Key Takeaways
- The Android SMS gateway pricing model is devices plus platform SMS send volume — not rented numbers from us.
- You bring the Android and operator SMS credit. We do not sell carrier airtime.
- Free is 300 SMS lifetime. Developer is 25,000 SMS per year. Both pause at allowance.
- Starter / Professional / Business uncap platform send volume and still cap devices (2 / 5 / 15).
- Operator fair-use still applies. Platform uncap is not free carrier SMS.
- Refunds cover platform plan fees only — never operator vouchers.
Two meters, not a cloud SMS pack
The Android SMS gateway pricing model is how we charge for the control plane: how many Android devices are connected, and how many SMS go through the gateway. It is not aggregator $0.0x-per-message billing, and it is not a rented India/US number from us. You keep the phone and you buy airtime from the carrier that printed the SIM.
Canonical numbers live on pricing— this spoke explains the meters so finance and on-call do not invent a third one. Product shape: how an Android SMS gateway works.
“If the invoice cannot point at devices or platform sends, it is not our SKU. If it is airtime, call the operator.”
Devices
Platform volume
What each plan actually meters
| Plan | Devices | Platform SMS |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1 | 300 lifetime — then pause |
| Developer | 1 | 25,000 per year — then pause |
| Starter ($19/mo) | 2 | Unlimited SMS (platform volume; operator credit separate) |
| Professional ($39/mo) | 5 | Unlimited SMS (platform volume; operator credit separate) |
| Business ($77/mo) | 15 | Unlimited SMS (platform volume; operator credit separate) |
“Unlimited SMS” on those three cards means platform send volume is not capped like Developer. Carrier fair-use still applies. Devices still meter. Do not retitle the page or the H1 around that SKU line.
What we do not sell
No carrier SMS balance. No pay-as-you-go credit wallet that rolls like prepaid packs we sold. No turnkey “sell SMS as a business” white-label unless contracted (custom branding from $2,000 — sending still bills devices + volume). Refunds are platform plan fees only; we do not cash out unused operator airtime.
Pause vs uncap
Free and Developer pause when the allowance is exhausted — upgrade or custom, not silent $0.0x overage. Starter / Professional / Business uncap platform volume; they do not uncap devices and they do not pay your prepaid pack.
TCO vs aggregator per-message
Compare own SIM + operator cost + our device/volume fee against aggregator per-message + rented numbers. CPaaS wins when you need global reach and zero phone ops. Twilio vs Android SMS gateway.
Checklist
- Device count includes spares.
- OTP and promo not sharing a SIM “to save a slot.”
- Operator voucher owned by a named human.
- Free/Developer pause understood before go-live.
- Finance not treating platform uncap as free carrier SMS.
Next steps
Related product pages
Jump to the live product docs for this topic—not another long-form article.
- device and SMS volume pricingPlans and allowances
- Android SMS gateway product guideDefinition, product, and how to buy
- SMS API documentationLive endpoint reference
- download the Android gateway appGet the APK
