With SMS messages becoming a key utility in today’s modern world, we are finding ourselves sending more and more of them. But the telecommunications industry is charging a fairly high price on 160 characters. So what can we do about it? We can send SMS messages for free, or for a very low price by utilizing the magic power of the internet.
The only downside with this is that you have to be sitting in front of a computer, unless of course you have one of those hi-tech phones with internet capabilities.
So where are these free SMS services hiding? We’ll expose them now. Here are 10 great sites to send free text messages to cell phones (SMS).
Yakedi
If you are anywhere but in Australia, unfortunately this service will not work for you. But if you are, Yakedi is absolutely the BEST free site to send SMS messages to Australian and New Zealand users. I have been using this site for years now. When I first joined, they offered unlimited free SMS messages. Unfortunately, they reduced it down to 10, now it is a steady 3 per day.
Pros
- You get the full 160 character for each SMS you send
- The messages come from your phone number and not someone else’s
- You have a contact list so you can select contacts
- Their is no advertisements in SMS messages. However, you do have the otion to include advertisements in your messages
- Since I have been using this service, they have not sent spam to my mobile phone, or to the people I send the text messages to
- The website has a nice, clean, professional design
- Ads are chosen based on surveys of your interest, so you know the ads are targeted towards you
- Ads are from known corporations (could be a pro or a con)
- All messages are kept in your message log so you can keep track of what you have sent (and how much money you have saved)
- You have the ability to earn more free text messages through competitions and email promotions
- You can change your mobile number anytime
- SMS messages take roughly 5 seconds to receive
Cons
- This service can only send SMS messages to Australian and New Zealand numbers
- By default, you can only send 3 SMS messages per day, unless you have won more from promotions
- They are starting to introduce email promotion = a little bit of spam in your inbox (1-2 a month)
- There is a four step process to send your SMS. (1. Send SMS, 2. select recipient, 3. Write text message, 4. Confirm message)
Final Say
If you live in Australia and New Zealand, this is the best site for you to send free text messages to cell phones on a daily basis.
GizmoSMS
The good thing about GizmoSMS is that you can send free text messages to any number world-wide. You do not even have to sign up or have a mobile phone number. It is just a web-based form. But without signing up, the mobile number it is from will not be yours and you only get 80 characters.
GizmoSMS is great if you want to send a message or a note to someone who may be overseas. It is quick and easy. If you want a bit more features, you should have a look atGizmo5 SMS.
SMS Pup
A friend referred me to this program, however, it is not as good as Yakedi as you will see why in the pros and cons.
Pros
- Contains an phone book
- Messages come from your number
- SMS messages take roughly 5 seconds to receive
- Contains a number of other services
- You can schedule your SMS messages
- Provides a number of ways to send free text messages to cell phones such as through the web, email and allows you to turn English text into SMS slang
Con’s
- You have to do a one minute survey before you can start using the service, which gives you 5 free sms messages
- SMS may contain ads
- If your email has a “˜.’ in it, it won’t allow you to sign up
- You only get 136 characters, which means the rest are advertisements (Free sms message by SMSPup.com)
- Unless you want your email inbox to increase, with surveys and advertisments, don’t sign up with an email address you regularly use.
Final Say
Unless you want to do surveys all the time, SPSPup is OK. It still can’t beat Yakedi.
SMSFun
SMSFun not only allows you to send free SMS messages but you also join part of a community. You have access to forums, User Profiles and Useful Tools such as number lookups.
Pros
- You can send SMS messages from email
- Allows you to look up premium numbers to see what they are
- A community based service, which allows profiles
- Has premium SMS services
- If you need more SMS messages, you can upgrade to a Gold Subscription for $2 per week which allows you access to more features on the website
Con’s
- A lot of ads, and a few raunchy user pictures
- Signup process is a bit lengthy
- Have to earn free SMS messages
- You may want to stay away from Premium SMS services that SMSFun offers
Final Say
If you just want to send free SMS messages without all the other features that SMS fun offers, then I would go with Yakedi or SMSPup. Nevertheless, if you want to join part of a community, fill out surveys and earn free text messages that way, you can’t go past this website.
Text4Free
Text4Free allows you to send free SMS messages to most countries world-wide. The only downside is that you may have to know your recipient’s cell phone provider, otherwise recipients may be charged.
A Few Others
Web2msg ““ You do not need to register and you get 140 characters. This service is only for Australian users, but it is a quick and free way to send a free text message to a mate.
SendSMSNow ““ You can send a free SMS to selected countries only. Registration is now free.
FreebieSMS ““ You need to register your number and your friends number and email address to be able to send a free SMS message.
Mobik ““ I have not had any experience with them. Maybe you have and you can tell us a bit about them?
Clickatell
If you want to set up your own SMS website service, then you should have a look atClickatell. They allow you to develop and integrate your own SMS service on your website. If that is not your thing, you can download a desktop application to send cheap SMS messages world-wide.
If you want to send cheap SMS messages using your computer, it is best to use Clickatell. Any problems, just send them an email, as they have 24/7 online help.
A word of caution
As with any website, please read their terms and conditions, and Privacy Policy before entering any personal information. Remember that these sites make their money by advertisements and possibly selling your personal information to third parties. What I suggest is to buy a $2 SIM card to try them out first, just in case they do spam your mobile number, or steal some credit. When testing these services, I have not had these issues yet.
So make sure you read these pages first before using these services:
Yakedi : T&C, Privacy Policy
SMSPup: T&C, Privacy Policy
SMS Fun: T&C, Privacy Policy
Do you use a website to send free text messages to cell phones? If you do, please share in the comments. If you have used such a service, and it has been a scam, please also let us know and our readers.
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