Use international SMS gateway providers to grow your business across the world.
While social media platforms have revolutionized communication, SMS is still one of the most reliable marketing channels.
Of course, there are some considerations regarding the cost per SMS sent, the content limitation, and international SMS marketing.
If your business is big enough to send ads globally, you need to become familiar with international SMS gateway providers.
In this blog post, we’ll introduce the top SMS gateways in the world that are supported by WP SMS. Also, we’ll let you know how you can choose the best one for your business.
What Are SMS Gateways and How to Choose One?
First, let’s see what exactly SMS gateway providers are and what they do.
What Is an SMS Gateway?
An SMS gateway is a service that allows you to send text messages from a computer.
In fact, SMS gateways act as a bridge between the internet of your computer and mobile carriers. SMS gateway providers translate the message you send and make sure that messages are formatted correctly for delivery.
Apart from sending/receiving messages, modern SMS gateways can offer many other features like:
- APIs
- Bulk messaging features
- Delivery Tracking
- Scalability for businesses of all sizes
The question is why you need an SMS gateway when running an SMS marketing campaign.
The reason is when you want to deal with several carriers, especially in international businesses, you’ll face complexities and regulatory environments.
So SMS gateways are essential to simplify the procedures and enable you to send/receive messages internationally.
How to Choose the Right SMS Gateway?
Before listing the best SMS gateway providers in the world, it’s good to know what factors you need to look for in an SMS gateway:
- Coverage and Reliability: First and foremost, you need to make sure that the gateway provider supports the countries you want to run your campaigns.
- Ease of Integration: You need to take a look at the APIs and plugins offered by the gateway service. The integration of SMS functionalities into your app/website is important so ensure the provider offers comprehensive developer tools.
- Cost: One of the most important matters in choosing the provider is the pricing package. Choose a provider that offers pricing structures (pay-as-you-go or subscription-based) suitable for your business.
- Scalability: You’d better consider your business growth and select an SMS gateway provider that is scalable.
- Delivery Speed and Success Rate: Choose providers with high-speed networks and efficient routing mechanisms.
- Compliance and Security: SMS gateways must comply with local and international regulations, such as GDPR and TCPA. Otherwise, you might face fines in the future.
- Additional Features: It’s also important to look for advanced features like two-way messaging, detailed analytics, or integration with CRMs and marketing tools.
10 Best International SMS Gateway Providers
Now it’s time to review the top global SMS gateway providers.
1. Twilio
Twilio is a global leader in cloud communication services from text messaging to videos. It supports businesses of all sizes and types and offers toll-free phone numbers across over 100 countries.
You just need to take a look at its features to get familiar with the power of this international SMS gateway provider:
| Category | Features |
| Messaging | Send and receive multichannel text and media messages in 180+ countries |
| SMS | SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, Conversations, RCS |
| Voice | Make, receive, and monitor calls worldwide |
| Verify | Globally managed multichannel 2FA and passwordless authentication |
| Lookup | Real-time phone intelligence for customer identity and risk assessment |
| Deliver emails reliably at scale with SendGrid | |
| Serverless | Build, deploy, and run apps with Twilio’s serverless environment and visual builder |
| Phone Numbers | Access local, national, and toll-free phone numbers |
| Video | Secure, high-quality video calling at a global scale |
| Applications | Twilio Flex: Digital engagement center for customer service and sales |
| Twilio Engage: Multi-channel campaigns with a unified data-first platform | |
| Marketing Campaigns: Create and manage email campaigns with SendGrid | |
| Customer Data: Unify and personalize customer data with Segment CDP | |
| Connections: Integrate web and mobile app data with a single API | |
| Reverse ETL: Data extraction and transformation. | |
| Protocols: Ensure data integrity | |
| Unify: Centralize customer data across channels. | |
| Profiles Sync: Keep customer profiles up-to-date | |
| Journeys: Multichannel orchestration |
Here are just some of the advantages of using Twilio for your SMS campaigns:
- High reliability and scalability.
- Advanced features like two-factor authentication (2FA).
- Easy integration with third-party apps.
