SMS Marketing Cost in 2026 (Keep Your Budget In Check)

Texting has always been one of the most cost-effective ways to reach customers. However, in 2026, the pricing structure has shifted due to new technologies, regulations, and consumer behaviors.

If your business relies on business texting for promotions or appointment reminders, unexpected expenses can make it difficult to scale your messaging strategy without going over budget.

To keep your monthly cost under control while getting the most out of SMS marketing, you need a cost-effective SMS platform that offers transparent pricing and built-in automation.

In this article, we’ll explore how SMS marketing costs and how to work out your return on investment (ROI) for your campaigns. Rather than worrying about hidden fees, you can focus on reaching customers and growing your business in a way that fits within your budget.

TL;DR

• Short Message Service (SMS) rates typically range from $0.01 to $0.05 per message, but total costs depend on list size, frequency, message length, and format.
• Sending long SMS marketing campaigns, multimedia, or international texts can increase expenses if not carefully planned.
• Hidden fees for essentials like automation, CRM syncing, and incoming messages are common with many providers.
• SMS continues to deliver strong ROI compared to email and direct mail, but only when campaigns are well-targeted and trackable.
• Textellent offers upfront SMS pricing with all key features included to help maximize your SMS marketing efforts without surprise charges.

Why Ignoring SMS Is More Expensive

Many businesses hesitate to invest in SMS mobile marketing due to higher costs. But the reality is that not using SMS at all is even more expensive.

Data shows SMS is still worth the investment:

• SMS has an average response rate of 45%, compared to email’s 6%.
• Global advertising spend is expected to grow by 5.1% in 2026, which also highlights SMS marketing’s growing popularity for businesses looking to reach customers.
• Consumers prefer offers via SMS, but 71% of users will likely unsubscribe if they receive too many irrelevant texts.

If you invest in smarter mobile marketing strategies instead of chasing the cheapest option, you’ll see higher returns in the long run.

Get a customized SMS marketing cost estimate tailored to your needs. Sign up for a free trial or schedule a demo with Textellent today!

Text Message Marketing Cost per Message

Several factors influence your per-message rate beyond just the act of sending a text. 

For domestic SMS in the U.S., most providers charge $0.01 to $0.05 per message, with lower prices available when you send messages in bulk or run recurring campaigns.

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), which includes images, videos, or GIFs, costs more due to the higher bandwidth and file processing involved. Businesses using MMS can pay anywhere from $0.03 to $0.10 per message or more, depending on the provider.

Bulk SMS platforms may offer discounted pricing tiers, where sending thousands of messages monthly lowers the individual cost, especially if you’re running recurring campaigns.

If you send messages internationally, costs rise quickly. Cross-border SMS often falls between $0.25 and $0.50 per message, depending on the destination country and local carrier fees. International MMS can cost even more, so global campaigns need careful budgeting.

SMS short codes are easier for customers to remember and allow fast delivery at scale. However, they come with a higher registration fee or leasing costs, even if the per-message cost stays competitive.

Toll-free numbers or long code messaging numbers may offer a middle ground for smaller businesses.

Major Cost Factors of SMS Marketing Pricing

If you focus only on per-message pricing, you might end up paying more in the long run due to missing out on features that save time and improve customer engagement.

Several factors influence pricing, from SMS compliance fees to automation tools. Understanding these additional costs helps you choose an SMS provider with a smart pricing strategy.

Let’s break it down below to see where your money is going and how to maximize your investment.

Number of Subscribers

The more people you reach, the higher your costs will be. Most platforms charge per message, so each time you send SMS messages, every recipient adds to the total cost.

However, the good news is that many SMS marketing platforms like Textellent offer monthly plans with volume-based discounts. 

The more messages you send, the lower the cost per message can be. These savings can add up over time, especially with a high monthly message volume.

Message Volume and Frequency

The size of your subscriber list and how often you send text messaging campaigns play a huge role in your overall cost.

If you’re running an SMS campaign with daily updates versus bi-weekly or monthly, your costs will reflect that. Consistency is great for engagement, but you’ll want to balance that with budget considerations.

