SMS for small business in Australia
A business sending 1,000 texts a month pays from 3.00c per message (Texto) to 16.00c (eNudge) on published Australian rates, or $30 to $160 for the month. Mobile Message scores highest of the 21 providers here that carry a score, at 9.0 out of 10. Of those 22, 20 are headquartered in Australia.
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Mobile Message
9.0out of 1099.9% gateway SLA with a published remedy
Showing 22 of 22 providers at 1,000 messages a month, sorted by overall score descending. Providers with no published figure sort last.
| # | Provider | Monthly | Entry rate | Replies | Sends | AU presence | Provider site | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mobile Message Reply number: First dedicated number free after your first credit purchase; additional numbers $100 a year excluding GST | 9.0 | 3.50c | $35 | 4.00c | Free | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 2 | ClickSend Reply number: $19 a month for SMS; the MMS section of the same page lists $29 a month | 8.3 | 7.20c | $72 | 7.20c | Free | API · Email · SMPP | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 3 | Guni SMS Reply number: $15 a month for a dedicated virtual number; GST treatment not stated | 8.3 | 4.50c | $45 | 4.50c | not published | API · Email | Tier 1 | |
| 4 | SMS Broadcast Reply number: $179 for a one-year lease, no setup cost | 8.3 | 7.00c | $70 | 7.00c | Free | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 5 | MessageWorks Reply number: $25 a month for a dedicated phone number; a dedicated sender ID is $25 a month plus a one-time $90 setup fee | 8.3 | 6.90c | $69 | 6.90c | not published | API · Email · SMPP | Tier 1 | |
| 6 | Cellcast Reply number: $18 a month, or $169 a year | 8.2 | 3.70c | $37 | 4.70c | Free | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 7 | Chatti Reply number: $19 a number a month; a dedicated shortcode is $295 a month plus a $695 establishment fee | 8.0 | 6.90c | $69 | 6.90c | Free | API · Email | Tier 1 | |
| 8 | SMSFlow Reply number: One dedicated number free with any credit purchase; extra numbers $10 a month each | 8.0 | 3.50c | $35 | 4.00c | Free | API | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 9 | Notifyre Reply number: $17.50 a number per month, plus $25 once-off to port a number in. The same page lists an MMS add-on at $2.50 a month per number and separately states that MMS sending is coming soon in Australia. | 7.8 | 5.00c | $50 | 5.00c | Free | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 10 | touchSMS Reply number: $15 a month for an Australian virtual number with SMS and MMS; $30 a month with call forwarding (100 minutes a month included); $10 a month for SMS on a linked VoIP number (VoIP customers only). No setup fee, no contract, AUD excluding GST. | 7.8 | 5.00c | $50 | 5.00c | Free | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 11 | Texto Reply number: $15 a month excluding GST for a dedicated Australian number, which replies need | 7.8 | 3.00c | $30 | 3.00c | not published | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 12 | Kudosity Reply number: fee not published | 7.7 | 7.90c | $79 | 8.00c | not published | API · Email · SMPP | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 13 | 160.com.au Reply number: $20 a month including GST for an Australian virtual mobile number, cancel any time; overseas numbers from $10 a month | 7.5 | 6.70c | $67 | 7.95c | not published | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 14 | SMS Express Reply number: $18.50 a month plus GST for a dedicated virtual mobile number; a callable number is $119 a month plus GST and 11c a minute; a shared number is free with every account | 7.2 | 7.70c | $77 | 7.70c | Free | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 15 | Telstra Reply number: One mobile service number included as standard; additional numbers are quoted on request | 7.0 | 14.00c | $140 | 14.00c | not published | API · SMPP | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 16 | Vonage Reply number: USD $5.85 a month for an Australian number, plus a $5.85 set-up fee Billed in USD | 6.8 | ≈ 8.56c AUD landed billed as 5.814 US cents | ≈ $86 AUD landed | 5.81 US cents | 0.691 US cents each | API · SMPP | Tier 2 | |