The only drawback of Twilio is its higher cost compared to other international providers. Here is a summary of Twilio pricing packages:
| SMS Outbound | SMS Inbound | MMS Outbound | MMS Inbound |
| $0.0079 | $0.0079 | $0.0200 | $0.0100 |
2. Nexmo
Nexmo is now part of Vonage and is a versatile platform that provides SMS, voice, and messaging solutions. It’s popular for user-friendly APIs that empower your growing startup or small business to elevate customer experiences.
It offers a wide-ranging suite of communication tools and features including:
- Voice
- Video
- SMS
- MMS
- Social chat apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Viber
- Scalable 2FA with our Verify API
Here is why you have to choose this SMS gateway:
- Coverage in almost 200 countries.
- Two-way messaging capabilities.
- Free credit for testing APIs.
- High-quality customer support.
- Advanced analytics tools.
It also offers a competitive pricing package as follows:
| API/Service | Pricing | Details |
| US LVN (SMS API Pricing) | € 0.0062 / message | Create effective communication using SMS API. Contact for special pricing. |
| General SMS API Pricing | € 0.0050 / delivered message | Explore general pricing by country. |
| Messages API Pricing | Pay per channel, starting from € 0.0050 / delivered message | Includes SMS, MMS, RCS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and more. |
| Voice API Pricing | € 0.0127 / minute (PSTN Leg) | True per-second billing. Elastic SIP trunking and in-app voice options available. |
| Verify API Pricing | € 0.0500 / successful verification | Includes additional messaging and voice rates for attempts and successful verifications. |
| Video API Pricing | € 0.0040 / minute | Cost-per-minute pricing for streaming, recording, broadcasting, and SIP features. |
| In-App Messaging API Pricing | € 0.0007 / message sent | Create seamless branded chat experiences globally. |
| Dispatch API Pricing | € 0.0020 / POST API Call | Covers SMS and social channels like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Viber. |
| Number Insight API Pricing | € 0.0050 / phone number | Provides real-time data for customer communication. |
| Conversation API – Custom Events | € 0.0007 / Custom Event Post | Supports custom events to integrate channels or actions like Stripe payments. |
| Reports API – CDR Retrieval | € 0.0004 / Call Detail Record | Retrieve Vonage channel records. Unlimited reports available for €450/month. |
| API Management Pricing | Contact for pricing | Flexible service and support plan to maximize communication investment. |
3. MessageBird
MessageBird is also a well-known SMS gateway provider in the world. It has a strong focus on omnichannel communication and offers advanced features like:
- Unified inbox for SMS, email, and social media messages.
- Detailed delivery tracking.
- Advanced automation tools.
- Integration with CRMs.
- Great user interface and developer support.
Take a look at its pricing model to be able to decide better when choosing this international SMS gateway:
| Country | 1-way | 1-way Local | Local | Mobile | Short Codes | Toll-free |
| United Arab Emirates | $0.07484 | $0.014 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| United Kingdom | $0.02874 | n/a | n/a | $0.0288 | n/a | n/a |
| United States of America | n/a | n/a | $0.00331 | n/a | $0.0039 | $0.00464 |
| Germany | n/a | Free | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| France | $0.03404 | n/a | n/a | $0.0341 | n/a | n/a |
4. ClickSend
ClickSend specializes in business communication solutions and offers SMS, email, and even fax services.
It’s a popular communication platform for businesses that want to communicate with their customers and staff. Here are some of its key features:
- Business SMS
- Business MMS
- Rich Messaging
- Voice
- Transactional Email
- Fax Gateway
- Online Post
- Integration with tools like Slack and Zapier
If you want to know why you have to use ClickSned, take a look at its advantages:
- Sending SMS to one or reaching thousands in just a few minutes.
- Engaging your customers without spending your marketing budget.
- Automating your business texts so you can focus on other tasks.
- Global 24/7 Support.
- Secure and reliable.
- Lightning-fast delivery.
