The bulk SMS gateway service provider sites review a range of products and features, with different price schedules and gateways.
By comparing major UK bulk SMS gateway providers, it was assessed that Cellcast was offering the best value.
Several UK businesses depend on sending SMS messages to clients, customers, stakeholders, or staff to get their information or marketing messages out as soon as possible. By using a premium direct gateway carrier system, these important messages will be delivered through major text message service providers with the assurance that the end users will receive them within seconds or, at the latest, minutes.
What is offered is a website that can disseminate or receive text messages (SMS) from a web browser. The messages will be directed to receivers, whether they are customers, clients, or staff served by that direct gateway carrier system. In this day and age, most messages are routed into specific mobile phone networks.
When comparing SMS providers in the UK, it is not always easy to determine which one best suits your needs. It should be, but it is not!
Every SMS service provider has a range of products and tools for you to use, which can become quite confusing. On top of this, offering a variety of price schedules when using different gateways adds to the complication. Therefore, you must know all the differences to assess and determine the best value for money and be assured that your important text messages are delivered efficiently and effectively. Using a bulk SMS gateway comparison table will make your life simpler and easier, and it will help you assess the right provider for your needs.
Deciding on your preferred British SMS providers will depend on a text message gateway that best suits your needs to ensure your message is sent and received reliably. This will include using a premium SMS gateway or cheaper hybrid SMS gateways that use less reliable overseas telecommunication carriers. In general, most large SMS providers will offer premium gateways.
The major difference between a Carrier Direct (sometimes known as Tier-1 or Premium) gateway and a Hybrid (or Grey) gateway is the SMS company’s passageway to reach the customer or stakeholder. A Carrier Direct gateway will send your SMS directly from your computer to a reliable and efficient SMS telecommunication carrier. For example, your text message in the UK will remain on British shores and be delivered through significant communication networks. This connection is paramount for ‘time-poor’ messages or where confidentiality and privacy may be concerned, such as using PINs via substantial alerts. Using a carrier direct gateway will command a more expensive charge for each distributed SMS.
A cheaper gateway service alternative option is available, which is called a hybrid or grey gateway. Such service is far more affordable than the premium service described above. It is suitable for distributing large or bulk messages, such as for promotional or marketing campaigns or text messages that need not be sent within a specific time frame. The hybrid gateway service will send your SMS utilizing the cheapest route available. When you are ready to press ‘send’, the SMS you wish to be delivered may go outside British shores through an international carrier and rebound back into a British SMS gateway carrier. This may result in a delay in your message and consequently lead to a later or slower delivery time.
When comparing these gateway service options of the various SMS service providers, SMS Broadcast and ClickSend provide the best alternative company that allows you to use either of the two types of gateways. So you can determine which gateway to use, but remember that many SMS gateway providers will offer cheaper messages by adopting a range of hybrid gateways.
In summary, Direct and Hybrid gateways offer:
Our SMS Gateway UK Service review found that Message Media has the best services of all major providers that were compared. They showed a reliable ability to use premium British networks, allowing small and large businesses to send thousands of SMS promptly and at any specific time. It should be stressed that requiring sending an SMS immediately, you can decide when your SMS message should or must be delivered to the customer or client when it is most needed.
The thorough review and analysis show that Message Media had the best network support for many SMS reminder solutions, including browser-based message platforms. As emphasised, the ability to send mass text messages at any one time gives the client the confidence that customers, employees, or stakeholders will be notified within seconds or the latest minutes of distribution. It also allows the client to choose their replies, which are managed by the Message Media inbound system and can go straight to your email or mobile phone.
The powerful part of such distribution is the ability for destination numbers to be typed in or able to be copied and pasted from an Excel spreadsheet or some similar format. Export numbers can also be transported from an external program where contacts are managed. Such a file can be uploaded into any nominated provider’s system or used for a marketing or communication campaign. Translating information into text messages will allow you to personalize reminder messages, or improve and strengthen the relationship with clients, stakeholders, employees and customers..
The comparison of SMS Gateway service providers showed that Vellcast, Sinch Message Media, WholesaleSMS, and DirectSMS gateway networks provide sound support for a wide range of SMS solutions, which may cover browser-based message platforms in the UK. These companies allow you to manage replies by these Gateway services for inbound systems directed to your email or mobile phone.
As you will observe from the graphical representation chart below on suitable features available by each gateway provider, some services provide a more extensive range of suitable features that service their customers and are ranked more highly than others. However, others also rate it relatively well.
