Long Code vs. Short Code SMS: Which Is Right for Your Business?

Learn the differences between long-code SMS vs. short-code SMS.

Using the right phone number is impactful in SMS marketing campaigns. Short code and long code SMS messaging are common options you have to use for your business.

Although you can use both of them in your SMS campaigns, there are differences that you need to consider when choosing them.

The following blog post explains the differences between long code SMS and short code SMS to let you choose the right one for your campaigns. 

What Is A Short Code SMS?

A short code is a special telephone number that is usually 5-6 digits long. It’s specially designed. 

These phone numbers are usually designed for high-volume messaging, which is used for mass communication purposes like promotional campaigns and 2FA.

Short codes can be divided into two categories:

Dedicated Short Codes

As it comes from the name, dedicated short codes are owned and used by a brand/organization and are exclusively used by them.

Therefore, the brand has complete control over the short code for its campaigns. This is great for consistent branding because you can use the same code in all of your campaigns.

Shared Short Codes

Shared short codes can be used by multiple businesses. Of course, campaigns can be distinguished using unique keywords.

Shared short codes have lower costs compared to dedicated short codes because expenses are shared among multiple brands.

Also, shared short codes are easier and quicker to set up and use. So they’re ideal for small businesses or startups.

Advantages of Short Code SMS

Here is why you need to use short code SMS for your business:

1. Fast Delivery: Short code SMS messages are routed through high-capacity networks. As a result, you can be sure about quick delivery even during high-traffic periods.

2. Memorability: As it uses a short number, many recipients remember it and this helps your brand reputation.

3. High Throughput: Handling mass messaging using short codes is possible.

4. Compliance-Friendly: Short codes are pre-vetted by carriers.

Common Use Cases for Short Code SMS

Due to the capabilities of short codes, you can use them in various cases like:

• Marketing promotions
• Transactional alerts (e.g., reminders and order confirmations)
• Two-factor authentication (2FA)
• Event-driven campaigns (e.g., contests or live voting)

Just like any other tool, short codes have some drawbacks, like higher costs and limited personalization due to the shared nature of some short codes.

What Is A Long Code SMS?

Despite short codes, long codes are standard phone numbers that include 10 digits. That’s why they’re called 10DLC or 10-digit long numbers.

You can use these numbers for messaging for both personal and business purposes. Also, you can use both of them for two-way messaging and communicating with your customers through an API.

Advantages of Long Code SMS

Here are the reasons why you need to use long codes in your business:

1. Versatility: You can use long codes for various purposes beyond just text messaging. For example, you can send voice calls, MMS (multimedia messaging), and even faxes. 

2. Familiar Format: The format of long codes is familiar to recipients, so they feel more personal when receiving a message.

3. Generally Cheaper: Long codes are typically more affordable than short codes.

4. Two-way Communication: For two-way messaging, long codes are generally much better.

Common Use Cases for Long Code SMS

Now, it’s good to look at the common applications of long codes:

• Customer support inquiries
• Appointment scheduling and reminders
• Personalized follow-ups
• Low-volume, conversational messaging

Despite all the benefits long codes offer to businesses, sending bulk messages via long codes is not a good option because you might face delays.

Long Code vs. Short Code SMS: Key Differences

Now that you know what short and long SMS codes are, it’s time to understand their differences.

Take a look at the summary of the differences between short code and long code SMS in the following table:

Here is also the explanation of these differences:

1. Message Volume

One of the most important differences between short and long SMS codes is the message volume you can send using them.

Short codes are specifically designed for high-volume messaging. So, depending on the SMS provider, short codes are capable of sending hundreds or even thousands of messages per second.

On the contrary, long codes are suitable for low to medium message volumes because you can’t send more than tens of messages per second.

As a result, shortcodes are ideal for mass text marketing campaigns and also transactional alerts like 2FA, confirmations, reminders, etc.

On the other hand, long codes are perfect for one-on-one customer interactions and small-scale communication.

2. Speed of Delivery

Another important difference between short code and long code SMS messaging is the delivery speed.

When you use short codes, you can be sure that your messages are delivered almost instantly. The good news is that even during peak times, you can expect instant delivery.

On the other hand, long codes might offer slower message delivery, especially when you want to send a message to a large number of recipients.

3. Cost

It’s obvious that short codes are more expensive compared to long codes. The reason is:

• Setup fees
• Leasing costs
• Carrier approvals

The following table compares the typical cost of short codes vs long codes to give you a sense of their pricing:

So if you have a considerable budget, you’d better go for short codes, and if you’re looking for long codes because they’re more affordable options.

4. Use Cases

Considering the capabilities of short code vs long code SMS messaging, we can list their use cases in the following table:

5. Regulatory Compliance

Compliance with regulations like GDPR and TCPA is an essential part of every SMS marketing campaign. 

Short codes SMS messages are pre-approved by carriers. So when you use short codes for sending SMS to your customers, the risk of being flagged as spam will decrease.

On the other hand, when you use long codes for your business, you need to follow strict guidelines. For example, if you don’t offer an opt-out option or don’t pay attention to the consent of recipients, you might face filtering or blocking by carriers.