It also offers diverse pricing plans including the following options:
| Estimated Messages | Price/SMS |
| Under 5k | $0.0830 |
| 5k or more | $0.0810 |
| 50k or more | $0.0794 |
| 150k or more | $0.0782 |
| Over 250k | Contact Us |
Inbound SMS Pricing:
| Category | Price |
| Inbound Messages | Always free |
| Replies (via shared or dedicated number) | Supported, Free |
Dedicated Number Pricing:
| Option | Price |
| Dedicated Number | $38.46 / month |
| Setup Fees | None |
Dedicated Shortcode Pricing:
| Option | Price |
| Monthly Fee | $2281.30 / month |
| Setup Fee | $3910.80 |
5. Plivo
Plivo is a great SMS API platform that is popular for SMS, voice, and video communication.
It claims that thousands of businesses in 220+ countries are using Plivo’s cloud communications platform.
Here is a summary of its features:
| Feature | Description |
| API Products | Diverse, modular, and standardized functionalities for seamless integration. |
| SMS API | Programmatically send and receive text messages. |
| WhatsApp Business API | Automate customer engagement on WhatsApp. |
| Verify API | Verify users globally with a multi-channel 2FA solution. |
| Voice API | Integrate voice calling within your applications. |
| Explore Plivo CX | A powerful platform to enhance customer experience (CX). |
Plivo is highly scalable and cost-effective, making it a great option for businesses of all sizes and with different budgets.
Take a look at the pricing plans to see which onesies are suitable for your business:
| Category | Service | Pricing |
| SMS Pricing | To Send an SMS | $0.00550 / SMS |
| To Receive an SMS | $0.00550 / SMS | |
| Voice Pricing | To Make a Call | $0.01000 / min |
| To Receive a Call | $0.00550 / min | |
| Verify | To Send an SMS | $0.00550 / SMS |
| To Make a Call | $0.01000 / min | |
| SIP Trunking | To Make a Call | $0.00650 / min |
| To Receive a Call | $0.00250 / min | |
| Phone Numbers | Local Numbers | $0.50000 / month |
| Toll-free Numbers | $1.00 / month | |
| Contacto | Omnichannel Contact Center | Starts at $35 / user/month (Professional Plan) |
6. Sinch
Sinch is also a versatile platform that offers everything you need for communication from messages and emails to calling your customers at scale.
This is a popular international SMS gateway that is great for omnichannel campaigns, user verification, and advanced messaging APIs.
Take a look at the range of features it offers to get familiar with its power:
| Category | Feature | Description |
| Engage | Messaging Platform | Centralized messaging across channels. |
| Chatbot Builder | Create automated conversational agents. | |
| Contact Center | Manage customer interactions across channels. | |
| Email Marketing | Design and send email campaigns. | |
| Verification | SMS Verification | Authenticate via SMS. |
| Data Verification | Validate customer data. | |
| Flash Call Verification | Use flash calls for quick verification. | |
| WhatsApp Verification | Verify users through WhatsApp. | |
| Phone Call Verification | Verify via automated calls. | |
| Number Lookup | Retrieve number information for validation. | |
| Numbers | Toll-free Numbers | Provide toll-free contact options. |
| 10DLC Registration | Register for 10DLC messaging compliance. | |
| Short Codes | Use short codes for high-throughput messaging. | |
| Send | Deliver emails seamlessly. | |
| Optimize | Enhance email deliverability and effectiveness. | |
| Validate | Verify email addresses for accuracy. | |
| Messaging | SMS, MMS, and RCS | Support text, Multimedia, and Rich Communication Services globally. |
| Social Media | Engage customers via WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. | |
| Voice | Local and Long Distance | Voice solutions for local and global calls. |
| Toll-free Service | Enable toll-free communication. | |
| Emergency Services | Support emergency call routing. | |
| SIP Trunking | Scalable and flexible trunking solutions. | |
| PSTN Connect | Public Switched Telephone Network Integration. |
It offers a flexible pricing model and scalable SMS campaigns that are suitable for businesses of all sizes. The following table is a summary of Sinch’s pricing model for SMS and MMS in the United States:
| Category | Action | Price | Details |
| 10DLC | Send | $0.0078 / message | Per outbound message. Carrier fees apply. |
| Receive | $0.0078 / message | Per inbound message. Carrier fees apply. | |
| Toll-Free Numbers | Send | $0.0078 / message | Per outbound message. Carrier fees apply. |
| Receive | $0.0078 / message | Per inbound message. Carrier fees apply. | |
| Short Code | Send | $0.009 / message | Per outbound message. Carrier fees apply. |
| Receive | $0.009 / message | Per inbound message. Carrier fees apply. |
7. Tyntec
Tyntec is another outstanding SMS gateway you can use in your international SMS campaigns. It’s great for customer experience and the onboarding of new customers.
