marketingskills/skills/sms/references/platforms.md

SMS Platform Reference

Deep-dive on the major SMS marketing platforms — features, pricing, A2P 10DLC support, and integration paths.

Pricing is approximate and changes regularly. Always confirm at the vendor's site before committing.

---

Klaviyo SMS

Best for: DTC ecom brands already using Klaviyo for email.

Key features

• Native integration with Klaviyo email and segmentation
• Shared subscriber profile across email + SMS
• Built-in A2P 10DLC registration
• Flow builder shared with email flows
• Conversational SMS (two-way) supported

Pricing

• Bundled with Klaviyo plans, billed per SMS credit
• US: ~$0.0075–$0.015 per SMS; MMS ~$0.04
• Free tier: 150 SMS credits/month on lower email tiers

Integration paths

• Direct Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento integration
• API for custom platforms
• MCP server available

Compliance

• A2P 10DLC registration handled in-platform
• Toll-free and short code provisioning available (short code adds $1,000+/mo)
• Quiet hours enforced per recipient time zone (configurable)

Watch out for

• Email + SMS combined billing can spike fast on large lists
• Short code costs are real overhead; only worthwhile for 100K+ active SMS subscribers

---

Postscript

Best for: Shopify-native DTC brands wanting SMS-specific tooling and onboarding support.

Key features

• Deep Shopify integration (the deepest of any SMS platform)
• Strong abandoned cart and browse abandonment automations
• AI Reply (auto-reply trained on brand voice)
• Conversational SMS / live agent
• Audiences pulled from Shopify customer data

Pricing

• Tiered plans: Starter (free, 1K msgs/mo), Growth ($100+/mo), Professional, Enterprise
• Pay-per-send adds on top: ~$0.015 per SMS, ~$0.04 per MMS

Integration paths

• Shopify-first; limited support for non-Shopify
• API + webhooks available

Compliance

• A2P 10DLC handled in-platform
• Strong opt-in compliance tools (popup builder, keyword opt-in)
• Quiet hours enforced

Watch out for

• Steep cost increase past Starter tier
• Less useful if you're not on Shopify

---

Attentive

Best for: Mid-market and enterprise DTC brands wanting full-service SMS.

Key features

• Full-service: dedicated CSM, copy support, strategy
• Conversational SMS at scale
• Concierge sales-via-SMS
• Strong analytics and attribution
• Identity resolution (matching anon site visitors to phone numbers)

Pricing

• Custom contracts; typically $1K–$10K+/mo + per-send fees
• Annual contracts standard
• Pricing rarely makes sense for <50K SMS subscribers

Integration paths

• Shopify, BigCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, custom
• Robust API

Compliance

• Full A2P 10DLC managed
• Best-in-class compliance tooling and audit support
• Short code provisioning included on most plans

Watch out for

• Contract terms can lock you in for 12+ months
• Overkill for early-stage brands

---

Twilio

Best for: Custom builds, transactional SMS, B2B SaaS embedding SMS into products, developers.

Key features

• Raw SMS API
• Pay-per-send pricing, no platform fees
• Massive global coverage (200+ countries)
• Programmable Voice, WhatsApp Business, RCS available alongside
• Studio (visual flow builder) for non-code automation

Pricing

• US 10DLC SMS: $0.0079 per message
• US toll-free SMS: $0.0079 per message
• US short code SMS: $0.0079 per message + $1,000/mo lease
• MMS: ~$0.02
• Carrier surcharges layered on top (~$0.005 per US 10DLC)
• A2P 10DLC registration: ~$15 brand + $10/mo per campaign

Integration paths

• API-first (REST + SDKs in Node, Python, Ruby, Go, etc.)
• No native ecom integrations — you build them

Compliance

• A2P 10DLC registration in-platform but you do the work
• TwilioSendGrid (separate product) handles email-side compliance
• Quiet hours and STOP/HELP handling must be implemented by you

Watch out for

• You're responsible for compliance — no hand-holding
• No native segmentation, deliverability dashboards, or marketing UI
• Best paired with Customer.io, Segment, or a custom orchestration layer

---

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Best for: EU-based brands, email + SMS combo, SMB-friendly.

Key features

• Combined email + SMS + WhatsApp on one platform
• EU-headquartered, GDPR-native
• Generous free tier for email; SMS pay-per-send
• Marketing automation flows
• CRM included

Pricing

• Free tier: 300 emails/day; SMS pay-per-send
• US SMS: ~$0.015 per message
• EU SMS: varies by country, ~€0.04–€0.07

Integration paths

• Direct integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, Magento
• API + Zapier
• MCP server available

Compliance

• GDPR + ePrivacy built-in
• A2P 10DLC for US (less polished than dedicated US platforms)

Watch out for

• US SMS features lag behind Klaviyo/Postscript
• Best if you're EU-first or already on Brevo for email

---

SimpleTexting

Best for: SMB, services businesses, simple campaign blasts, low-volume.

