Twilio's Super SIM and Programmable Wireless products both provide access to hundreds of cellular networks around the world, through one SIM, with one simple bill and pricing model. That said, there are a number of differences under the hood. This guide explains some of the main differences between these two products.

Distributed IoT Mobile Core

The biggest difference is that Super SIM is built from the ground up on our own software-based mobile core. This allows us to extend more control to our customers, such as choosing what networks your devices connect to.

Mobile cores are a part of any mobile network, but few of our competitors – and none of the carriers – actually prioritize the specific needs of IoT devices with their mobile cores. As a result, you may see more downtime, fewer network choices or no control over which networks to use in which region, slower product improvements and issue resolution, etc.

We call our mobile core a Distributed IoT Mobile Core, as it is deployed to more and more data centers around the world and was built for IoT ONLY. This provides our customers much more flexibility and scalability for their global deployments. Devices get a much more consistent connectivity experience, whether they’re deployed in Los Angeles, Berlin, Taipei, or Nairobi.

Quick reference chart

*Radio support depends on network and device capabilities. Radio technologies listed refer to Twilio SIM support.
†Narrowband IoT requires a specific SIM card, and is only supported in the US.

Notice: Many carriers around the world are beginning to phase out 2G and 3G networks. We recommend users select LTE-capable devices going forward.

Which product is right for you?

We generally recommend new customers choose Super SIM, but reach out to our IoT specialists to discuss your technical requirements, and we can recommend the best solution for your use case.