One way to optimize this is through SMS segmentation. You can send fewer, more relevant messages to specific groups rather than blasting your entire list every time.

Type of Message: SMS vs. MMS

Do you want to send plain text messages or use multimedia like images, videos, or GIFs?

MMS marketing is more expensive than SMS messages because they include more data and take up more bandwidth. They can include pictures, videos, or audio, costing more than regular text messages. 

While text message marketing costs a few cents, MMS messages can range from a few cents to over 10 cents per message as they require more storage and processing.

Message Length

Though SMS messages aren’t limited to 160 characters, they are expected to be direct and concise.

If you go beyond that, your message will be split into multiple texts, which can double or even triple your costs. Platforms count each additional 160 characters as a separate message, so crafting concise, impactful texts can save you money.

Target Audience and Location

Who you’re sending messages to and their location can also affect the cost. Targeting messages to specific groups might initially cost more due to setup, but it’s usually more effective.

It’s more expensive to send messages to people in other countries because of higher rates for international messaging. Knowing where your audience is and targeting your messages can help manage these costs.

What Is SMS Marketing ROI?

SMS marketing ROI measures how much profit your business generates from SMS campaigns compared to the total amount spent running them.

It’s important to know if your SMS efforts pay off, as it will guide you in investing in what works best. Plus, it clues you into customer likes, which can help tweak future campaigns.

Steps to Calculate Your SMS Marketing ROI

To calculate your SMS marketing ROI, you can follow these steps:

1. Total investment: Add up everything you’ve spent on your SMS campaign, including platform fees and message costs.
2. Revenue generated: Figure out how much money the campaign made from sales directly linked to your automated text messages.
3. Net profit: Subtract your total investment from your revenue. This shows the profit your SMS campaign brought in.
4. ROI calculation: Use the formula: ROI = (Net Profit ÷ Total Investment) × 100.

This will show how strong your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are and whether adjustments are needed.

Comparing SMS Marketing ROI to Other Channels

When evaluating the ROI of SMS marketing to other channels, it’s important to look at costs, engagement levels, and conversion rates:

Email marketing is cheaper and allows for richer content with images and links. However, it has lower open and click rates. Emails can also get lost in spam filters.

Social media advertising offers a broad reach and precise targeting based on user data. The costs can vary widely, and users might ignore ads due to overexposure.

Direct mail creates a tangible connection and offers creative branding opportunities. Yet, it’s generally more expensive due to printing and postage, and delivery takes longer.

How Textellent Helps You Get More Value From SMS

Many SMS platforms advertise low per-message costs. But what they don’t tell you is that you’ll end up paying extra for essential features like SMS automation, CRM integration, and carrier compliance.

These hidden fees can quickly turn a budget-friendly solution into a costly one.

With Textellent’s tiered pricing model, you get everything you need in one package without worrying about unexpected fees.

Pricing Overview

• 14-day free trial: Start with 25 SMS credits to test core features and see how messaging works in your business.
• Essentials plan: Priced at $59 per month, this plan includes 750 SMS credits and supports one user. Additional credits are available at $0.039 each.
• Standard plan: At $119 per month, this plan offers 2,000 SMS credits and accommodates two users. Extra credits can be purchased for $0.034 each.
• Premium plan: Customizable plan tailored to specific business needs, with custom pricing details available upon request.

All plans have a 15% discount when paid annually.

What You Get With Textellent’s SMS Marketing 

Many SMS platforms start cheaply but get expensive when you add essential features. Here’s why you should upgrade to Textellent to save money and get better inclusions:

1:1 Live Onboarding

One of the biggest challenges businesses face when setting up SMS marketing is launching campaigns correctly. Many providers leave users to figure things out on their own, which leads to wasted time and costly mistakes.

With Textellent’s live onboarding, you get hands-on support to configure automation, set up contact lists, and optimize messages for the best response rates. Instead of trial and error, you start with a fully optimized system from day one.

Unlimited Contacts

Some SMS marketing companies charge based on the number of contacts stored. You’ll end up paying just to keep customer data on their platform. This makes scaling expensive, especially if you’re running mass messaging.