Key features

• Easy-to-use UI
• Keyword opt-in for grassroots list building
• Built-in landing pages for opt-in
• Simple automation

Pricing

• Plans start ~$30/mo for 500 credits, scaling up
• US SMS only

Integration paths

• Zapier, Make, native to a few apps
• API available but basic

Compliance

• A2P 10DLC handled
• TCPA tooling

Watch out for

• Limited automation depth vs Klaviyo/Postscript
• Best for low-complexity, low-volume use cases (gyms, salons, real estate)

---

Plivo

Best for: Custom SMS builds where per-send cost matters; Twilio-style API at a lower price point.

Key features

• Direct Twilio competitor with similar surface area
• Powerpack for bulk sending with sticky sender across number pools
• A2P 10DLC handled in-platform
• WhatsApp, voice available alongside SMS
• SDKs for major languages

Pricing

• US 10DLC SMS: ~$0.0055/msg (typically 20–30% under Twilio)
• US short code SMS: similar + monthly lease
• MMS: ~$0.02
• Phone number rental: ~$0.80/mo local, ~$1/mo toll-free

Integration paths

• API-first (REST + SDKs)
• No native ecom integrations — you build them

Compliance

• A2P 10DLC managed in-platform
• Compliance plumbing (STOP/HELP, quiet hours) is your responsibility — same model as Twilio

Watch out for

• Smaller ecosystem than Twilio (fewer ancillary products, integrations, community resources)
• WhatsApp tooling less mature

---

AudienceTap

Best for: DTC brands wanting AI-forward creative tooling or on-pack QR opt-in as a primary acquisition channel.

Newer platform — verify current capabilities, pricing, and API surface before committing.

Key features

• SMS + email on one platform (similar combined model to Klaviyo)
• AI creative generation (SMS copy, subject lines, image variants)
• On-pack QR code opt-in: insert cards in shipped orders that drive SMS list growth
• Shopify, BigCommerce, headless commerce integrations
• A2P 10DLC managed in-platform
• Identity resolution and segmentation

Pricing

• Tiered by subscriber count + send volume
• Per-send pricing comparable to other DTC SMS platforms

Integration paths

• API access on Growth+ tiers
• Direct ecom integrations
• Webhooks for events

Compliance

• A2P 10DLC handled in-platform
• TCPA tooling — verify enterprise-scale depth before committing for large lists

Watch out for

• Newer entrant — fewer reference customers, less battle-tested at high volume than incumbents
• Some features rolled out recently — confirm what's GA vs beta before relying on them

---

Customer.io

Best for: B2B SaaS, behavior-based automation, multi-channel orchestration (email + SMS + push).

Key features

• Trigger SMS off product events (signup, milestone, churn risk)
• Powerful audience segmentation
• Workflow builder
• Real-time data sync via API/webhooks

Pricing

• Plans start ~$150/mo, scaling with profile count
• SMS via Twilio integration or native (varies)

Integration paths

• API-first
• Direct integrations with Segment, Heap, Mixpanel, etc.

Compliance

• A2P 10DLC via Twilio if using native integration
• Granular subscription/consent management

Watch out for

• Less ecom-tailored than Klaviyo/Postscript
• Best for product-led SaaS or apps with deep event tracking

---

Quick selection table

Stack / Goal	Recommended	Why
Shopify ecom, already on Klaviyo	Klaviyo SMS	One platform, one subscriber profile
Shopify ecom, SMS-first focus	Postscript	Deepest Shopify + SMS-specific features
Mid-market ecom, want concierge support	Attentive	Full-service team + tooling
Custom platform, B2B SaaS, transactional	Twilio	API-first, full control
Custom build, cost-sensitive	Plivo	~20–30% cheaper than Twilio per send
DTC wanting AI creative or on-pack QR opt-in	AudienceTap	AI-forward; insert-card opt-in is unique
EU-based SMB	Brevo	GDPR-native, EU-friendly pricing
Local services SMB, simple campaigns	SimpleTexting	Easy UI, low overhead
Product-led SaaS with event tracking	Customer.io	Behavior-based triggers

---

A2P 10DLC: what your platform should handle

Whatever you pick, confirm your platform handles:

• Brand and campaign registration with TCR
• Sample message text aligned with what you actually send
• Opt-in flow documentation submitted to carriers
• Trust score visibility (and a path to improve it)
• Throughput appropriate to your list size and send frequency
• STOP/HELP keyword handling
• Quiet hours by recipient time zone
• Suppression list management
• Consent record retention with timestamps

All major platforms above handle these. Twilio does the lowest-level work and pushes more responsibility onto you.