Best Android SMS gateway apps in 2026: 7 apps compared

Prices and features checked: 28 October 2026

Which Android SMS gateway app is best?

For a free, open-source app with the most features, use SMS Gate. To self-host a full gateway with a dashboard, use TextBee. For end-to-end encryption on a hosted plan, httpSMS. For the simplest local HTTP API, Traccar. For a hosted gateway with no daily cap on the free plan, a $9.99 plan for 3,000 SMS, an MCP server and no device limit, use smsportal.app.

Android SMS gateway apps side by side

Checked against each project’s website, docs and GitHub repository on 28 October 2026. smsportal.app is listed first because this is our page; the rest are alphabetical.

Android SMS gateway apps side by side
App	Free tier	Paid from	Open source	Self-host	Webhooks	MCP server	Install
smsportal.app	300 SMS/month, no daily cap	$9.99 for 3,000 SMS	MCP server only (MIT)	No	Yes, signed	Yes	APK from the site, self-updating
httpSMS	200 SMS/month	$10 for 5,000 SMS	Yes, AGPL-3.0	Yes	Yes	Not found	APK
SimGate	250 SMS/month	€7.49 for 1,200 SMS	No	No	Yes, signed	Not found	Not verified
SMS Gate (capcom6)	Free, local and cloud	No paid plans	Yes, Apache-2.0	Yes	Yes	No (agent skill file)	APK from GitHub
SMSMobileAPI	3-day trial	25 zł (about $7) a month	No	No	Yes, signed	Not found	Google Play, App Store
TextBee	300 SMS/month, max 50/day	$14.99 for 5,000 SMS	Yes, MIT	Yes	Yes, signed	Yes	APK from the site
Traccar SMS Gateway	Free	No paid plans	Yes, GPL-3.0	Local API on the phone	Not described	No	Google Play

Which to choose

When another app is the better choice

You want everything free and open source: SMS Gate or TextBee (self-hosted).
You need end-to-end encryption: SMS Gate or httpSMS.
You need MMS: SMS Gate.
You want the app from Google Play: Traccar or SMSMobileAPI.
You want WhatsApp in the same plan: SMSMobileAPI.

When smsportal.app is the better choice

You want a hosted service and a dashboard your team can use, without running servers.
You send up to 300 SMS a month on free, sometimes more than 50 in a day.
You want AI agents (Claude, Cursor, Codex) to send and read SMS through MCP.
You connect several phones on a small plan.
You need EU hosting, Polish support or invoices in PLN.

What each app is best at

All seven send SMS through the SIM in an Android phone, so your carrier bills the texts. They differ in what sits around the phone.

SMS Gate: the broadest free feature set, including MMS, data SMS, end-to-end encryption and a local API that works without internet.
TextBee: open source (MIT) with a full web dashboard you can host yourself, plus an official MCP server. smsportal.app was built on its code.
httpSMS: end-to-end encryption with the key kept on the phone, open source (AGPL-3.0), and simple per-volume plans.
SimGate: a managed service with verified n8n, Make and Zapier integrations and automation rules, but no scheduler.
SMSMobileAPI: one flat plan that also covers WhatsApp, with apps on Google Play and the App Store.
Traccar SMS Gateway: a messaging app with an HTTP API on the phone, built mainly for Traccar GPS alerts.
smsportal.app: a hosted gateway with a team dashboard, CSV bulk sending, an MCP server, no device limit, Polish and English UI, and EU hosting.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Android SMS gateway app?

An app that lets software send and receive SMS through the SIM card in an Android phone. Your code calls an API, the phone sends the text over the carrier network, and replies come back by webhook or API. You pay your carrier for the texts instead of a per-message fee to an SMS provider.

Which Android SMS gateway is free?

SMS Gate and Traccar SMS Gateway are free with no paid plans, and TextBee is free to self-host. Hosted free tiers: smsportal.app (300 SMS a month), TextBee (300 a month, 50 a day), SimGate (250) and httpSMS (200), as of 28 October 2026.

Which open-source Android SMS gateway is best?

SMS Gate (Apache-2.0, about 5,900 GitHub stars) has the widest feature set. httpSMS (AGPL-3.0) focuses on encryption, and TextBee (MIT) gives you a full dashboard to self-host.

Do these apps work on iPhone?

No. iOS does not let apps send SMS in the background, so every gateway on this list needs an Android phone.

Can a phone gateway replace Twilio?

For low-volume, two-way messages such as reminders and alerts, yes. For high volume, sender IDs or guaranteed throughput, use a provider like Twilio. See our smsportal.app vs Twilio comparison.

Sources

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