Several factors need to be considered when selecting a cheap SMS gateway provider.
The SMS Comparison Table and Site provide all the details required to make your selection easier.
Latest update on 21 April 2024
A cheap bulk SMS gateway is a service that allows individuals or organizations to send many SMS messages cheaply.
The service is provided by a bulk SMS gateway provider who acts as an intermediary between the sender and the mobile network operators, allowing messages to be delivered to their intended recipients. The “cheap” aspect refers to the relatively low service cost, making it an affordable solution for businesses or individuals who need to send many SMS messages.
These services often offer features such as scheduling, personalization, reporting, and others and are usually priced based on the number of messages sent or the traffic volume.
In covering cheap bulk SMS gateway options, three major factors need to be considered, namely:
Considering these factors, you can choose a cheap bulk SMS gateway that is affordable and meets your specific needs.
A business needs to consider what it requires from a bulk SMS provider. It is cheap in terms of low cost per text message, but that may mean a loss in reliability because of the use of hybrid telecommunication carrier(s) derived from overseas network facilities. Companies with less sophisticated API platforms cannot easily convert your message into SMS through a gateway system as promptly as expected. Thirdly, the economies of scale in that the charge for large volumes may be cheaper, but the low to medium volumes may cost more per text message.
Deciding on a cheap bulk SMS gateway depends very much on the gateway the SMS provider uses.
Bulk SMS gateway providers use two types of telecommunication carriers to deliver SMS messages:
By using both MNOs and SMSCs, bulk SMS gateway providers can ensure that SMS messages are delivered quickly and reliably to their intended recipients.
The more expensive gateway is known as the Premium or Tier 1 gateway. It uses a telecommunications carrier from Australian networks such as Telstra, Vodafone, or Optus. These companies charge more for their network service, but it is more reliable and safer to use.
If you need immediacy, near 100% reliability, and the ability to move large volumes of text messages at any one time with a good level of privacy, then this is the right SMS gateway for you.
Alternatively, the cheaper version is a Grey gateway hybrid that uses overseas and Australian telecommunication carriers to reach the customer or the end-user. It will use the cheapest route available and is good for marketing or promotional campaigns where time-poor is not an issue and delivery may take up to minutes, hours or possibly a day to reach the recipient’s mobile phone.
From the range of cheap bulk SMS gateway providers in Australia, reputable ones were selected because they could offer a range of gateway features that will ensure good distribution, cheap rates, and reliability. It was reviewed from a monthly pricing per SMS that ClickSend and Cellcast offered the best value compared to other reputable Australian gateway providers.
The graph below summarises the range of pricing offers evaluated, considering the small, medium and large volumes of text messages distributed per month.
From the perspective of up-time reliability and latency (time), a wide range of issues need to be assessed using the gateway system available by each provider. The features that should be considered include:
On that basis, the graphical representation of many cheap bulk providers is shown below.
It must be emphasized that you should always assess value for money based on pricing but must be provided with an uptime SLA of 99.95% or a money-back guarantee that all text messages are distributed swiftly and on time and that a reporting system is available to scrutinize.
A cheap SMS gateway API is a software interface that allows developers to integrate SMS functionality into their applications or systems. It provides a simple way for developers to send SMS messages from their applications, and the cost of the service is usually based on the volume of messages sent.
From analysing and reviewing numerous reputable and reliable cheap gateway APIs, one must understand the need for a sophisticated and valuable API. When discussing an API, referring to an Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows two different applications to communicate with each other in a meaningful way. API is the conduit or messenger that allows your requirements to be made into a communication form that will deliver the SMS and be able to reply to you to know that all has gone well. APIs will significantly impact your business or your organisation in sending out efficient and effective text messages.
There are expensive and cheap API platforms around, so you are encouraged to scrutinize which cheap SMS gateway provider will do the job for you. Many of them have flexible integration abilities, which means that your business can seamlessly integrate mobile phone messaging into the provider’s usual way of operating. The API platform can easily integrate into business applications, websites, intranets, CRMs, and other software, which means real-time text messaging capacity.
All this information leads to the fact that the reliability of gateway API will assist in the effective distribution of text messages at any one time in the cheapest way possible. A range of reliable cheap SMS gateway providers was assessed, and it was analysed from an Australian business perspective that SMS Global, ClickSend and Burst SMS were all rated as very high on a scale of 0 to 100 based on their up-time SLAs, their sophisticated and well-versed APIs, and their easy integration processes with businesses.
When deciding on engaging a cheap international SMS gateway provider, one needs to consider several elements before venturing into engaging overseas SMS companies. This is not to say that such overseas companies are not good because they offer a cheap SMS distribution rate. It is saying that factors that need to be also considered are:
Having made you aware of all the above factors to consider, there needs to be consideration of the cheap international gateway provider’s carrier. There are different types of telecommunication carriers used in overseas gateway services. Some international SMS providers may use a carrier direct, sometimes known as a Premium gateway service, which offers a more reliable and efficient service but at a higher cost per SMS sent.
Alternatively, other global SMS providers may use a cheaper version called a hybrid gateway service to reach customers, clients, stakeholders, and employees’ end-users. This uses various telecommunication carriers from different countries at a cheaper rate but with less assurance that the text message will reach the end mobile user on time, in the same format as was released and with the same level of privacy.
The hybrid version is the cheapest route to use. If there is no urgency, like promotions, marketing campaigns, or providing general information and requiring larger volumes to be distributed, cheap international SMS gateway providers are a possibility.
Simply summarizing the difference between the direct and hybrid gateways, if there is a need for time-reliant SMS and SMS alerts, the direct gateway is the better option. If sending out large or bulk volumes of SMS at any one time without time restraints for marketing or information campaigns, the hybrid gateway is a cheaper option.
Due to the large number and range of international gateway providers from various countries available to service your needs, a list of the best value was difficult to assess because the points outlined above must be considered rather than price alone.
The SMS Gateway Comparison Table and associated Site were developed without any fee or charge. It was prepared and presented to you as a service to make it easier for you to learn about all the features of cheap SMS gateway providers. The authors, who were experts in the SMS field but were now no longer involved in this domain, felt there was a lack of clarity and comprehension with the resultant difficulty in knowing which cheap SMS gateway providers were good. This was the reason for simply presenting information to make your life easier.
The SMS Comparison Table has been produced using details from gateway providers’ websites. If any parts of the information differ from their sites, please let the authors know so that changes can be made as soon as possible.
You can compare different providers and their services by visiting their websites and looking at their pricing plans and features.
It’s also a good idea to read customer reviews and forums to understand the provider’s reliability and customer service. Additionally, you can contact the providers directly to ask questions and get more information about their services. You can find the best cheap SMS gateway solution that fits your needs and budget by comparing different providers.
As mentioned above, the comparison site and table are free of charge. However, should you use the site and then engage one of the gateway providers, the authors may ask for a commission from the provider.
It is hoped that the information will be valuable to you and your business.