Comparison
Plivo AMD alternative: Plivo machine detection vs VM Hunter
Plivo machine detection is a parameter on the Call API that tells you whether a machine answered. VM Hunter is a dedicated detector that returns the reason, the transcript and the audio, on any carrier. Here is what each gives you.
This page describes Plivo from its public documentation and support articles, and VM Hunter from ours. Check Plivo's site for current details.
Side by side
| Plivo machine detection | VM Hunter | |
|---|---|---|
| How you turn it on | The machine_detection parameter on an outbound Call API request: true or hangup | A client on your dialer (VICIdial, Asterisk, FreeSWITCH) or a WebSocket stream of the answered call |
| Asynchronous mode | Set machine_detection_url; Plivo detects in the background and calls your URL | Not needed: the verdict comes back on the same connection in about two seconds |
| Result | A Machine parameter set to true on your callback | AMDSTATUS HUMAN / MACHINE plus AMDCAUSE with the reason |
| Analysis time | machine_detection_time: 2,000 to 10,000 ms, default 5,000 ms | About 2 seconds; up to 3 when the callee is still talking |
| Call screening (iPhone, Google) | Not a documented category | Labelled CALLGUARD_PHRASE |
| Disconnected numbers | Not a documented category | SIT tones labelled DISCONNECT |
| Evidence per call | The machine flag | Transcript, reason and audio sample in the portal; CSV export |
| Carrier | Calls placed through Plivo | Any carrier, including Plivo SIP trunks |
When Plivo machine detection is the right choice
- Your application is built on the Plivo Call API and you want detection with one parameter.
- You send notifications or reminders, where hanging up on a machine or leaving a message is all you need.
- A few seconds of analysis time is acceptable because no agent is waiting.
When VM Hunter is the right choice
- Live agents are waiting on the verdict, so every second of analysis is dead air for the person who answered.
- You run VICIdial, Asterisk or FreeSWITCH, with Plivo or any other carrier as the trunk.
- You want to treat voicemail, call screening, disconnected numbers and silence differently.
- You need to audit verdicts with the transcript and the audio.
How to compare them on your own calls
- Split one list at random into two campaigns on the same day: one with Plivo machine detection, one through VM Hunter.
- Record both. Listen to the first three seconds of 200 calls from each and mark what was there.
- Count people dropped (false machine) separately from voicemails that reached an agent (false human).
- Measure time from answer to verdict from your own timestamps, and the abandon rate for the day.
FAQ
Questions
Is VM Hunter a Plivo AMD alternative?
Yes, for teams that want a faster, more detailed verdict or that run their own dialer. Plivo machine detection works on calls placed through the Plivo Call API and returns a machine flag. VM Hunter runs beside VICIdial, Asterisk, FreeSWITCH or your own WebSocket client, on any carrier, and returns the cause with a transcript.
Can I use VM Hunter with Plivo SIP trunking?
Yes. If Plivo is the trunk for a VICIdial, Asterisk or FreeSWITCH dialer, VM Hunter is installed on the dialer and nothing changes on the Plivo side.
Does VM Hunter plug into the Plivo Call API?
There is no ready-made Plivo bridge today. If your application can stream the answered call's audio to a WebSocket, the VM Hunter API can classify it; otherwise Plivo's own machine detection is the simpler route.
How long does each take to decide?
Plivo documents machine_detection_time as the time allotted for analysis, from 2,000 to 10,000 ms with a default of 5,000 ms. VM Hunter decides about two seconds after answer, and listens up to three seconds when the callee is still talking. Measure both on your own calls.
Which is more accurate?
We have not measured Plivo machine detection on a shared set of calls, so we do not publish a comparison figure. The test on this page gives you your own number in a day.
Try it on one campaign
The free plan includes 5,000 calls a month, enough to run VM Hunter next to your current AMD for a day and compare the dispositions. No card needed.