Key Takeaways
- TextBee-class open source Android SMS gateways are DIY: an app on a phone plus a way you host to enqueue SMS. Evaluate the repo in front of you — this spoke does not reprint a README.
- Start from the cornerstone open-source guide; this page is the narrower TextBee search intent.
- You still pay the operator. GitHub ≠ airtime.
- Score last commit, DLR/webhooks, OEM battery notes, and license — not star count.
- Priced by devices and SMS send volume. You use your own phone and operator SMS credit. Free 300 SMS lifetime; paid from $19/month.
Searchers looking up Android SMS gateway open source TextBee usually want a DIY agent on a phone. This Hub E spoke describes that class: you fund the SIM, you host whatever sits in front of the app, you inherit OEM quirks. We do not vendor their trademark as a SKU and we do not paste their docs.
Service pricing is based on device count and total SMS sent through the gateway. Cornerstone: Android SMS gateway open source. Related architecture spoke: SMSGate-class explained.
If you cannot name who upgrades the APK next month, you did not pick TextBee. You picked a screenshot.
TextBee as a class, not our SKU
Public GitHub projects move. Pin a commit, read LICENSE, watch issues. Their README is the source of truth for their endpoints — not this article and not our OpenAPI.
Evaluation table
| Check | DIY (TextBee-class) | Maintained control plane |
|---|---|---|
| Who hosts the queue | You | Us; you still host phones |
| API fields | That repo’s docs | docs.sms-gateway.app |
| Airtime | Your operator | Your operator |
| 2am OEM killer | Your on-call | Your on-call + panel health |
| License | Read LICENSE | SaaS terms + BYO SIM |
What you host
Typically: Android app, some HTTP or dashboard you run, TLS, backups, and a phone that must not sleep. USB modem/AT stacks are a different model — do not mix them into the same requirement doc.
Do not copy fields across stacks
Bearer JSON on our path is POST /messages. DIY projects often use other verbs, query keys, or local bind. Mixing samples is how you leak keys or hit the wrong host.
When DIY wins vs maintained
Air-gap, learning, or a staffed fork. Customer OTP at 2am usually wants the path you will patch. Pricing from $19/month still needs your Android and operator credit.
Checklist
- Pinned commit + LICENSE read.
- Last meaningful commit dated.
- DLR/webhook story exists in that repo.
- OEM battery notes tested on your SKU.
- Operator airtime owned.
- Facade if you dual-run lab vs production.
Next steps
Score the tree, or pair a maintained phone via downloads. Do not paste API keys into either stack’s demo UI on a laptop you share.
Related product pages
Jump to the live product docs for this topic—not another long-form article.
- device and SMS volume pricingPlans and allowances
- Twilio vs Android SMS gatewayCloud vs own-SIM cost model
- Android SMS gateway product guideDefinition, product, and how to buy
- SMS API documentationLive endpoint reference
