs Pipedrive has the fuller comparison.

Zoho CRM. Texts through your own Twilio need a third-party extension; Zoho's own phone system runs on Twilio but is resold in credits. Not for: anyone who wants their own Twilio without a marketplace app in the middle. (Zoho's smaller CRM, Bigin, is compared in Groundbase vs Zoho Bigin.)

Close. Excellent for high-volume calling teams, but you can't use your own Twilio account: "You cannot send or receive SMS on any external numbers." Not for: anyone whose main reason for looking is owning their numbers and their rates. Groundbase vs Close covers where Close genuinely wins.

Follow Up Boss. A strong real estate CRM with calling and texting included, on numbers it provides. Not for: agents who want their messaging on their own Twilio account.

How it works in Groundbase

Groundbase is a CRM for one-person businesses that sends email and texts through your own accounts and connects to the AI assistant you already use. For Twilio specifically:

1. Connect. In Settings → Phone numbers, paste your Account SID and Auth Token. Groundbase checks them against Twilio.
2. Pick your numbers. It lists every number on your account, including any subaccounts, and you choose which to bring in.
3. Inbound is wired for you. Each imported number's text and call webhooks are pointed at Groundbase, so replies and incoming calls land on the right contact.
4. Calls just work. The first time you place a call, Groundbase creates the calling credentials it needs inside your own Twilio account. Nothing else to configure.
5. STOP is handled. STOP, HELP and UNSTOP replies are recognised, and a number that has opted out is blocked from further texts.
6. Your balance is visible. A dashboard widget shows your actual Twilio balance, so a top-up isn't a surprise.

Numbers are bought in your Twilio console rather than inside Groundbase, and US registration happens in your Twilio account too. You can disconnect from the same settings screen at any time, which stops the webhooks. The full walkthrough is in the Phone & SMS help article, and calling from inside your CRM covers the phone side in more detail.

I moved Groundbase to this model on purpose after running a resold credits system for a while. Here's why I killed it.

How to choose

• One person, texts and calls on your own Twilio, one tool: Groundbase.
• An agency managing many client accounts: HighLevel.
• A mainstream sales CRM where texting on your Twilio is enough: Freshsales or Vtiger.
• Chat-heavy sales happy with six-month billing: Kommo.
• Already running Odoo: its Twilio module.
• Already on HubSpot Professional and only need calls: Twilio Connect.
• You want zero setup and don't mind paying per message: a CRM with built-in numbers, like Close — and accept that the number and the rate are theirs.

If you're not sure Groundbase is the right kind of tool at all, who Groundbase is and isn't for is the straight answer.

---

Know a CRM that should be on this list, or spot something that's changed? Tell me: blog-own-twilio@groundbasecrm.com — I read every one.