If you need to bridge communication gaps through its SMS, WhatsApp, and voice solutions. Here are some of the other services you get from Tyntec:
| Category | Feature | Description |
| Verify | Phone Verification | Ensure the accuracy and reliability of customer data by delivering timely insights. |
| Authenticate | 2FA | Enhance security and drive conversions with personalized customer authentication channels. |
Engage | Conversations | Increase customer lifetime value with messaging across multiple channels through a single API. |
| Inbox | Strengthen customer relationships, boost retention, and foster repeat purchases via one interface. |
It’s famous for its ease of use and international services at affordable prices. Here is a summary of the pricing model it offers:
| Plan | Monthly Fee (EUR) | Included Active Contacts | Additional Contact Cost (EUR) | Features |
| Starter | 89 | 1,000 | 0.09 | Unlimited session messaging. |
| Growth | 169 | 3,500 | 0.05 | Unlimited session messaging. |
| Enterprise | 299 | 6,000 | 0.03 | Unlimited session messaging. |
8. Infobip
Infobip is a trusted name in the realm of SMS gateways and omnichannel communication services.
Just like many other SMS gateway providers, it offers a range of features for SMS, email, voice, and a wide variety of API and programmable channels.
Here is a summary of the features offered by Infobip:
| Category | Key Features |
| Programmable Channels | SMS, RCS, MMS, WhatsApp, Viber, Video, Messenger, Email, Instagram, Live Chat, Telegram, Kakao, Apple Messages, Zalo, Mobile Push, In-app Messaging, Line. |
| Applications | Conversational Experience Cloud (Beta), Customer Engagement (Moments), Contact Center (Conversations), Chatbots (Answers), Customer Data Platform (People CDP). |
| Platform Functionality | Fraud Detection (Signals), Scalable APIs (CPaaS X), Authentication, Mobile Identity, Number Lookup, Local Numbers Messaging. |
| Numbers | Support for 10DLC messaging and local numbers. |
Infobip is great for scalable projects from local to international levels. It has a flexible Pay-As-You-Go pricing model that is suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Here is a summary of the prices offered by Infobip:
Messaging Options
- Email: Starting from €0.0005 / message
- SMS: Starting from €0.2900 / message
- Viber: Starting from €0.0153 / message
- WhatsApp: Starting from €0.0533 / message
- Mobile Push & In-app Messages: Free (with Moments plan)
Number Lookup
- Starting from €0.0030 / lookup
Voice Services
- Inbound Calls: Starting from €0.0000 / minute
- Outbound Calls: Starting from €0.2470 / minute
- WebRTC: Starting from €0.0028 / minute
As you see, it offers some free options for the few messages you want to send in your SMS marketing campaigns. So it is worth considering this International SMS gateway for your business.
9. Telnyx
Telnyx is a cloud-native platform that offers international communication solutions with friendly APIs. It’s the ultimate tool for building custom communication applications with SMS, MMS, and voice.
If you want a modern SMS gateway to run an international SMS campaign, this is a great choice for you.
Take a look at the communication services offered by this gateway:
| Feature | Description |
| Voice AI (New) | Real-time, AI-powered voice calls. |
| Voice API | Global programmable voice calling. |
| TeXML | Low-code, dynamic programmable voice solutions. |
| WebRTC | Web and mobile application calling. |
| SIP Trunking | High-quality VoIP on a private network. |
| SMS and MMS API | Send and receive SMS/MMS via API. |
| Short Code | High volume, recognizable SMS numbers. |
| 10DLC | Buy, register, and manage 10DLC numbers. |
| Alphanumeric Sender ID | Build your brand with 1-way SMS. |
| IoT SIM Card | Reliable coverage on 650+ networks. |
| eSIM | Create eSIM profiles and data plans. |
Telnyx is also great when it comes to pricing. It offers affordable pricing packages for its services, making it a good choice for your business:
| Direction | SMS | MMS |
| Send Outbound Messages | $0.004 per message part + carrier fee | $0.015 per message part + carrier fee |
| Receive Inbound Messages | $0.004 per message part + carrier fee | $0.005 per message part + carrier fee |
10. Bandwidth
Bandwidth is the last item on our list of international SMS gateway providers. It’s a great option for SMS, voice, and emergency communication services.
