smsportal.app vs TextBee: same foundation, different service
Prices and features checked:
Should you pick TextBee or smsportal.app?
Pick TextBee if you want to self-host the whole gateway from open source or need 5,000+ messages a month on one plan. Pick smsportal.app if you want a hosted gateway with no daily cap on the free plan, a $9.99 Pro plan, an app that installs its own updates, a Polish and English dashboard and billing in PLN or USD. The send API is the same shape, so switching takes one line.
TextBee and smsportal.app side by side
Hosted services as of 28 October 2026, from textbee.dev, the TextBee README and the live smsportal.app service. Both apps run on Android 7.0+ and are installed from an APK, not Google Play.
| smsportal.app | TextBee (hosted) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 300 outgoing SMS a month, no daily cap | 300 SMS a month, max 50 a day, 1 device |
| Paid plans | Pro $9.99 (3,000 SMS), Unlimited $24.99 (no app limit) | Pro $14.99 (5,000 SMS), Scale $29.99 (25,000 SMS) |
| Devices | No limit on any plan | 1 (Free), 5 (Pro), 15 (Scale) |
| Received SMS | Free, do not count toward the limit | Included |
| REST API, bulk CSV, scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Signed webhooks | Yes (HMAC-SHA256) | Yes (HMAC-SHA256) |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes, 6 tools, open source | Yes, 3 tools, open source |
| App updates | Downloads and installs in the app | Download page; Obtainium recommended |
| Dashboard languages | English and Polish | English |
| Billing | Stripe, PLN or USD, invoices in the dashboard | USD |
| Hosting location | EU (France) | Not stated |
| Self-hosting | No (hosted service; MCP server is open source) | Yes, full stack (MIT) |
| SDKs | REST API, MCP | JavaScript and Python SDKs |
What do 300, 3,000 and 10,000 SMS a month cost?
Monthly hosted plan price only; your mobile carrier bills the messages on both services. TextBee prices from textbee.dev/pricing, monthly billing, 28 October 2026 (yearly billing is cheaper).
| Messages a month | smsportal.app | TextBee |
|---|---|---|
| 300 | $0 (Free) | $0 (Free) if you send no more than 50 a day |
| 3,000 | $9.99 (Pro) | $14.99 (Pro) |
| 10,000 | $24.99 (Unlimited) | $29.99 (Scale) |
At 5,000 messages TextBee Pro ($14.99) covers what needs Unlimited ($24.99) on smsportal.app. Self-hosted TextBee has no plan limits, but you run the servers, Firebase and your own app build.
Which to choose
When TextBee is the better choice
- You want to run the whole gateway on your own servers from open source code (MIT).
- You send around 4,000–5,000 messages a month: TextBee Pro covers that for $14.99.
- You want official JavaScript or Python SDKs and a large community (3,200+ GitHub stars).
- You prefer the original project, maintained by its authors since 2022.
When smsportal.app is the better choice
- You send more than 50 messages on some days but stay under 300 a month: the Free plan has no daily cap.
- You need up to 3,000 messages a month: Pro costs $9.99.
- You run several phones on a small plan: there is no device limit.
- Your team or customers work in Polish, or you pay in PLN and need invoices.
- You want the app to update itself without a separate updater.
How smsportal.app relates to TextBee
smsportal.app started in October 2026 as a fork of TextBee, the MIT-licensed Android SMS gateway by Nuver Labs. TextBee did the hard part: the Android app that sends through your SIM, the REST API and the webhook model. We owe the project a lot, and its licence is listed on our legal page.
Since then smsportal.app has gone its own way as a separately run hosted service. The main differences today:
- Dashboard and support in Polish and English.
- The Android app downloads and installs new versions itself, from our server, in one tap.
- One-click integrations with Convs and BooksyAudit: the user approves access, no API key copying.
- Billing through Stripe in PLN or USD, with invoices to download in the dashboard.
- Hosting in the European Union (France).
How to switch from TextBee to smsportal.app
smsportal.app keeps the TextBee API shape: the same `x-api-key` header, the same `recipients` and `message` fields, the same webhook events and signature. In most code you change the base URL and the key.
- Create an account on smsportal.app and install the Android app from the site.
- Pair the phone with the QR code and create an API key.
- Replace
https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1withhttps://smsportal.app/api/v1and use the new key. - Point your webhook at the same endpoint; events are
MESSAGE_RECEIVED,MESSAGE_SENT,MESSAGE_DELIVEREDandMESSAGE_FAILED, signed inX-Signature. - Send a few test messages, then move your traffic.
curl -X POST "https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms" \
-H "x-api-key: $TEXTBEE_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"recipients": ["+12025550123"], "message": "Your order has shipped"}'curl -X POST "https://smsportal.app/api/v1/gateway/send-sms" \
-H "x-api-key: $SMSPORTAL_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"recipients": ["+12025550123"], "message": "Your order has shipped"}'Frequently asked questions
Is smsportal.app the same as TextBee?
No. smsportal.app was built on the open-source TextBee code (MIT) in October 2026 and is run separately, with its own servers, app builds, plans and support. It is not affiliated with Nuver Labs.
Can I use my TextBee code with smsportal.app?
Usually yes. The send endpoint, the x-api-key header, the recipients and message fields and the webhook events match. Change the base URL to https://smsportal.app/api/v1 and use an smsportal.app API key.
Is smsportal.app open source?
The hosted service is not. Its MCP server for AI agents is open source under MIT at github.com/aleksanderem/smsportal-mcp. If you want to self-host the full gateway, TextBee is the open-source option.
Which is cheaper?
Up to 3,000 messages a month smsportal.app is cheaper ($9.99 vs $14.99). Around 5,000 messages TextBee Pro ($14.99) is cheaper than smsportal.app Unlimited ($24.99). At 10,000 smsportal.app Unlimited ($24.99) costs less than TextBee Scale ($29.99). Prices as of 28 October 2026.
Do both work with Claude and Cursor?
Yes. Both have an MCP server. smsportal.app runs it at https://smsportal.app/mcp with your API key; TextBee runs it at mcp.textbee.dev.
Sources
- TextBee pricing (textbee.dev/pricing), read 28 Oct 2026
- TextBee README on GitHub (features, MCP, self-hosting)
- TextBee API reference
- TextBee download page (APK, Obtainium)
- smsportal.app pricing
- smsportal.app MCP server (MIT)
Related
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