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Comparison

What is the best Android SMS gateway?
The 2026 comparison.

Four apps turn an Android phone into an SMS gateway you drive over HTTP: SMSGate, httpSMS, textbee and Unlimited Messaging. What each one does today, where the open source projects are ahead, and when a multi-channel API fits better.

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The basics

What is an Android SMS gateway app?

An Android SMS gateway app turns a phone with a SIM card into an SMS sender you control from code: your server calls an API, the phone sends the text over the carrier network, and replies come back as webhooks. SMS Gateway for Android, httpSMS and textbee made the idea popular as open source projects; Unlimited Messaging added it in November 2026 as a third channel next to WhatsApp and email.

The appeal is cost and identity. The SMS leave from your own number, on your own plan, so recipients recognize you and no SMS provider bills you per message. The trade-off is volume: a phone is not a carrier-grade route, and Android itself asks the user to confirm when an app sends more than 30 SMS in 30 minutes.

None of these four apps is on Google Play, for the same reason: Play only grants SMS permissions to the phone's default SMS app, so each one ships an APK to install by hand. All of them run a background service and need the phone powered, online and with signal.

This comparison only uses what each project documents publicly, checked on 7 November 2026 in their READMEs, docs and pricing pages. Open source projects move fast: follow the links before deciding.

Related: let Claude or ChatGPT send SMS from your phone, and email and WhatsApp in one API request.

Illustration: a comparison table where one column has every check, with the headline “Android SMS gateway apps, compared”.

The table

SMSGate vs httpSMS vs textbee vs Unlimited Messaging

All four send from your own SIM. They differ on hosting, media, privacy and what sits around the SMS.

SMSGate vs httpSMS vs textbee vs Unlimited Messaging
SMSGateSMS Gateway for AndroidhttpSMSNdoleStudiotextbeevernuUnlimited MessagingSMS + WhatsApp + email
Open sourceYes, Apache-2.0 (app and server)Yes, AGPL-3.0Yes, AGPL-3.0Android app only (MIT)
Self-hostingPrivate server, or a local server on the phone itselfYes, DockerYes, Docker Compose plus your own Firebase projectNo, hosted service (EU)
Hosted planFree public cloud, limits not publishedFree tier with a monthly cap, paid Pro planFree: 50 SMS/day, 300/month. Pro $14.99/mo: 5,000/monthFree plan, no per-SMS fee
Receive SMSYesYesYesYes, in one inbox with WhatsApp and email
WebhooksReceived, sent, delivered, failed, MMS, data SMSYesYes, HMAC-signedmessage.received and status events
Dual SIMYesYes (SIM1 / SIM2)Yes, SIM chosen per messageYes, one account per SIM
MMSSend and receiveSend (attachments)Not documentedNo, text only (1,530 characters)
End-to-end encryptionOptionalOptional, AES-256, key stays on the phoneNot documentedNo (TLS in transit only)
How the phone gets messagesFirebase push, SSE fallback without Play ServicesFirebase pushFirebase pushLong polling, no Firebase or Play Services
Other channelsSMS only (email-to-SMS and Telegram bridges)SMS onlySMS onlyWhatsApp + email + SMS in one request
MCP server for AI assistantsNot documented (agent integration guide)Not documentedYes, npm package and hosted endpointYes, hosted with OAuth, SMS + WhatsApp + email
SDKs and no-codeGo, JS/TS, PHP, Python, Rust clientsGo and JS/TS clientsREST APIPython and TypeScript SDKs, n8n node
Minimum Android5.097.08.0
Track recordAbout 6,000 GitHub stars, since 2022About 6,300 GitHub stars, since 2022About 3,300 GitHub starsSMS channel launched November 2026

Checked on 7 November 2026 in each project's README, documentation and pricing page (links in the sources). httpSMS does not publish its tier limits in a crawlable form, so check its site for current numbers.