| 17 | Bulk SMS Australia Reply number: fee not published | 6.6 | 14.00c | $140 | 15.00c | Charged per reply | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 18 | SMS Fusion Reply number: fee not published | 6.5 | 7.90c | $79 | 7.90c | not published | API · Email | Tier 1 | Visit |
| 19 | Bird Reply number: USD $3.00 a month for an Australian mobile number Billed in USD | 6.4 | ≈ 4.78c AUD landed billed as 3.25 US cents | ≈ $48 AUD landed | 3.25 US cents | not published | API | Tier 2 | |
| 20 | Vision6 Reply number: $70 one-time setup fee plus $35 a month including GST for a dedicated virtual number | 5.8 | 9.20c | $92 | 9.70c | not published | API | Tier 1 | |
| 21 | eNudge Reply number: A dedicated Australian mobile number can be rented for an additional monthly fee whose amount is not published | 4.8 | 16.00c | $160 | 16.00c | Free | Tier 1 | Visit | |
| 22 | BE Messaging Reply number: The 04 service number is the Desk: $79 a month each for 1 to 2 numbers, $69 for 3 to 10 and $59 for 11 or more, excluding GST, with 1,500 conversational SMS and 150 MMS included per number | not scored | 6.00c | $60 | 6.00c | Included in a monthly allowance | API | Tier 1 | Visit |
22 more of the providers we review publish no Australian rate that maps onto a monthly volume, so no table ranks them. BulkSMS.com, Clickatell, Omnisend, Plivo, Textmagic, Trumpia and Twilio have no Australian entity, so this site reviews them but does not rank them: this site compares Australian SMS providers only. Every provider the site reviews is on the reviews index.
Entry rate and Replies come from each provider's pricing page as read on or before 23 October 2026; what earns each entry rate is set out under the bulk SMS table, and the quote sits on the review.
Rows billed in USD show their landed cost in Australian dollars: the US-cent price converted at the RBA rate on 26 October 2026 plus a 3.5% card FX fee (median of the four major banks). That cost moves with the exchange rate and with your own card's fee. Any line naming the cheapest provider is worked out on providers that bill in Australian dollars.
AU presence tier is separate from the ranking above and does not affect the sort. What the tiers mean.
Here 10 of the 22 providers charge nothing for replies, which matters when you want customers texting back, and the entry rate column shows the per-message price of a first small top-up for a business sending near 1,000 messages a month.
What a dedicated or virtual number costs
27 of the 44 Australian providers we compare publish what a dedicated number for replies costs, and 12 more offer one without publishing its fee. In each provider's own words, A to Z:
- 160.com.au: $20 a month including GST for an Australian virtual mobile number, cancel any time; overseas numbers from $10 a month
- BE Messaging: The 04 service number is the Desk: $79 a month each for 1 to 2 numbers, $69 for 3 to 10 and $59 for 11 or more, excluding GST, with 1,500 conversational SMS and 150 MMS included per number
- Bird: USD $3.00 a month for an Australian mobile number
- Cellcast: $18 a month, or $169 a year
- Chatti: $19 a number a month; a dedicated shortcode is $295 a month plus a $695 establishment fee
- ClickSend: $19 a month for SMS; the MMS section of the same page lists $29 a month
- CompleteSMS: $29 a month plus $29 activation on the Australian monthly table. Confirm GST on this optional number line
- Edgility: $20 a month excluding GST for the SMS and MMS virtual number, with no setup fee
- eNudge: A dedicated Australian mobile number can be rented for an additional monthly fee whose amount is not published
- Esendex: A virtual mobile number is included as standard on every plan; additional numbers are not priced publicly
- GoFax: $18.50 including GST
- Guni SMS: $15 a month for a dedicated virtual number; GST treatment not stated
- Klaviyo: An Australian long code is included at no additional charge, but long codes need a paid plan; the branded sender ID is free on every plan.
- MessageWorks: $25 a month for a dedicated phone number; a dedicated sender ID is $25 a month plus a one-time $90 setup fee
- Mobile Message: First dedicated number free after your first credit purchase; additional numbers $100 a year excluding GST
- Notifyre: $17.50 a number per month, plus $25 once-off to port a number in. The same page lists an MMS add-on at $2.50 a month per number and separately states that MMS sending is coming soon in Australia.
