The best Zapier SMS app depends on whether you want messages to come from your own real mobile number or a rented commercial number, how much volume you send, and how much A2P 10DLC compliance work you want to take on. After comparing eight popular options on the same eight criteria, VoxiSMS is the strongest fit for operational and transactional SMS, while Twilio, ClickSend, and Plivo are stronger fits for high-volume bulk programs.
In a nutshell
- VoxiSMS is the only Zapier SMS app on this list that sends from your own real mobile number, so recipients see the number they already know. iPhone users can use VoxiSMS too by installing the app on any Android device and inserting their SIM or eSIM into it.
- Twilio, Plivo, and Bird are the strongest cloud SMS APIs for large US programs, but they all require A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration to stay deliverable.
- ClickSend and TextMagic suit teams that want pay as you go pricing with no rented number commitments, with free inbound SMS on both.
- SMS by Zapier is free but limited to 15 messages an hour and US or UK numbers only, so it works for personal alerts, not production workflows.
- SimpleTexting is best for SMB marketing teams that want a campaign UI on top of Zapier, not for transactional automation.
How we picked the best Zapier SMS apps
We looked at every SMS tool with an active Zapier listing and a documented Send SMS action. We then scored them on eight criteria that matter for a Zapier workflow:
- Sender ID model, meaning whether the recipient sees a real mobile number, a rented long code, a toll-free line, or a shared sender.
- Starting price, the lowest paid tier you can launch on.
- Cost per outbound SMS in the US, registered route.
- Inbound SMS support, since most automations need replies to flow back into Zapier.
- A2P 10DLC registration, because in the US this is the single biggest compliance burden.
- Setup time, from sign up to first live Zap.
- Volume sweet spot, since some tools break at 1,000 a day and others below 50.
- Best use case, the workflow shape each tool is actually built for.
Every number below is published on the vendor’s pricing page or in carrier rules, not estimated. Pricing for US registered traffic excludes carrier pass through fees unless noted.
The 8 best Zapier SMS apps at a glance
| # | App | Sender number | Cost per SMS (US) | Inbound | A2P 10DLC required | Starting price | Volume fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VoxiSMS | Your own real mobile number | No additional per message fee from VoxiSMS, only your carrier plan | Yes, native | No, traffic stays on personal long code | $3 per month | Operational, up to 100 SMS per day per device |
| 2 | Twilio | Rented 10DLC long code | About $0.0083 plus T-Mobile $0.003, Verizon $0.0025, AT&T $0.002 carrier fees | Yes | Yes, mandatory | $0.50 per number per month | High volume, transactional and marketing |
| 3 | ClickSend | Rented long code or shared | $0.0094 to $0.0276 depending on top up tier | Yes, free | Yes, mandatory | $20 top up | Mid to high volume, pay as you go |
| 4 | SMS by Zapier | Shared Zapier sender | Free | Yes, US and UK only | No, runs on Zapier’s own infra | $0, included in Zapier plan | Low volume alerts, under 15 per hour |
| 5 | TextMagic | Rented dedicated long code or toll free | $0.049 pay as you go, $0.04 on monthly plan | Yes, free | Yes for dedicated US numbers | $10 per number per month | Mid volume, business texting |
| 6 | Bird (MessageBird) | Rented long code, short code, or international | Custom, varies by route | Yes | Yes for US | Plans start at $50 per month | High volume and international |
| 7 | Plivo | Rented long code, toll free, or short code | $0.0077 plus carrier surcharges | Yes, $0.0077 | Yes, mandatory | $0.50 per number per month | High volume, developer led |
| 8 | SimpleTexting | Rented dedicated long code or toll free | About $0.039 to $0.078 depending on plan | Yes, free | Yes, mandatory | $39 per month | SMB marketing campaigns |
1. VoxiSMS: best for sending Zapier SMS from your own number
VoxiSMS turns any Android device into a Zapier compatible SMS sender. You install the VoxiSMS app from Google Play, insert your SIM or eSIM into the device, link it to your Voxiplan account, then add VoxiSMS as the action step in any Zap. iPhone users can still run VoxiSMS by picking up any Android phone or tablet and moving their SIM or eSIM into it. Outbound texts go through your own SIM and carrier plan, so the recipient sees the real mobile number they already trust. There is no additional per message fee from VoxiSMS, no rented number, and no A2P 10DLC campaign to register. Setup takes under 5 minutes, and the Zapier integration supports inbound replies through webhooks so two way conversations route back into Zapier, Slack, your CRM, or Voxiplan. More than 2,400 businesses already run their reminders and confirmations on VoxiSMS, including clinics, salons, agencies, and Shopify stores. Best fit: appointment reminders, order confirmations, lead follow ups, and any operational SMS up to roughly 100 messages per day per device.
