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Bulk SMS solutions after Textlocal closure

👍 Key criteria to judge alternatives

When evaluating a bulk SMS provider, check:

  1. DLT compliance (for India): registration of your business, sender IDs, message templates.

  2. Transactional vs Promotional SMS: rules, hours of sending, ability to send to DND numbers.

  3. Delivery speed & reliability: how fast SMS reach, % delivered.

  4. API / Webhook support: for OTPs, automation.

  5. Cost per SMS: based on volume.

  6. Support quality: customer service, tech support, SLA etc.

  7. Extras: voice SMS, WhatsApp / multi‑channel, short codes, 2‑way messaging etc.

🚀 Good Bulk SMS solutions in India

Here are several alternatives with pros/cons, approximate pricing, features etc. They are well‑used by companies, and should cover most use cases (OTP, marketing, alerts etc).

Provider Key Features & Pros Approx Pricing / What You Get Things to Check
SMSGatewayHub Strong bulk SMS + transactional + promotional, multi‑channel (voice, WhatsApp etc). Good API uptime. (smsgatewayhub.com) Transactional & Promotional SMS plans. For example, 10,000‑50,000 SMS packages and higher volume with lower per‑SMS cost. (lsmsgatewayhub.com) Ensure your templates & Sender ID are approved; check delivery to DND; compare cost for your specific volume.
MSG91 Very popular; startup‑friendly; supports DLT, OTP, voice, regional routes.  They offer free startup credits (e.g. 25,000 SMS/month for 6 months for new users) (Pricing depends heavily on volume.  For large volume, negotiate pricing. Also check SLA for deliverability.
Gupshup Good for combined channels: SMS, chat apps, WhatsApp, marketing automation.  Promotional SMS from ~ ₹0.155 for up to 1 lakh messages, with discounts for larger volumes.  Ensure message templates are compliant with DLT; check how fast campaign setup is; support responsiveness.
TextGuru More “local” option; simpler dashboards; solid for mid‑size volume.  Pricing tends to be competitive; fixed plans; may have lower transparency in discounts. Be careful about hidden costs, DND filtering, and support during heavy traffic times.

| Twilio | Global provider; great infrastructure; wide‑ranging features (SMS, voice, WhatsApp etc). Good for international use also. (Twilio) | Pricing is pay‑as‑you‑go. For India, outbound SMS via Twilio starts at certain rates (these vary by destination and sender ID). (Twilio) | Usually more expensive per SMS compared to local Indian providers. Also, regulatory compliance (DLT etc.) may add steps. Good choice if you need reliability and global reach. |

🧮 Example comparison

If your usage is, say, 100,000 SMS/month all transactional (e.g. OTPs, alerts), here's what to compare:

  • Cost per SMS with each provider + taxes / surcharges.

  • Fee for obtaining and maintaining Sender IDs / templates under DLT.

  • Delivery time (how many seconds for OTP to reach).

  • Support (how fast issues get resolved).

  • Additional features you may need: e.g. two‑way messaging, international, voice, etc.

⚠️ Potential issues to watch out for

  • Even good providers can have delays if you don’t set up templates/IDs correctly under the DLT rules in India.

  • Sending to DND numbers in promotional mode is restricted.

  • Some vendors “bundle” costs (sender ID, API, delivery reports) – make sure you understand what you are paying and what you get.

  • Hidden costs: for example, failing SMS, re‑sending, sender ID renewals etc.

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