Mandrill vs Plivo: What are the differences?
Developers describe Mandrill as "Send transactional, triggered, and personalized email, then track results". Mandrill is a new way for apps to send transactional email. It runs on the delivery infrastructure that powers MailChimp. On the other hand, Plivo is detailed as "API platform to build Voice & SMS Applications". Plivo provides basic building block APIs in the form of Plivo XML and HTTP API, to create telephony apps, so developers can completely do away with learning the nitty-gritty of the telephony plumbing.
Mandrill can be classified as a tool in the "Transactional Email" category, while Plivo is grouped under "Voice and SMS".
Some of the features offered by Mandrill are:
- Inbound Email- Set up inboxes for Mandrill to control. When they receive email, we’ll make an API call to your app with all the relevant information, so you don’t have to worry about what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Webhooks Support- Create custom event notifications, keep track of new signups and unsubscribes in real-time, get a notice of every spam complaint so you can flag them in your database.
- Rules Engine- Modify the content of email coming through Mandrill without having to involve developers. For example, you could tell Mandrill to take any email coming from confirmation@yourdomain.com, give it a new template, and add Google Analytics tracking.
On the other hand, Plivo provides the following key features:
- Phone- Global
- Phone- Local and Tollfree Numbers
- Phone- Call routing, call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting, 3-way calling, redial, speed dial, mute, hold, etc
"Simple installation" is the primary reason why developers consider Mandrill over the competitors, whereas "SMS gateway" was stated as the key factor in picking Plivo.
Stripe, Soundcloud, and Hootsuite are some of the popular companies that use Mandrill, whereas Plivo is used by Close, Crowdkeep, and Shiftmates. Mandrill has a broader approval, being mentioned in 2313 company stacks & 208 developers stacks; compared to Plivo, which is listed in 11 company stacks and 8 developer stacks.