Start with the published tiers
Photon’s managed offering lists a free tier for ten users and a $25 Pro tier for 100 users using shared numbers. Business lists $250 per line monthly with a dedicated number and a 50-new-contacts daily allowance. Count users and new contacts separately when deciding whether the plan fits your queue.
The agent still needs an operating desk
A working API integration does not prove that a colleague can take over the conversation. Ask where the transcript lives, which system records its owner and how a human reply prevents an automated follow-up from also sending.
Photon also describes a framework and self-hosted path. Keep that route separate from the managed-service quote: someone on your team would own a different set of installation and maintenance tasks.
Our assessment for a staffed operation
The lower tiers can help validate an agent experience with a known group. A business pilot should use the intended production identity and document any audience restrictions before advertising the number.
Measure whether an operator can understand and complete an escalated case. If the demonstration only shows successful automated answers, schedule a second session around a cancellation, an ambiguous request and a device or transport failure. Those cases tell the team what it must build around the messaging service.