Most cellular service providers charge fees to send and receive text messages.
There are numerous methods to send text messages for free, but they vary between cell service providers.
Some cell service plans include free text messaging. That is the simplest solution.
Many web sites give visitors the ability to send text messages to cell phones at no cost.
You can send text messages to many cell phones via AOL Instant Messenger.
To send a text message via AIM, simply message the telephone number. Include a plus sign and the country code. For example, to text message your friend at (303)555-1212, send an IM to +13035551212.
Quite a few cell service companies provide free e-mail to SMS gateways where you can send text messages for free via e-mail.
Here is our list of e-mail to SMS gateways where you can send free text messages. If you know the SMS gateway of a wireless carrier we do not list here, please post a message on the Forum.
| Provider | E-mail to SMS address format |
|---|
| 3 River Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@sms.3rivers.net |
| Advantage Communications | xxxxxxxxx@advantagepaging.com |
| AirVoice | xxxxxxxxx@mmode.com |
| Airtouch Pagers | xxxxxxxxx@airtouch.net |
| Airtouch Pagers | xxxxxxxxx@airtouchpaging.com |
| Airtouch Pagers | xxxxxxxxx@alphapage.airtouch.com |
| Airtouch Pagers | xxxxxxxxx@myairmail.com |
| AllTel | xxxxxxxxx@message.alltel.com |
| Alltel PCS | xxxxxxxxx@message.alltel.com |
| Alltel | xxxxxxxxx@alltelmessage.com |
| Ameritech Paging | xxxxxxxxx@pageapi.com |
| Arch Pagers (PageNet) | xxxxxxxxx@archwireless.net |
| Arch Pagers (PageNet) | xxxxxxxxx@epage.arch.com |
| Bell South (Blackberry) | xxxxxxxxx@bellsouthtips.com |
| Bell South Mobility | xxxxxxxxx@blsdcs.net |
| Bell South | xxxxxxxxx@blsdcs.net |
| Bell South | xxxxxxxxx@sms.bellsouth.com |
| Bell South | xxxxxxxxx@wireless.bellsouth.com |
| Bluegrass Cellular | xxxxxxxxx@sms.bluecell.com |
| Boost Mobile | xxxxxxxxx@myboostmobile.com |
| Boost | xxxxxxxxx@myboostmobile.com |
| CallPlus | xxxxxxxxx@mmode.com |
| Carolina Mobile Communications | xxxxxxxxx@cmcpaging.com |
| Cellular One East Coast | xxxxxxxxx@phone.cellone.net |
| Cellular One PCS | xxxxxxxxx@paging.cellone-sf.com |
| Cellular One South West | xxxxxxxxx@swmsg.com |
| Cellular One West | xxxxxxxxx@mycellone.com |
| Cellular One | xxxxxxxxx@message.cellone-sf.com |
| Cellular One | xxxxxxxxx@mobile.celloneusa.com |
| Cellular One | xxxxxxxxx@sbcemail.com |
| Cellular South | xxxxxxxxx@csouth1.com |
| Central Vermont Communications | xxxxxxxxx@cvcpaging.com |
| CenturyTel | xxxxxxxxx@messaging.centurytel.net |
| Cingular (GSM) | xxxxxxxxx@cingularme.com |
| Cingular (TDMA) | xxxxxxxxx@mmode.com |
| Cingular Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@mobile.mycingular.net |
| Cingular | xxxxxxxxx@cingularme.com |
| Communication Specialists | xxxxxxx@pageme.comspeco.net |
| Cook Paging | xxxxxxxxx@cookmail.com |
| Corr Wireless Communications | xxxxxxxxx@corrwireless.net |
| Dobson Communications Corporation | xxxxxxxxx@mobile.dobson.net |
| Dobson-Alex Wireless / Dobson-Cellular One | xxxxxxxxx@mobile.cellularone.com |
| Edge Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@sms.edgewireless.com |
| GCS Paging | xxxxxxxxx@webpager.us |
| GTE | xxxxxxxxx@gte.pagegate.net |
