How much does SMS marketing cost in 2026?
Every line on the bill, from software to carrier fees, with real prices from six platforms at four sizes.
We make TextScaleHQ, one of the platforms below. Every other price comes from that company’s own website, checked October 21, 2026, and links to it. US prices, monthly billing, single-part texts.
Key takeaways
- A small business sending 2,000 texts a month pays about $47 to $108 all-in, depending on the platform.
- The texts themselves are the biggest cost. Credit plans charge about 2¢ to 6¢ each; Twilio charges $0.0083 plus about $0.0043 in carrier fees.
- Under about 500 texts a month, a small credit plan is usually cheapest. Above that, connecting your own carrier usually wins.
- Check overage rates, rollover rules, MMS pricing and whether replies use credits before you pick a plan.
The short answer
Here is what each platform costs per month at four common sizes, at list prices with carrier fees and a toll-free number included. Each platform is on its cheapest plan for that list and volume.
| Platform | 500 texts | 2,000 texts | 10,000 texts | 40,000 texts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TextScaleHQ | $37.45 | $56.35 | $187.15 | $705.15 |
| SimpleTexting | $30.25 | $84.00 | $341.50 | $999.00 |
| EZ Texting | $30.00 | $90.00 | $410.00 | $1,310.00 |
| SlickText | $31.10 | $87.40 | $361.00 | $1,107.00 |
| Salesmsg | $26.25 | $89.00 | $351.50 | Custom quote |
| Textmagic, pay as you go | $34.50 | $108.00 | $500.00 | $1,970.00 |
| Textmagic, own Twilio | $13.45 | $47.35 | $228.15 | $906.15 |
Each platform on its cheapest plan for that list; the full comparisons show which plan. TextScaleHQ: plan fee plus Twilio’s US toll-free price ($0.0083 a text), carrier fees ($0.0043) and a $2.15 number. Salesmsg prices above 10,000 texts aren’t listed on its site. Platform names link to our full comparisons, with every source.
What’s on the bill
Every SMS marketing bill is made of the same five things. Platforms package them differently, which is why sticker prices are hard to compare.
Software
The monthly plan. On credit platforms it includes a bundle of texts; on bring-your-own-carrier tools it’s a flat fee.
$25 to $199 a month on the plans we checkedThe texts
Either credits bought from the platform (about 2¢ to 6¢ each) or the carrier’s own price if you connect Twilio or Vonage ($0.0083 a text on Twilio).
The biggest line once you send more than a few hundredCarrier fees
US carriers add a surcharge to every business text. Platforms pass it through: SimpleTexting lists about $0.0025, SlickText $0.0042, and Twilio’s toll-free average is about $0.0043.
Fractions of a cent, but on every textThe phone number
Toll-free numbers are free on SimpleTexting and SlickText, $25/mo on EZ Texting, $10/mo on Textmagic and $2.15/mo on Twilio.
$0 to $25 a monthRegistration
Toll-free numbers need a free verification. Local 10DLC numbers carry carrier registration fees, which Salesmsg lists as $4.50 for the brand, $15 to check the campaign and $1.50 to $10 a month for the campaign.
One-time fees plus a small monthly fee for 10DLCCredits or your own carrier
Most SMS platforms buy texts from a carrier and sell them to you as credits. The price per text falls as you buy more, but it stays several times the carrier’s own price. A few tools, TextScaleHQ and Textmagic’s own-carrier option among them, connect to your Twilio or Vonage account instead, so you pay the carrier directly and the platform charges for the software.
The trade-off is setup. With a credit platform you sign up and pick a number. With your own carrier you open a Twilio or Vonage account first and verify your number there, which takes from a few days to a couple of weeks.
Costs people miss
- Going over your plan
- Extra texts are billed at the platform’s rate: 5.5¢ on SimpleTexting’s $29 plan, 4¢ on EZ Texting’s Launch. SlickText publishes no rate for extra credits, so a busy month can mean the next plan up. SimpleTexting pricing, EZ Texting pricing
- Credits that expire
- Monthly plans roll unused credits over a month at most. Salesmsg’s plan credits don’t roll over at all. SimpleTexting rollover, Salesmsg credits
- Picture messages
- One MMS is 3 credits on SimpleTexting, SlickText and EZ Texting, 2 on Salesmsg, and 8¢ on Textmagic.
- Replies and failed sends
- On Salesmsg, texts you receive and texts that fail also use credits. Salesmsg credits
- Long texts and emoji
- Over 160 characters a text is billed as two or more parts. One emoji cuts each part to 70 characters.
- Leaving
- EZ Texting’s terms let it refuse to port your number out, and SlickText’s say you lose your subscribers and data when you cancel. Export first. EZ Texting terms, SlickText terms
Three real examples
The three cheapest options for each, at list prices.
One coffee shop
A list of 500, texted once a week · 2,000 texts a month
- Textmagic, own Twilio$47.35
- TextScaleHQ$56.35
- SimpleTexting$84.00
Textmagic on your own Twilio is cheapest here, then TextScaleHQ. The other platforms land around $84 to $108.
A salon with three locations
A list of 2,500, texted once a week · 10,000 texts a month
- TextScaleHQ$187.15
- Textmagic, own Twilio$228.15
- SimpleTexting$341.50
Bring-your-own-carrier tools win clearly. The other platforms work out to 3.4¢ to 5¢ a text at this size.
An agency with ten clients
Lists adding up to 10,000, texted once a week · 40,000 texts a month
- TextScaleHQ$705.15
- Textmagic, own Twilio$906.15
- SimpleTexting$999.00
The flat fee matters most here. Check how each platform handles separate clients: EZ Texting needs its $125 plan for sub-accounts.
At 500 texts a month or fewer the order flips: Textmagic on your own Twilio is about $13.45, Salesmsg $26.25, EZ Texting $30.00 and SimpleTexting $30.25, against $37.45 on TextScaleHQ.
How to pay less
- Keep each text to one part
Stay under 160 characters and skip emoji. Short links help: a tracked link is often shorter than the page address.
- Pick toll-free for marketing
Toll-free verification is free at Twilio and Textmagic, while local 10DLC numbers add registration fees.
- Send pictures only when they earn it
One picture message costs about as much as three texts on credit plans.
- Text people who signed up recently
Clean out numbers that never respond. Every text to a dead number still costs.
- Match the plan to your real volume
Credit plans are cheapest at a few hundred texts. Above that, paying your carrier directly costs less.
Questions
How much does it cost to send 1,000 text messages?
At list prices in October 2026, about $27 to $59 a month on the platforms we checked, including carrier fees and a number. On Twilio the texts and carrier fees alone come to about $12.60, plus whatever the software costs.
What are SMS carrier fees?
Per-text surcharges that US carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon charge business senders, usually a fraction of a cent per text. Most platforms pass them through at cost on top of their own price; SimpleTexting lists about $0.0025 a text and SlickText $0.0042.
Is MMS more expensive than SMS?
Yes. SimpleTexting, SlickText and EZ Texting count a picture message as 3 credits, Salesmsg as 2, and Textmagic charges 8¢. On Twilio a picture message is $0.022 plus carrier fees.
Why did my text cost two credits?
A text over 160 characters is split into parts of 153 characters, and each part is billed. One emoji or special character drops the limit to 70 characters per part.
What is the cheapest SMS marketing platform?
It depends on volume. Under about 500 texts a month a small credit plan is cheapest. Above that, platforms that let you pay your carrier directly cost less, because nobody marks up each text.
SimpleTexting, EZ Texting, SlickText, Textmagic, Salesmsg, Twilio and Vonage are trademarks of their owners. TextScaleHQ isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
