Finding the right cheap bulk SMS provider for UK businesses has been presented in Cheap Bulk SMS Comparison table.
Reputable cheap bulk SMS providers in the UK were analysed and assessed for ease of decision-making.
Short Message Service, with the acronym SMS, is a term used to explain sending short text messages, usually through a mobile phone, the web, or any other mobile communication device. Bulk SMS means small to large volumes of text messages can be distributed simultaneously through wireless communication carriers. Texting is limited to 160 characters, including spaces, although some bulk SMS providers offer 320 characters. There is a cost to sending a text message.
There is always a range of bulk SMS providers who can deliver cheap text messaging solutions to businesses and organisations that require the ability to communicate fast and effectively about information or reminders or sales opportunities to their customers, clients or employees. By providing a state-of-the-art SMS platform via an application programming interface (API) supported by technical expertise, these SMS providers can achieve a high level of satisfaction for organisations wishing to engage in the distribution of SMS.
Consequently, a Bulk SMS British Comparison table has been prepared to provide detailed information on features and charges in a manner that is easily identified and easy to analyse and compare through an independent assessment process. This way, informative decisions can be made as to the type of SMS provider you may wish to contract for sending text messages to a range of clients, customers, or staff.
UK SMS providers are present and offer cheap rates for their services, mainly if the volume of SMS monthly is significant. In most cases, you only need to supply a database of groups of end-users such as clients, customers, consumers, or staff members and the rest is done by the SMS company. The whole process usually takes a few minutes, from initially notifying them of the message to be sent to the final distribution of that message. It does not matter if your database provided is in hundreds or thousands of contacts. It is a very effective and efficient way to notify people very promptly. Therefore, UK companies realise the huge potential and benefits of using a bulk SMS service and the value associated with marketing campaigns such as special deals or alerts.
Within the UK, there are two sets of Bulk SMS Companies: 1) Premium Bulk Text Message Companies offering high reliability and fast SMS execution at higher prices. 2) Cheap Bulk Text Message Companies offer low prices, but reliability may be lower, and delivery may take longer.
The SMS Comparison authors considered several significant cheap bulk SMS providers in the UK and found a good selection of reliable and service-orientated companies. These include Cellcast, Notifyre, Burst SMS, SMS Broadcast, SMS Tech, ClickSend, and DirectSMS. After reviewing these companies, a cheap, bulk SMS comparison table was formulated for the reader to compare a set of important features offered by these companies. These include distribution, price, features, service support, reliability, present clients, and promotional offers.
One of the main features that enterprises look for when sending out text messages is the ability of the bulk SMS service providers to deliver small, medium and large volumes simultaneously with the same reliability. Finding the right provider, taking into account charges, can take some time, considering there are so many features offered that may or may not be helpful for what is required. Sending cheap text messages in mass is critical when considering using this message service for marketing campaigns, new information, or customer updates.
You need to look for features: how the SMS will be managed, what type of gateway service is used, what inbound system will be adopted, and whether the SMS will go straight to an email or be sent directly to a mobile phone.
You must know that any destination number can be easily included and imported from Excel or similar software. You must know that numbers can be exported from a program managing contacts. Such a file will be uploaded easily and safely into a provider’s address book for actions such as promotions or a marketing campaign. The ability for names and other information to be merged and translated into simple text messages will mean that you can personalize messages and improve client or customer engagement to improve your marketing or communication campaign.
The cheap bulk SMS comparison table allows you to review and appreciate the extensive research that has gone into formulating it. It covers features such as price, reliability, and reputation and notifies you of providers’ quality and security certifications, such as ISO 27001 and ISO 9001.
Reviewing all the features expressed in the SMS comparison table shows that Cellcast has the best rating of all the other SMS bulk providers. The authors have provided a comparative visual rating from 0 to 100 in the graph below. Regarding features, Burst SMS ranks at 92 out of 100. ClickSend and SMS Tech follow closely with similar feature products and services. The other three SMS providers have achieved a lower rating of 72 and 81 out of 100. It must be emphasized that all the cheap bulk SMS providers offer a good range of valued features and should not be left out as prospective good SMS companies.
The SMS Comparison Table indicates the range of SMS prices for different volumes of text messages distributed monthly by researching and comparing different top-level SMS bulk providers available in the UK. The table below shows that the most expensive provider is 20% more expensive than other competitors reviewed, depending on the volume of text messages sent.
By reviewing the charges incurred by different cheap bulk SMS providers, as displayed in the table below, it can be seen the costs are dependent on the volume of text messages distributed each month, whether they be a low 500 plus, 10 000 plus, 100 000 to 500 000 or over a 1 000 000+ SMS. With lower volumes, these charges can vary from around 5 pence per text message to around 4 pence for each message sent. There is a 25% difference in such charges. While with a larger number of SMS distributed, such as 100,000 plus that are distributed monthly, the costs vary from 3 pence to 4.5 pence for each message sent. That’s a difference of over 30%. On a mass scale of one million or more, the cheapest quote is around 2.5 pence to the dearest quote of 4 pence for each text message sent, around a 35% price difference.