In brief

The four apps at a glance

  • SMSGate (SMS Gateway for Android)

    The most complete feature set: SMS, MMS and binary data SMS in both directions, multi-SIM, optional end-to-end encryption, and three modes (a local server on the phone, a free public cloud, or your own private server). Apache-2.0, client libraries in five languages.

    sms-gate.app

  • httpSMS

    A simple HTTP API to send and receive SMS through your phone, with webhooks for incoming messages, optional AES-256 end-to-end encryption, MMS attachments and scheduled sends up to 20 days ahead. AGPL-3.0, self-hostable with Docker, or hosted with a free tier.

    httpsms.com

  • textbee

    A hosted SMS gateway with a dashboard, CSV bulk sends paced to carrier limits, signed webhooks, several devices per account and an MCP server for Claude and Cursor. Free plan at 50 SMS a day, Pro at $14.99 a month. AGPL-3.0 and self-hostable.

    textbee.dev

  • Unlimited Messaging

    A messaging API where SMS is one channel among three: the same POST /message sends SMS, WhatsApp or email, up to three channels at once. Hosted MCP server for AI assistants, unified inbox, webhooks, Python and TypeScript SDKs, n8n node. The Android app is MIT and needs no Google services.

Fair play

When another gateway may suit you better

Each tool has its strengths. If one of these points is a hard requirement, one of the other three may be the better fit.

  1. Self-hosting

    SMSGate, httpSMS and textbee can run on your own servers, and SMSGate even offers a local mode on your network. Unlimited Messaging is a hosted service: nothing to install or maintain.

  2. MMS

    SMSGate sends and receives MMS, and httpSMS sends MMS attachments. Unlimited Messaging focuses on text SMS up to 1,530 characters and sends images and files through WhatsApp or email in the same request.

  3. End-to-end encryption

    SMSGate and httpSMS can encrypt message content end to end. Unlimited Messaging encrypts traffic in transit and processes the text on its servers, which is what powers the shared inbox and your webhooks.

Where we fit

What Unlimited Messaging adds around the SMS

The gateway part is comparable. The difference is everything that sits next to it.

SMS, WhatsApp and email in one API

One POST /message, one API key, one status model. Pick SMS, WhatsApp or email per message, or send on up to three channels in the same request.

An MCP server for AI assistants

Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor connect over OAuth and get one connector for all three channels: they can text from your phone, send a WhatsApp or an email, and read the replies.

  1. One inbox for the replies

    SMS received after you sign in to the app land next to your WhatsApp chats and emails, and fire the same message.received webhook.

  2. No Google services on the phone

    No Firebase, no Play Services, no analytics. The app keeps one long-polling connection open and signs in through the website's own login page.

  3. Your number, your plan

    Recipients see your number. Unlimited Messaging charges nothing per SMS; your carrier plan applies. Free plan messages end with a short signature.

  4. SDKs and n8n

    Official Python and TypeScript SDKs and an n8n node already cover SMS, with the same webhooks and statuses as the other channels.

POST /messageShell
curl https://api.unlimitedmessaging.app/message \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $UM_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": { "phone": "+33612345678" },
    "channels": [{ "channel": "SMS" }],
    "text": "Your appointment is tomorrow at 10:00."
  }'
The same request as for WhatsApp or email, with "channel": "SMS". Add "accountId" to pick a SIM on a dual SIM phone.

FAQ

Questions about Android SMS gateway apps

Sources

Sources & references

To check the information in this article for yourself:

  1. SMS Gateway for Android - README (features, modes, license)GitHub - capcom6
  2. SMSGate - public cloud server (Firebase, SSE fallback)docs.sms-gate.app
  3. SMSGate - client librariesdocs.sms-gate.app
  4. httpSMS - README (webhooks, end-to-end encryption, self-hosting)GitHub - NdoleStudio
  5. textbee - README (self-hosting, dual SIM, webhooks, bulk)GitHub - vernu
  6. textbee - pricingtextbee.dev
  7. textbee - MCP servertextbee.dev
  8. Use of SMS or Call Log permission groupsGoogle Play Console Help
  9. SmsUsageMonitor (30 SMS in 30 minutes threshold)Android Open Source Project
  10. Unlimited Messaging for Android - READMEGitHub - UnlimitedMessaging
Ilian, senior software engineer

Written by

· Senior Software Engineer

A senior software engineer, he founds and runs several tech companies. He builds products around messaging APIs, automation and AI integration, and shares here what he learns while building.

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