With Textellent’s paid plans, you can store unlimited contacts without worrying about extra fees. You can expand their customer lists without deleting inactive users or paying for additional storage.

Free Incoming SMS

Two-way SMS communication is essential for handling customer inquiries, appointment confirmations, and feedback collection. However, some platforms charge for both outgoing and incoming messages, which makes it expensive to maintain real-time conversations.

Textellent allows your sales team to receive replies for free to make sure customer interactions aren’t cut short due to cost concerns. This is valuable for service-based industries where clients frequently respond to appointment reminders or promotional SMS with follow-up questions.

MMS/Image Texting

Text-only messages work well for quick updates, but adding images, GIFs, or QR codes can increase engagement. Some SMS platforms either don’t support MMS or charge extra for multimedia messaging.

Text message marketing tools like Textellent include MMS capabilities at no additional cost to make your messages more engaging and visually appealing.

Retail businesses sharing exclusive discount codes, healthcare providers sending infographics, and real estate agents sending property images to potential buyers can benefit from this.

Unlimited Tags

SMS marketing is most effective when messages are personalized. Instead of sending mass texts to your entire contact list, tagging helps you create segments based on customer behavior, purchase history, or interests.

Textellent’s Essentials plan includes 25 tags, while the Standard and Premium plans offer unlimited tags.

You can use tags to send follow-up messages only to users who engaged with previous campaigns and separate VIP customers for exclusive offers.

You can also categorize contacts based on region, service type, or sales funnel stage.

Free Carrier Registration (10DLC)

SMS marketing regulations are stricter. If you send messages only through unverified numbers, you risk higher fees, deliverability issues, and even legal action.

Textellent provides free 10DLC registration to make sure your business phone number is fully verified and compliant with carrier requirements. 

Many platforms charge $10 to $50 for this service. However, this SMS marketing platform offers better value if you want to avoid compliance headaches.

Run Scalable Campaigns at a Manageable Cost—Try Textellent!

Looking to control your SMS marketing cost without cutting performance? With Textellent, everything you need in an SMS platform is already included, so you can launch high-performing campaigns and stay on budget.

Whether you’re running a few promotions or scaling full SMS marketing campaigns, Textellent offers flexible plans that match your message volume and team size.

You can choose between three SMS plans, each packed with features like unlimited contact storage, automated text messages, and built-in 10DLC compliance.

If you’re serious about driving engagement without wasting budget, now’s the time to switch to a platform designed around real business needs.

Cut your SMS campaign expenses in half with Textellent’s efficient texting solutions. Sign up for a free trial or request a demo consultation today!

FAQs About SMS Marketing Pricing

Is SMS marketing legal in the USA?

Yes, SMS marketing is legal in the U.S. as long as you comply with regulations such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and obtain proper consent before messaging consumers.

When collecting consent, you must disclose that the messages are promotional and may be sent via automated text messages. Every campaign should include an easy way for recipients to unsubscribe, typically by replying “STOP.”

What is the average ROI for SMS marketing?

SMS marketing delivers strong returns due to high open and response rates. On average, businesses generate an ROI of $16.70 for every $1 spent on SMS marketing. These campaigns also see strong engagement, with a 27.7% click-through rate.

How much does SMS marketing cost?

The cost of SMS marketing depends on multiple factors, including the platform used, the country where messages are sent, and additional features like automation and personalization.

In the U.S., basic SMS cost ranges from $0.01 and $0.05 per message. MMS messages, which include images or videos, typically cost between $0.03 and $0.10 per message per message.

Some providers follow a pay-as-you-go structure, while others offer subscription plans that bundle credits and features. Discounts are common for businesses sending a high volume, but the total cost still depends on how many messages you send.

Is SMS marketing effective?

Yes, SMS remains one of the most reliable channels for reaching customers. Whether you’re a solo marketer or part of a larger sales team, it supports personalized communication.

Keep in mind that pricing varies across platforms. Some use a flat-rate system, while others follow a hybrid pricing model based on usage, feature access, or message type. 

Choosing the right model depends on your campaign goals and how scalable your SMS marketing strategy needs to be.