The price for distributing SMS is one of the major factors in deciding which SMS gateway provider to engage their services.
An SMS gateway price comparison between providers assessed that ClickSend offer the best overall value.
Several SMS gateway providers claim to have the lowest price per SMS in both the UK and overseas. However one must be cautious about the conditions of the pricing schedule and the additional charges that may not included in their simple pricing schedule. This refers to set-up fees, monthly charges, payment modes as well as contractual arrangements that may be difficult to decipher should the business not be satisfied with the service provided.
Making the reader aware of the above factors, this SMS Comparison site reviews several reputable SMS gateway providers who provide an outright fee schedule with minimal additional charges. As a result, this has led to the selection of reputable British SMS gateway companies and one overseas provider as a comparison.
Several low-price SMS gateway providers in the UK offer various features and pricing plans to cater to different business needs. These services allow businesses to send bulk SMS messages for marketing, alerts, reminders, and more.
Here’s an overview of some options available:
ClickSend
ClickSend is highlighted for its low-cost SMS services, with a focus on bulk messaging. They offer competitive prices, starting around £0.036 per SMS for outbound messages, and all inbound text messages are free. They also provide a dedicated number for £10.50 a month with no setup fees. ClickSend has been commended for its 100% reliability SLA guarantee and premium tier 1 telecommunication carriers, making it a suitable choice for businesses looking for reliability alongside competitive pricing.
The SMS Works
The SMS Works focuses on simplicity and transparency, only charging for delivered texts and offering 50 free text credits for new accounts. Their service is designed to be hassle-free, with no contracts, minimum spending, or credit card requirements for signing up. Credits with The SMS Works do not expire, and their gateway provides detailed delivery reports to help you understand the delivery success of your messages.
TextAnywhere
TextAnywhere offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model, with prices per message starting from 4.3p. They provide a range of services including bulk SMS, 2-way SMS, and email-to-SMS options. TextAnywhere also offers a free trial with 20 free credits to test their platform. They focus on providing a reliable and low-cost service with additional features like SMS analytics and auto top-up.
Mobivate
Mobivate is another provider that emphasizes flexibility in catering to various business needs, including marketing SMS, transactional SMS, and lead generation. They offer a free trial with 10 free SMS credits, showcasing their service’s effectiveness and affordability. Mobivate positions itself as a powerful tool for bulk SMS sending, aiming to meet the demands of businesses looking to leverage mobile messaging for marketing and communications.
Text Global
Text Global offers a competitive pricing structure with SMS pricing from as low as 1.99p per text message, depending on the volume purchased. They promise to match or beat better prices found elsewhere, emphasizing their commitment to offering low-cost services. They also provide a range of additional services including free delivery reports, strategy planning, and international SMS routes.
The low SMS gateway pricing offered is based on an average overall fee whether it is for small, medium or large volumes of text messages sent every month. It is assessed that the ClickSend charge, in total, offers the lowest cost per text message. Bird has the same charge per SMS as ClickSend but that will be dependent on the British currency exchange rate. If the British pound value drops then the overseas Bird fee is higher and, if the British dollar rises, the reverse will be the case. The other companies selected have a reasonable comparative rate but not as low as ClickSend.
When choosing an SMS gateway provider in the UK, it’s crucial to consider factors such as pricing, features, reliability, and customer support. Each of the mentioned providers offers unique advantages, so it’s important to assess which service aligns best with your business requirements and budget.
When looking further at the pricing schedule, it should be noted that the price will vary depending on the volume of text messages that are sent at any one time over a monthly period. ClickSend like many other SMS services has price comparison options that indicate that the lower volumes of text messages have a significantly higher charge per SMS than the large volumes every month. It’s all about economies of scale. This is no different to the other British gateway providers presented.
ClickSend has an exclusive pricing schedule for British businesses. All inbound SMS are not charged to the client and the charges that are presented are for outbound SMS. The only charge for bulk distribution is with allocation of a dedicated number but there are no set-up charges.
Overall, reviewing all the reputable bulk SMS gateway prices from different providers, it can be seen that the price may vary by up to 60%. This can be due to the type of network carrier engaged, whether it is a premium or a hybrid telecommunication carrier. The premium gateway is more expensive using British telecommunication carriers while the hybrid may use a combination of British and overseas carriers. The latter is cheaper but not as reliable and may take longer for the text message to be distributed to recipient mobile phones.
The other matter that may be considered by a business is that when large volumes of text messages need to be distributed, the business has the possibility of negotiating a price per SMS or asking bulk gateway providers to match against the cheapest quote provided. This is a personal view and may or may not be accepted by the SMS provider. Of course, the cheaper price needs to be based on a large number of text messages to be distributed.
ClickSend has a policy, probably like some other gateway providers, to check their competitors’ pricing schedules regularly and adjust the pricing to meet the client’s expectations.
This site and the associated SMS gateway price comparison table have been prepared and presented for your information and use, at no cost to you. It was formulated as a result of the number of enquiries and lack of understanding as to the different features and services offered by a UK SMS gateway provider.
The table and site were developed by authors who previously worked in the SMS field but have moved to other IT areas and therefore felt they could provide an independent view of what SMS companies have to offer you or your business. Should there be any information provided that may be different from what is presented in the table or site, please let the authors know and the changes will be made as soon as possible.
Should you use the information provided and as a result, decide to engage one of the SMS companies covered through this site, the author may request a commission from the provider but, please be assured, will not ask you any fee.
It is hoped that this information is useful and will assist you in making whatever decision you wish to make based on the above background information.
Updated on 23 March 2024