2. Twilio: best for high volume cloud SMS at scale
Twilio is the default for engineering teams building anything beyond a simple Zap. US SMS pricing starts at about $0.0083 per message segment for the first 150,000 messages a month per number type, then steps down through six tiers, per Twilio’s US SMS pricing page. On top of the base rate, carriers add pass through fees: T-Mobile $0.003, Verizon $0.0025, and AT&T $0.002 per registered SMS, according to Twilio’s A2P 10DLC fee documentation. You also need to register an A2P 10DLC brand and at least one campaign before throughput unlocks. The Zapier action is reliable, supports inbound replies, and scales to millions of messages a month. Best fit: high volume marketing or transactional SMS where the team can absorb the 1 to 4 week 10DLC approval process and carrier fees.
3. ClickSend: best for pay as you go SMS without a monthly plan
ClickSend uses prepaid credit top ups instead of monthly subscriptions, which is friendly for spiky volume. US SMS pricing runs from $0.0094 per message at the $10,000 Enterprise tier up to $0.0276 at the $20 Boost tier, per ClickSend’s US pricing page. Inbound SMS is free. The Zapier integration includes Send SMS, Send Bulk SMS, and a webhook trigger for inbound. ClickSend handles A2P 10DLC for you when you provision a US number, although you still need to register the brand. Setup is faster than rolling your own Twilio account because the dashboard handles the campaign approval pipeline. Best fit: mid volume operational SMS where the team prefers credits over subscriptions, and where one shared dashboard for SMS, MMS, and direct mail is useful.
4. SMS by Zapier: best free option for low volume alerts
SMS by Zapier is Zapier’s own action that does not require a third party SMS account. It sends SMS through shared Zapier infrastructure to a confirmed phone number in the US or UK only, at no additional cost beyond your Zapier plan. The hard cap is 15 messages per hour, per Zapier’s help center, and message bodies are limited to 153 characters. The sender ID is shared and unrecognizable to your customer, which kills response rates for customer facing texts. Best fit: internal team alerts, monitoring pings to your own phone, and one off personal Zaps. Avoid for any customer facing workflow.
5. TextMagic: best for business texting with a dedicated number
TextMagic positions itself as a business texting app rather than a developer API. US outbound SMS costs $0.049 on pay as you go or $0.04 on a monthly plan, per TextMagic’s pricing page. Inbound SMS is free, but you need a dedicated number at $10 per month after the first month. The Zapier integration covers Send SMS, schedule SMS, and inbound triggers. TextMagic also offers a Bring Your Own Carrier option that drops outbound to $0.01 per SMS if you connect your own Twilio or Vonage number. Best fit: small business teams that want a clean shared inbox, business hours scheduling, and templates layered on top of Zapier.
6. Bird (formerly MessageBird): best for international SMS
Bird is one of the largest global messaging platforms and remains a top choice for teams sending across the EU, LATAM, and Asia. Pricing is consumption based and quoted on plans starting at $50 per month, with custom enterprise tiers and country specific per message rates that can change with carrier updates. Bird also bundles WhatsApp, email, and voice in the same platform, which appeals to teams that want one vendor across channels. The Zapier integration is solid for outbound SMS and inbound webhooks. Best fit: companies sending SMS into many countries where local carrier routing and compliance matter more than the lowest US per message rate.