Reviewing the competitive prices of the bulk SMS gateway services range showed that Cellcast, followed by Notifyre, provides the best value. It offers the cheapest rates for each text message, whether for a trim distribution level or large volumes from 50,000 to 500,000. On average, it is around 10 to 15% cheaper than the other lowest rate offered. Therefore, Cellcast has the most affordable charges over a year with no monthly fees incurred.
The graphical table below shows that Cellcast offers the cheapest rates and achieves a top rating. Other providers’ rates are between 10% to 30% more expensive than the cheapest prices.
When one looks at and reviews the bulk SMS gateway provider comparison table, it can be easily seen that both MessageMedia, WholesaleSMS and ClickSend are regarded as delivering the most reliable bulk SMS solutions to both businesses and organisations and, therefore, can meet the needs of communicating promptly and effectively to their customers, clients and staff at any time of the day or night on a 24/7 basis. These provider companies can provide state-of-the-art API technology supported by sound technical advice. Of course, being British-based companies, they can continuously provide the customer service expected of them throughout the country.
Like most gateway service providers, Cellcast ensures that SMS texting is simple to use—from start to finish, all within 30 seconds. Individuals, organisations, and businesses, whether big or small, can access their SMS needs from anywhere since no specialized software is needed. The only thing required is to log in from anywhere with an internet connection, and the rest is resolved.
MessageMedia has a very powerful gateway system to access. It will support your SMS delivery, whether in bulk or as a single text message, anytime of day or night. It is important to note that a full reporting service is available, allowing you to review your database at any time and remove numbers if they are no longer active or required.
It should be stated that Message Media guarantees its service and delivery as a bulk gateway provider, ensuring reliable SMS solutions are provided to businesses, organisations, and individuals who require that such communications be both speedy and effectively sent to their customers, clients, or/and employees at any time.
However, it should be emphasized that they do not provide an up-time guarantee, which may be an issue if you require 100% of your text messages to be delivered on time. They do charge a fee of $99 a year for a virtual number, which may rule out some smaller businesses.
From a reputation angle, Clickatell was the most reputable gateway provider company with the rating. It showed that it was able to provide a very reliable SMS distribution service to its clients, whether they are large, middle-sized or small businesses or government organisations that require to communicate on an on-going basis from PCs and web browsers through different IT platforms, including Outlook Mobile Service, Email to SMS, Bulk SMS, Online SMS, and SMS Gateway UK. It offers a competitive price that matches other providers and guarantees a supportive client service base.
Clickatell is known for its long-standing standing. In the UK, it distributes bulk SMS messages to clients, customers, stakeholders, and employees for promotions, reminders, and updates. This provider has extensive international experience and offers a sound online SMS messaging service considered user-friendly.
When comparing SMS Broadcast and Clickatell, it is evident that they both provide state-of-the-art API technology that is well-supported by their excellent technical support departments. Customer service and result orientation are important to these providers in achieving top customer or client satisfaction.
From the comparative set of graphs on reputation standards below, it can be seen that Clickatell rates exceptionally highly. This is followed by SMS Broadcast, which has a very good reputation rating. WholesaleSMS and ClickSend follow relatively closely.
Everyone thinks selecting a Bulk SMS Gateway provider is simple, but it isn’t! Why, you may ask? Every SMS provider’s delivery differs, depending on the variety of products and services they offer, the other gateways available, or the variation in their pricing schedule.
Now, it is easier to select using the Bulk SMS table that compares different bulk SMS gateway providers in the UK. The table has been prepared using independent yet analysed methods, providing a way to navigate the services they offer without having to look and understand the homepages of various providers. The table relates to pricing, reliability, gateway types, customer service support, and access to SMS provider websites.
The authors are experienced people who have worked within the SMS industry. They have created this bulk SMS Gateway UK comparison table to make your research much easier, whether you are a business or an individual. Each review focuses on evaluating the SMS provider’s strengths and weaknesses.
It needs to be stressed that the details provided in the comparison table and the reviews done should be regarded as a guide. If the SMS providers’ websites change, every endeavour will be made to change the site and comparison table as soon as possible.
The well-designed and easy-to-use SMS UK Comparison Table is prepared and offered to you free of charge. If you use this site to engage their services, a commission may be requested from the gateway provider. To maintain independence, no promotions or advertising are placed on this site.
Latest update on 4 June 2024