As can be observed from the table, some bulk SMS providers provide cheaper costs if the SMS volume is lower, while others offer better rates. Therefore, it is advantageous to use this table as a starting point and refer to the SWMS providers if their pricing schedule has changed. By researching and comparing prices, you’ll find the best-competing bulk SMS provider concerning their offer in terms of charges.
One consideration is the pricing offered by cheap, bulk SMS services. In several instances, some bulk SMS providers reviewed and recommended optimum solutions at a cost-effective price tailored to meet each requirement. They actively monitor the SMS market prices and claim to offer low everyday prices for SMS messages. They have a price match guarantee if the client finds a lower price. Therefore, one needs to consider such charges against other SMS providers.
To visually review the cost structure from a graphical representation as shown below, based on a rating of 0 to 100, where 0 is very low, and 100 is excellent, Cellcast is shown to score the best with a most favourable, cheap bulk pricing range for SMS distribution of messages every month. SMS provider Notifyre has a similarly cheap costing structure and was rated 86. This is followed by Burst SMS, which has an excellent solid rating of 74. The other provider, SMS Tech and Direct SMS do not have a competitive pricing range, as indicated by their rating of 46 and 48, respectively.
Another consideration about charges is the virtual number costs, which may be more expensive each month for different distributors, as is the Keyword Response SMS service. These applications are designed to send customized SMS replies or reminders based on the ‘Body’ of the incoming text message. So when you receive an SMS on your mobile phone, your mobile application will fetch the ‘Body’ request of the text message. So that way, the application will be able to match the content of the incoming text message with the keywords previously listed and send a reply.
The other issue is related to the reliable means of distributing text messages at the required time and date. The two factors are Uptime (a measure of API system reliability, expressed as a percentage of the time) and Latency (the delay before a text message transfer begins following an instruction for its transfer). Both measures will provide the reliability of text message distribution.
In terms of Uptime reliability, some providers can offer a certain level of guarantee for SMS distribution, and most providers offer either 99%, 99.5%, or 100% uptime. Uptime comes with a Service Level Agreement guarantee. The value of an uptime guarantee is that when a marketing pitch is sent out, it guarantees that it will be delivered by a certain day. However, even the best guarantee will not stop your site from going offline.
When comparing the reliability of the British bulk and cheap SMS providers, it is reassuring to know that they all provide a strong reliability factor and quality customer service. This places them in good stead with clients and customers, knowing full well that arrangements and distribution requirements are in place to ensure SMS distribution will be met as required. So, referring to the graphical representation below, you can see that SMS Broadcast, Cellcast, and Notifyre rates are incredibly high, with a top 100, but closely followed by Burst SMS and SMS Tech.
Another factor to consider when deciding to select or appoint the right cheap bulk SMS provider is the reputation attained over a period of time. Our review of the various providers selected found that certain companies apparently had strengths in their network services more than their competitors. As British-based companies, we do support the network systems of premium telecommunication carriers.
We also consider the provision and suitability of cheap SMS providers and good customer support service to answer inquiries or assist in disseminating text messages. Factors like pricing policy, which is part of its competitiveness, also influence such a decision. Finally, the fact that several reputable British and overseas companies engage these British providers indicates their reputation. A list of some of the clients can be viewed on the providers’ websites or on the Bulk SMS UK Comparison Table.
By comparing the cheap, bulk SMS providers’ reputation criteria, many key features need to be considered that influence the company’s reputation. Overall, it was assessed that out of all the bulk SMS providers researched, Cellcast was regarded as the most reputable organisation. This was closely followed by Burst SMS and SMS Tech, who rated highly. SMS Broadcast is also well regarded, with a reputation score of 86.
The Cheap Bulk SMS Comparison Table identified the need for a simple, comparative table of SMS data that could enable a prospective client to decipher and analyse the required selection criteria required to make a valued judgement or decision on who to engage to do their SMS distribution. Consequently, a simple, easy-to-follow SMS Comparison Table and associated site were developed to provide you with all the independent advice and information you need, whether it is distribution costs, network availability, composing online to single and bulk recipients, credit availability or service support.
It is important to appreciate that the review of information in the table must be taken as a guide only, as certain charges and features may be constantly updated on the providers’ websites without prior notification.
Of course, this table and site are free of charge and have no strings attached. However, the provider may require a commission if you click on their website from this site and engage their services. As you will see, no advertisements are on this site, so there is no bias in the decision process by either the authors or yourself.