- Sinch Engage: One Australian virtual mobile number included free on every plan; additional numbers are not priced publicly
- SMS Broadcast: $179 for a one-year lease, no setup cost
- SMS Everyone: $20 a month excluding GST for a dedicated virtual number
- SMS Express: $18.50 a month plus GST for a dedicated virtual mobile number; a callable number is $119 a month plus GST and 11c a minute; a shared number is free with every account
- SMSFlow: One dedicated number free with any credit purchase; extra numbers $10 a month each
- Telstra: One mobile service number included as standard; additional numbers are quoted on request
- Texto: $15 a month excluding GST for a dedicated Australian number, which replies need
- TNZ Group: $50 setup plus $40 a month for a dedicated Australian virtual mobile number (long code), month to month, stated in Australian dollars excluding GST on the virtual-number page; the same page prices messages from it at 10c per SMS part
- touchSMS: $15 a month for an Australian virtual number with SMS and MMS; $30 a month with call forwarding (100 minutes a month included); $10 a month for SMS on a linked VoIP number (VoIP customers only). No setup fee, no contract, AUD excluding GST.
- Vision6: $70 one-time setup fee plus $35 a month including GST for a dedicated virtual number
- Vonage: USD $5.85 a month for an Australian number, plus a $5.85 set-up fee
Compare published monthly SMS plans
This monthly SMS plan comparison covers 9 published plans across 2 Australian-eligible providers. It is an A to Z listing, not a ranking. Each entry shows the monthly fee, included SMS segments and the excess segment charge. This subset is separately documented and does not cover every monthly plan on the market. First-month account setup can change the total cost. Source dates are shown per provider.
| Provider and plan | Monthly fee | Included segments | Overage per segment | Account setup | Ongoing month | First month | Unused allowance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CompleteSMSExtra Small | $29.00 | 400 | 7.3c | $20.00 | $72.80 | $92.80 | 0 |
| CompleteSMSSmall | $109.00 | 1,600 | 6.8c | $20.00 | $109.00 | $129.00 | 600 |
| CompleteSMSMedium | $249.00 | 3,800 | 6.6c | $20.00 | $249.00 | $269.00 | 2,800 |
| CompleteSMSLarge | $496.00 | 8,000 | 6.2c | $20.00 | $496.00 | $516.00 | 7,000 |
| CompleteSMSExtra Large | $990.00 | 18,000 | 5.5c | $20.00 | $990.00 | $1,010.00 | 17,000 |
| EdgilityBasic | $49.00 | 500 | 9.9c | $0.00 | $98.50 | $98.50 | 0 |
| EdgilityBusiness | $89.00 | 1,000 | 8.9c | $0.00 | $89.00 | $89.00 | 0 |
| EdgilityAdvanced | $395.00 | 5,000 | 7.9c | $0.00 | $395.00 | $395.00 | 4,000 |
| EdgilityProfessional | $690.00 | 10,000 | 6.9c | $0.00 | $690.00 | $690.00 | 9,000 |
The calculator adds the fixed monthly fee to overage charges once the allowance is used. The first-month scenario includes the documented one-time account setup fee, including zero where no upfront costs are published. All figures are in AUD excluding GST. It excludes optional dedicated numbers, sender ID fees, forwarding and negotiated quotes. Unused included messages are shown, though no rollover is assumed. Enter billable SMS segments, not contact counts. See the SMS segment counter for details.
- CompleteSMS published pricing, read . Account setup source.
- Edgility published pricing, read . Account setup source.
For irregular campaigns, prepaid can differ from monthly subscriptions. Do not infer monthly volume rates from prepaid packages. Check number fees, expiry, cancellation and written account terms before you commit. See our SMS Papa review and GoFax review for provider detail, plus our email to SMS providers and SMS API comparison guides. No single provider is cheaper or best for every business, so compare the terms that apply to your own sending.
