SMS Short Codes vs Long Codes in Twilio and OpenVBX
I thought I’d put together this post to help you guys learn what the differences between SMS short codes and long codes (i.e. phone numbers) are and the advantages of each.
Cost
When it comes to price, there is no comparison. A long code (I’ll also use phone number interchangeably) can be acquired for just $1/month from Twilio and it’s available to use immediately.
On the other hand, a short code requires an 8-12 week application process and costs $3,000 a quarter. ($1,000/month – you’re billed on a quarterly basis, however).
Throughput
When I say Throughput, what I mean is how fast can the number process your text messages and get them out to your list.
Perhaps more than any other area, this is where the short code has a major advantage. I’ve contacted Twilio for an official answer and here’s what they told me:
We have an upper rate limit of 1 SMS per second per number. Twilio SMS from standard 10-digit phone numbers have a rate limit because carriers monitor and filter for spam very rigorously. A high volume of SMS from a single phone number may trigger carriers’ spam filters and blacklist your app.
By contrast, SMS from short codes are made for bulk SMS and have a much higher send rate. There is an application process to acquire an SMS short code, but once yours is approved, you have the ability to send thousands of SMS messages at once. There is more information on short codes and how to apply to them here: http://www.twilio.com/api/sms/
short-codes
If you want to do the math, that means you can send at most, 3600 text message an hour with a long code.
I’ve heard of others combining several long codes together to substantially increase throughput. For example, if you could distribute your message equally over 5 phone numbers, you’d be able to send out over 15,000 text messages an hour for a fraction of the price. The only problem is that solution would require substantial custom programming as I’m not aware of any off the shelf tool plugin that can do it.
If someone wants to chime in with the solution, just post it in the comments… or if you’re available for coding this functionality for OpenVBX, I’m sure my readers would like to hear from you as well.
Keywords
One thing I like about offering phone numbers to clients is that I never have to worry about a keyword being taken – the can use any keyword they like and can even reply to a blank text message.
Since most short codes are shared among a lot of people (they’re expensive so a third party typically works as a go between to keep it affordable for everyone), desirable keywords tend to get gobbled up right away.
There’s also the issue that not everyone understands how to send a message to a short code. Everybody who knows how to send a text message understands what a phone number is – they’re familiar with it and understand how to send a text message to a phone number.
Which to Get
If you’re just getting started with OpenVBX and Twilio, then you’ll start off with long codes. Getting your own short code may be something worth considering if you or your clients start having lists over 10,000 people as it just isn’t feasible to manage and message that many people using a single long code.
OpenVBX is able to handle both short codes and long codes so I wouldn’t be in a big hurry to get a short code unless you plan on selling services to a lot of Fortune 500 companies.
Start with long codes and switch to short codes when its necessary.
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