In the fast-evolving world of SaaS, user verification is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a cornerstone of trust, security, and scale. From deterring spam to ensuring regulatory compliance, SaaS product managers are under pressure to integrate user verification tools that do more than just check a phone number. But with the overwhelming variety of tools in the marketplace, it’s easy to fall prey to misconceptions that cost time, money, and users. Let’s break down the most common misunderstandings, and dive into a tool-by-tool comparison to uncover what’s really under the hood.
1. Twilio Verify: Not Always Plug-and-Play
Misconception: Twilio Verify is the default go-to for SMS verification, and therefore the best choice for every use case.
Reality: While Twilio is indeed robust and globally trusted, its SMS-based verification can get expensive quickly, especially at scale. Many product managers assume global reach equals global deliverability, but message latency and delivery can vary significantly based on local carriers.
SaaS platforms that rely on rapid user onboarding may find Twilio’s pricing model prohibitive when trying to validate high signup volumes, especially if users are based in countries with higher messaging fees. Also, Twilio does little to stop users abusing OTP endpoints with fake or disposable numbers.
2. Firebase Authentication: Great for Devs, Not Always for Compliance
Misconception: Firebase handles it all—from user accounts to security rules—so it’s also sufficient for phone number verification.
Reality: Firebase Authentication is developer-friendly, especially in early-stage products. But when it comes to understanding the risks associated with temporary phone numbers or ensuring regional compliance (like GDPR or CCPA), Firebase may fall short.
Firebase lacks flexible controls to evaluate the risk profile of a number—product managers often overlook the fact that temporary phone numbers can bypass verification through Firebase if no APIs are integrated to detect them. Moreover, Firebase doesn’t offer granular reporting, making audits or fraud analysis harder at scale.
3. Authy: Strong 2FA, Weak Data Intelligence
Misconception: Adding Authy ensures secure user authentication, which covers all aspects of phone number validation.
Reality: Authy excels in multi-factor authentication (2FA), especially for protecting logins and transactions. However, it is not designed as a full-fledged phone number intelligence or screening solution.
SaaS managers sometimes confuse 2FA with verification. The former protects an existing user; the latter ensures you know who that user is to begin with. Authy lacks the ability to screen real vs. fake or disposable numbers, which makes it vulnerable to bot-driven signup abuse. It’s a fantastic secondary shield but a poor frontline filter.
4. Verify Now: Focused on Temporary Number Detection
Misconception: All verification APIs are the same—Verify Now just does what others do.
Reality: Verify Now specializes in a dimension many tools gloss over—detecting temporary phone numbers for verification. This feature is critical for SaaS platforms looking to prevent fraudulent users, spam, and resource abuse at the earliest point in the funnel.
Unlike tools that stop at SMS delivery or OTP generation, Verify Now integrates real-time checks to identify whether a phone number belongs to a disposable service, VOIP line, or high-risk region. It offers detailed categorization of number types and historical data on behavior, allowing product managers to set dynamic user verification policies.
For example, you can block VOIP numbers from the U.S. while allowing mobile numbers from India, all while tracking anomaly patterns over time. Whether your use case is onboarding, password recovery, or user role escalation, Verify Now brings nuance and defense into your verification process. Request a quote to explore how Verify Now can be tailored to your SaaS platform’s needs.
5. Onfido & Jumio: Overkill in Some Scenarios
Misconception: Full-blown identity verification tools like Onfido and Jumio are better long-term than phone number screening.
Reality: Tools that offer document scanning, facial recognition, and liveness tests are valuable for high-stakes industries like fintech or healthcare. But for general SaaS platforms, verifying a phone number is often all that’s needed to maintain integrity and prevent mass abuse.
Onfido and Jumio come with strong compliance features and excellent user identity authentication, but they’re heavy to integrate and expensive to scale. For SaaS product managers focused on burst onboarding (think marketing campaigns, referrer traffic, or B2B account signups), these tools introduce more friction than value. Plus, they don’t directly tackle the abuse of temporary phone numbers for verification.
Bonus Misconception: SMS Is the Problem
Misconception: SMS as a channel is insecure or dead—so we should move to email or authenticator apps altogether.
Reality: SMS still plays a crucial role, especially as a first-step verification method. Its ubiquity ensures accessibility, particularly in emerging markets or less tech-savvy user segments.
The key isn’t abandoning SMS—it’s augmenting it. This is where tools like Verify Now shine: they don’t replace your OTP provider, they enhance it by filtering out temporary and untrustworthy phone numbers before you even send an SMS. That improves delivery rates, reduces costs, and boosts user quality.
Conclusion: The Right Tool Isn’t Always the Most Popular
When it comes to user verification in your SaaS product, one-size-fits-all solutions rarely deliver optimal outcomes. What works for a fintech onboarding may be overkill for an eCommerce platform. What works in the U.S. might fail in Indonesia. More importantly, popular crypto hacks and abuse schemes are evolving—often exploiting overlooked elements like temporary phone numbers for verification.
As a SaaS product manager, your verification tech stack should be chosen with precision. Verify Now offers targeted value exactly where most providers fall short—catching the fake phone numbers before they cost you users, revenue, or risk score.
Looking to close the gaps left by your current verification tools? Request a quote today and let our team walk you through a solution tailored to your product’s real-world use case.