Compare prepaid SMS purchases
Our comparison examines the prepaid SMS packages published by three Australian providers, SMS Papa, GoFax and OneWaySMS. It does not cover every prepaid provider in the market, only those with recorded packages at the time of writing.
For each provider, we calculate the upfront spend required to send the same quantity of billable SMS segments. All prices are in Australian dollars and include GST. Each result is based on a single published package, except OneWaySMS, which permits multiples of the same pack.
| Provider | Package purchase | Upfront spend | SMS credits purchased | Unused credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoFaxOne published package | 1 × 1,250 SMS | $110.00 | 1,250 | 250 |
| OneWaySMSSame-pack multiples permitted | 2 × 500 SMS | $75.00 | 1,000 | 0 |
| SMS PapaOne published package | 1 × 1,500 SMS | $99.99 | 1,500 | 500 |
The comparison does not mix different packages to optimise pricing. Volumes above each provider's largest published pack require a quote. Optional numbers, sender IDs and negotiated quotes are excluded. Unused credits remain a balance with each provider, subject to their expiry and refund terms.
- GoFax published packages, read 23 October 2026.
- OneWaySMS published packages, read 23 October 2026.
- SMS Papa published packages, read 23 October 2026.
Small business SMS shortlist
- Mobile Message , 9.0 out of 10. 99.9% gateway SLA with a published remedy. 3.50c per SMS at 1K.
- ClickSend , 8.3 out of 10. Cheapest rate needs a $10,000 single top-up. 7.20c per SMS at 1K.
- Guni SMS , 8.3 out of 10. A real, complete AUD rate ladder, 1,000 to 500,000+ a month. 4.50c per SMS at 1K.
- SMS Broadcast , 8.3 out of 10. Onshore connections with Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. 7.00c per SMS at 1K.
- MessageWorks , 8.3 out of 10. Rebranded from SMS Solutions Australia in 2025. 6.90c per SMS at 1K.
Compare two small business SMS providers
| Measure | Mobile Message | ClickSend |
|---|---|---|
| Overall out of 10 | 9.0 | 8.3 |
| Rate at 1K | 3.50c | 7.20c |
| Rate at 15K | 3.00c | 6.70c |
| Rate at 125K | 2.50c | 6.20c |
| Rate at 250K | 2.50c | 5.70c |
| Cost at 15,000 a month | $450 | $1,005 |
| Carrier routes | "Direct Australian tier-1 carrier connectivity and Australian servers ensure your data never goes offshore." No carrier is named individually. | "232+ direct carrier connections" and "direct carrier routes to 190+ countries - no middlemen, no grey routes". No Australian carrier is named. |
| Uptime | 99.9% gateway availability in any calendar month, with a $52.50 account credit as the sole remedy, claimable within 30 days | 99.95% uptime SLA, with a public status page and a published outage procedure |
| Dedicated number | Yes | Yes |
| Shared number | not published | Yes |
| Alpha sender ID | Yes | Yes |
| Email to SMS | Yes | Yes |
| SMPP | not published | Yes |
| Two way | Yes | Yes |
| MMS | No | Yes |
| Support | Live chat 24/7; email monitored seven days a week, with replies mostly 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, Melbourne time | 24/7 via live chat, phone, contact form and email |
| Head office | not published | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Public reviews | 4.9/5 from 273 reviews on ProductReview.com.au | 4.1/5 from 3,572 reviews on Trustpilot |
What SMS costs a small business
SMS for a small business starts small: at 1,000 texts a month the bill runs from $30 at Texto, the cheapest provider that bills in Australian dollars, to $160 at eNudge, with $69 at the median rate. Every rate in the table above excludes GST, so add a tenth when you budget. A reply number is the other recurring cost. A dedicated virtual mobile number carries a monthly fee at most providers, and 3 of the 22 in the table include the first one free.
Two traps catch small senders. Minimum purchases apply at Mobile Message, which requires 500 credits, and touchSMS, which requires 400 credits, or $20 excluding GST. Credit expiry is the second trap: Cellcast, Mobile Message and touchSMS credits never expire, while SMS Broadcast credits expire 12 months from purchase, so a slow winter can quietly eat what you paid for.