| GTE | xxxxxxxxx@messagealert.com |
| Galaxy Corporation | xxxxxxxxx@sendabeep.net |
| GrayLink / Porta-Phone | xxxxxxxxx@epage.porta-phone.com |
| Houston Cellular | xxxxxxxxx@text.houstoncellular.net |
| Inland Cellular Telephone | xxxxxxxxx@inlandlink.com |
| JSM Tele-Page | xxxxxxxxx@jsmtel.com |
| Lauttamus Communication | xxxxxxxxx@e-page.net |
| MCI Phone | xxxxxxxxx@mci.com |
| MCI | xxxxxxxxx@pagemci.com |
| Metro PCS | xxxxxxxxx@metropcs.sms.us |
| Metro PCS | xxxxxxxxx@mymetropcs.com |
| MetroPCS | xxxxxxxxx@mymetropcs.com |
| Metrocall 2-way | xxxxxxxxx@my2way.com |
| Metrocall | xxxxxxxxx@page.metrocall.com |
| Midwest Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@clearlydigital.com |
| Mobilecom PA | xxxxxxxxx@page.mobilcom.net |
| Mobilfone | xxxxxxxxx@page.mobilfone.com |
| Morris Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@beepone.net |
| NPI Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@npiwireless.com |
| Nextel | xxxxxxxxx@messaging.nextel.com |
| Nextel | xxxxxxxxx@page.nextel.com |
| Ntelos | xxxxxxxxx@pcs.ntelos.com |
| Omnipoint | xxxxxxxxx@omnipoint.com |
| Omnipoint | xxxxxxxxx@omnipointpcs.com |
| OnlineBeep | xxxxxxxxx@onlinebeep.net |
| PCS One | xxxxxxxxx@pcsone.net |
| Pacific Bell | xxxxxxxxx@pacbellpcs.net |
| PageMart | xxxxxxxxx@pagemart.net |
| PageOne NorthWest | xxxxxxxxx@page1nw.com |
| Pioneer / Enid Cellular | xxxxxxxxx@msg.pioneerenidcellular.com |
| Price Communications | xxxxxxxxx@mobilecell1se.com |
| ProPage | xxxxxxxxx@page.propage.net |
| Public Service Cellular | xxxxxxxxx@sms.pscel.com |
| Qualcomm | name@pager.qualcomm.com |
| Qwest | xxxxxxxxx@qwestmp.com |
| RAM Page | xxxxxxxxx@ram-page.com |
| ST Paging | pin@page.stpaging.com |
| Safaricom | xxxxxxxxx@safaricomsms.com |
| Satelindo GSM | xxxxxxxxx@satelindogsm.com |
| Satellink | xxxxxxxxx.pageme@satellink.net |
| Simple Freedom | xxxxxxxxx@text.simplefreedom.net |
| Skytel Pagers | xxxxxxxxx@email.skytel.com |
| Skytel Pagers | xxxxxxxxx@skytel.com |
| Smart Telecom | xxxxxxxxx@mysmart.mymobile.ph |
| Southern LINC | xxxxxxxxx@page.southernlinc.com |
| Southwestern Bell | xxxxxxxxx@email.swbw.com |
| Sprint PCS | xxxxxxxxx@messaging.sprintpcs.com |
| Sprint | xxxxxxxxx@sprintpaging.com |
| SunCom | xxxxxxxxx@tms.suncom.com |
| Surewest Communications | xxxxxxxxx@mobile.surewest.com |
| T-Mobile | xxxxxxxxx@tmomail.net |
| TIM | xxxxxxxxx@timnet.com |
| TSR Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@alphame.com |
| TSR Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@beep.com |
| Teletouch | xxxxxxxxx@pageme.teletouch.com |
| Telus | xxxxxxxxx@msg.telus.com |
| The Indiana Paging Co | xxxx@pager.tdspager.com |
| Triton | xxxxxxxxx@tms.suncom.com |
| US Cellular | xxxxxxxxx@email.uscc.net |
| USA Mobility | xxxxxxxxx@mobilecomm.net |
| Unicel | xxxxxxxxx@utext.com |
| Verizon PCS | xxxxxxxxx@myvzw.com |
| Verizon Pagers | xxxxxxxxx@myairmail.com |
| Verizon | xxxxxxxxx@vtext.com |
| Virgin Mobile | xxxxxxxxx@vmobl.com |
| Virgin Mobile | xxxxxxxxx@vxtras.com |
| WebLink Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@pagemart.net |
| West Central Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@sms.wcc.net |
| Western Wireless | xxxxxxxxx@cellularonewest.com |
| Wyndtell | xxxxxxxxx@wyndtell.com |