6. International Messaging

Last but not least, you need to consider the global reach of short code vs long code SMS messaging.

Short codes have limited availability outside specific regions and are not always suitable for global campaigns.

On the other hand, long codes support international messaging, and you can use them to run promotional campaigns in several countries.

Choose Long or Short Code SMS for Your Business

It’s time to see which one is more suitable for your SMS campaigns. Here are some criteria you need to consider when choosing between short vs. long code SMS messaging:

1. Evaluate Your Messaging Volume

First, you need to ask yourself how many messages you need to send per day.

If your business needs to send thousands of messages each day, you’d better go for a short code. For example, when you want to run marketing blasts or send high-volume notifications, short codes are a clear winner.

On the other hand, for lower-volume and personalized messaging, long codes are more effective.

2. Consider the Customer Experience

When you need a more personal touch, like customer service or ongoing conversations, long codes work better.

When users see you’re contacting them using a standard phone number, they feel more intimate, while short code SMS looks like automated, machine-generated texts.

For impersonal, transactional messages, you can use short codes to have immediate delivery.

3. Assess Your Budget

As said earlier, short codes require a significant upfront investment. So use them when you have a considerable budget for your SMS campaign.

Long codes, on the other hand, are suitable for businesses of all sizes and with different levels of SMS marketing budgets.

4. Factor in Regional Needs

Many SMS providers offer short codes in limited regions. For example, Twilio offers short code SMS in the USA, UK, and Canada. On the other hand, SMS providers offer international services using long codes.

So if your target audience is global, long codes are better for your business. Also, for region-specific campaigns, short codes work better.

Top Short & Long Code SMS Providers 

Here are the top SMS providers you can use for your SMS campaigns:

1. Twilio

It’s a leading cloud communications platform and a famous SMS gateway that offers APIs for short and long-code SMS services.

Here are the key features of Twilio:

• Supports global messaging.
• High throughput for short codes (up to 100 MPS by default).
• Offers two-way messaging.
• Comprehensive developer tools and integrations.

Twilio is best for businesses that require flexible and scalable API solutions.

2. Plivo

It’s a renowned SMS and voice platform that offers cost-effective short and long code solutions.

Take a look at the key features of Plivo:

• Global coverage for long codes and short codes.
• Scalable messaging for both marketing campaigns and transactional alerts.
• Rich API documentation.
• 24/7 customer support.

3. Vonage (formerly Nexmo)

It’s a trusted provider that simplifies business communications using APIs through short and long code messaging services.

Look at the key features of Vonage:

• Omnichannel communication using SMS, voice, and messaging apps.
• Two-way messaging
• Supporting long codes and short codes.
• High deliverability rates.
• Carrier compliance.

4. Sinch

Sinch is a Swedish communication API and a global leader that offers advanced SMS capabilities like:

• High-throughput short code messaging.
• Personalized, conversational long code messaging.
• Integration with WhatsApp, RCS, and other messaging channels.

5. Bandwidth

It’s an SMS API messaging service provider that specializes in SMS, voice, and toll-free messaging solutions.

Here are the key features offered by Bandwidth:

• High-volume short code support for mass messaging.
• Two-way messaging with local and toll-free long codes.

6. MessageBird

It’s a popular cloud communications platform that offers services through SMS, email, WhatsApp & more. If you have a business and are looking for an all-in-one, MessageBird is a great choice for you.

Here are the key features you get when using this SMS provider:

• Integration of short and long code SMS with other messaging platforms.
• High-volume delivery for marketing and alerts.
• Analytics and reporting tools for campaign optimization.

Here is a comparison between the top short and long SMS providers:

Wanna use these SMS providers on your WordPress website? You’ve come to the right place. WP SMS allows you to integrate both short code and long code SMS messaging into your WordPress website. 

Looking for An SMS Marketing Tool to Work with both Short and Long Codes?

Now the question is how to use your short or long codes in your SMS marketing campaigns. The best approach is to integrate them into your omnichannel marketing strategy to avoid switching between various platforms.

For example, you can use WP SMS as a versatile SMS plugin to integrate your SMS campaigns into your website.

It lets you connect your site with over 300+ SMS gateways, including Twilio, Plivo, Vonage, Sinch, and more. 

With this plugin, you can use short codes for high-volume campaigns or long codes for personal customer engagement.

WP SMS lets you automate your messaging directly from your WordPress dashboard. It also offers lots of useful features like bulk messaging, opt-in forms, WooCommerce support, and multilingual capabilities.

It’s good to try the demo of WP SMS to get familiar with its capabilities. You can also contact us if you have any questions about SMS marketing.

Conclusion

Now, you can easily decide to choose between short code SMS vs long code SMS for your business. 

Simply put, if you have a considerable budget and want to run a large SMS campaign, you can go for a short-code SMS. 

Also, if you want to run a moderate-sized SMS campaign, you can use a standard 10-digit long code. 

Overall, there is no fundamental difference between these two phone numbers and the performance of your campaigns depends on your strategy and the SMS tool you use. 

WP SMS is one of the best SMS tools that automates SMS campaigns and integrates them into WordPress websites. It allows you to use 300+ SMS gateways with both short code and long code SMS messaging. 

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