7. Plivo: best low cost cloud SMS API alternative to Twilio
Plivo is the closest direct competitor to Twilio on price and developer experience. US outbound and inbound SMS both cost $0.0077 on long codes before carrier surcharges, per Plivo’s US SMS pricing page. Numbers cost $0.50 per month for long codes and $1.00 for toll free. The Zapier integration supports Send SMS and inbound triggers, and A2P 10DLC registration follows the same pattern as Twilio. Plivo’s pricing is consistently a few hundredths of a cent cheaper than Twilio at scale, which matters at six figure monthly volume. Best fit: developer led teams running high volume transactional SMS who want Twilio capabilities at a lower per message rate.
8. SimpleTexting: best for SMB SMS marketing campaigns
SimpleTexting is built for marketing teams, not engineers. Plans start at $39 per month for 500 messages, with per message rates falling as you climb tiers. Inbound is free. The platform layers campaign tools, MMS, opt in keywords, and segment builders on top of a rented dedicated long code or toll free number, and the Zapier integration triggers SMS campaigns from third party events. A2P 10DLC registration is required and handled inside the dashboard. Best fit: local SMBs running promotional SMS campaigns where the marketing UI matters more than per message cost or developer flexibility.
How do you choose the right Zapier SMS app for your workflow?
Start by deciding whether the message needs to come from a number your customer already knows. If yes, VoxiSMS is the only realistic option on this list, because every other tool ships through rented or shared sender infrastructure. If sender trust is not critical and you need to send high volumes, look at Twilio or Plivo for transactional traffic, ClickSend for credit based flexibility, or Bird for international coverage. If the use case is purely marketing, SimpleTexting and TextMagic offer better campaign UI than any API. SMS by Zapier should be reserved for personal alerts. Once you have shortlisted on sender model and volume, compare the carrier fees and 10DLC overhead, since those frequently double the headline per message rate at scale.
Frequently asked questions
Which Zapier SMS app is the cheapest?
For low volume personal use, SMS by Zapier is free up to 15 messages per hour. For business use, VoxiSMS is effectively the cheapest because there is no additional per message fee from VoxiSMS beyond your existing carrier plan, with Starter at $3 per month. Cloud APIs like Plivo and Twilio look cheap per message but stack carrier fees and 10DLC campaign costs on top.
Can I send SMS from Zapier using my own phone number?
Yes. VoxiSMS pairs an Android device with Zapier and sends every message through whatever SIM or eSIM is in that device. iPhone users can use VoxiSMS too by installing the app on any Android phone or tablet and moving their SIM or eSIM into it. Twilio, Plivo, and similar APIs require a number rented through their platform.
Do I need A2P 10DLC registration to send SMS through Zapier in the US?
A2P 10DLC applies to messages sent through commercial 10DLC numbers, which is how Twilio, Plivo, ClickSend, Bird, TextMagic, and SimpleTexting deliver in the US. Sending from your own personal or business mobile number through VoxiSMS falls outside A2P 10DLC. Always confirm with a compliance professional for marketing or high volume programs.
Can I receive replies in Zapier?
Every app in this comparison supports inbound SMS as a trigger, either natively or through webhooks. VoxiSMS routes replies into Zapier via webhooks, which then fans them out to Slack, your CRM, or any other connected app.
What is the maximum volume I can send through Zapier?
SMS by Zapier caps at 15 messages per hour. VoxiSMS handles up to 100 SMS per day per device on Starter, with multi device setups for higher throughput. Twilio, Plivo, ClickSend, and Bird can each handle hundreds of thousands of messages per day with the right 10DLC registration.
Which Zapier SMS app is best for appointment reminders?
For appointment reminders, VoxiSMS performs best because reminders come from the same number that confirmed the booking. Practices using VoxiSMS have reported up to 40% fewer no shows. SimpleTexting and TextMagic also work for reminders, but recipients see an unfamiliar number, which reduces open and confirm rates.
Ready to send your first Zap from your own number?
If you want operational SMS that lands from a number your customers already trust, install VoxiSMS on any Android device, pop in your SIM or eSIM, and connect it to Zapier in under 5 minutes. iPhone user? Grab any Android phone or tablet, move your SIM or eSIM over, and you are ready to go. Start with the Zapier integration page or download the app and ship your first Zap today.