Both traps are easier to dodge when you test a provider first.
Free credits to try before you buy
- Chatti gives 100 free SMS credits on a free trial with no credit card.
- Mobile Message gives 50 free SMS credits on signup.
- SMS Broadcast gives 25 free SMS credits plus one month on the platform with no credit card.
- MessageWorks gives 25 free test SMS credits with no credit card.
- touchSMS gives 10 free credits with full access to the platform.
- 160.com.au gives 5 free SMS credits on signup with no credit card.
- Notifyre gives no free SMS credits and needs a wallet top-up of at least $10 excluding GST before sending.
Free credits exist only where a provider offers them, and trial restrictions still apply. Notifyre needs a paid wallet before anything sends, so not every test is free. When a provider passes the checks below, How to send bulk SMS in Australia covers the campaign itself.
- Send a test through the method you intend to use, to your own consenting contact, staying within the trial restrictions.
- Add a willing colleague on another network if the trial allows it, and settle who receives replies where two-way messaging matters.
- For marketing, test the unsubscribe action as configured and check a stored opt-out or suppression record for that contact.
A free credit is only useful while somebody answers when the message does not arrive.
Support you can reach in business hours
A small business sends texts during the day, so support hours matter more than they look. ClickSend publishes 24/7 support by live chat, phone, contact form and email. Mobile Message offers live chat 24/7, with email replies mostly 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, Melbourne time. Chatti offers free 24/7 support with an Australian phone number.
Some providers keep shorter hours. Cellcast staffs support 8am to 8pm AEST, with 24/7 emergency tickets. Notifyre supports Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm AEST, by phone, live chat and email. MessageWorks supports Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm AEST.
Two publish little or nothing. SMS Broadcast publishes no support hours, phone number or email, and touchSMS publishes phone and live chat but no hours. 20 of the 22 providers in the table are headquartered in Australia.
How you send shapes which support hours you need, and most small senders start in a browser.
Sending from a web app, an email or your booking system
A web app runs in any current browser, on a Mac or a Windows PC, with nothing to install. You log in, paste or upload your list, type the message and send. For a shop or a sole trader this is usually all you need.
Email to SMS sends a text from an email program such as Outlook or Gmail. You address the email to the customer's mobile and the provider delivers it as a text. A trade business on the road can fire a reminder from a phone between jobs.
A booking or practice system sends texts through a built-in integration or through the provider's SMS API. A clinic that already runs appointments should check which providers its system integrates with before comparing prices, because reminder messages are a recurring cost. The monthly cost of SMS reminder services, including the reply number, is compared on a separate page of this site.
Before anything sends, you must decide what your customers see on their phones.
Your name or your number
A sender ID shows your business name on the customer's phone and cannot take replies. A dedicated number costs a monthly fee at most providers, and it takes replies, so a customer can confirm or ask a question by text.
Since 1 July 2026 a sender ID not registered on the SMS Sender ID Register shows "Unverified" in place of the name, and the message is still delivered. Registration goes through each telco or message provider you send with, so a name worth showing is worth registering on day one.
The Spam Act 2003 then sets your duties: consent, accurate sender identification and a functional unsubscribe honoured within 5 working days sit with the business that sends, not with the provider.
Scores and comparison method
Where a score is shown, it is the mean of the criterion values computed by the published rubric, each criterion weighted equally. Missing criteria are excluded from that mean, not counted as zero. Unscored providers have no published score rather than a low one. Read the method.
Small business SMS questions
What do Australian businesses use SMS for?
Australian businesses use SMS for appointment and booking reminders, delivery notices, staff rosters and alerts, and marketing offers. Reminders, delivery notices and offers typically go to customers, while rosters and alerts are an internal tool for staff. Use the comparison table on this page to weigh up providers for any of these uses.
Can customers reply to a business text message?
Yes, customers can reply to a business text message through two-way SMS. A dedicated virtual mobile number brings replies back to that one number, which stays the same across campaigns, and it is a monthly fee on top of the message rate. The Two way and Dedicated number filters in the comparison table show which providers offer both.