It’s an all-in-one solution for enterprises that offers a wide range of features like:
| Category | Features |
| Enterprise Integrations | Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams, Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams, Webex Calling, Genesys Cloud CX, Five9, Zoom Phone, Call Verification, Pindrop, Insights, Emergency Calling & E911, Global SIP Trunking, AIBridge, Google Voice |
| Communications APIs | Voice API, Messaging APIs, Emergency API, In-App Calling API, Authentication API, SMS API, MMS API, Toll-Free SMS, 10DLC Messaging, Short Codes |
| Tools and Wholesale Channels | Voice, Toll-Free Services, Disaster Recovery, Emergency Calling, 911 Access, SMS Messaging, International Long Distance, Phone Number Management, Phone Number Porting, Phone Number Lookup API, U.S. Local Phone Numbers, Global Phone Number Hosting, Caller ID Management, Voice & Messaging Insights, Global Messaging |
As you see, there is no communication service you might require in your campaigns that Bandwidth doesn’t offer.
Regarding the price, Bandwidth might seem a bit expensive but it’s worth considering the outstanding features.
| Number Type | Outbound (Send) | Inbound (Receive) |
| SMS | $0.004 per message | – |
| MMS | $0.015 per message | – |
| U.S. 10 DLC | $0.004 per message | – |
| U.S. Short Code | $0.008 per message | $0.020 per message |
| U.S. Toll-free | $0.007 per message | $0.020 per message |
| Global 2-Way | $0.040 per message | – |
| Global Alphanumeric | $0.040 per message | – |
Choosing the SMS Gateway on WP SMS
WP SMS supports more than 300 SMS gateways and it’s gradually growing this list. SMS gateway providers can easily add their services to the WP SMS plugin.
Also, we provide businesses with a detailed gateway configuration document to help them use any gateway without being an expert.
It’s good to take a look at the WP SMS demo to see how easy it is to choose the SMS gateway when running your campaigns.
If you need more information regarding international SMS gateway providers and the way you can use them, you just need to contact us.
Final Thoughts
SMS gateways are services that let you send/receive text messages from your computer, which is essential for SMS marketing.
Without SMS gateway providers, it will be difficult to deal with various carriers and regulators.
SMS gateways translate your text messages and make sure that they are formatted correctly.
If you want to run an SMS campaign in several countries, you need to compare top International SMS gateway providers. Twilio and Plivo are the best gateways in terms of features, coverage, and pricing.
WP SMS supports hundreds of SMS gateways and therefore, you don’t need to be worried about your gateway. You can easily run your text message campaign directly from your website’s dashboard.
So why wait? Check if your gateway is supported by WP SMS and then try the demo to make sure it’s suitable for your business.
FAQs
Is there any free International SMS gateway?
Most international SMS gateways aren’t free. However, some of them might offer free trials or limited free credits.
Is Twilio an SMS gateway?
Yes, Twilio is a leading SMS gateway and API provider.
How do I become an SMS gateway provider?
You’ll need infrastructure for:
- SMS routing
- Agreements with carriers
- Platform for clients.
Is SMS gateway API free?
Usually not! However, some providers might offer free trials or limited free-tier services to attract new customers.
What’s the difference between SMS API and SMS gateway?
An SMS API lets you develop a code in your app to send/receive texts. On the other hand, an SMS gateway is the system that connects your device to mobile networks for delivering messages.
Which SMS API is best?
Popular SMS APIs include Twilio, Nexmo (Vonage), and Plivo. You need to choose the best one depending on your needs.