SMSlocal: Sending Bulk Text Messages from Your Computer for Free

Introduction

Sending bulk text messages from a computer free can be a great way to promote your business, organization, event, etc. However, paying for an online service or software to send mass texts can get expensive. Luckily, there are free options to send bulk SMS messages right from your computer.

Why Send Bulk Texts?

• Immediately reach a large number of people
• Deliver important alerts, notifications, promotions
• Higher open & response rates than email
• Personalize messages with merge tags
• The track opens, clicks, opt-outs
• Low cost compared to other channels

Free Online Services for Sending Bulk Texts

Several free online services allow you to send bulk SMS messages from your computer without paying monthly or per-message fees. As long as you stay under the limits, you can send mass texts at no cost. Here are some top free options:

TextAnywhere

TextAnywhere offers a generous free plan that lets you send up to 1,000 SMS messages per month to US & Canadian numbers. Simply sign up for a free account, then start adding contacts and sending messages through their web interface or APIs. You can upload contact lists, create groups, and track results.

SimpleTexting

With SimpleTexting’s free plan, you get up to 150 free text messages per month. Log in to your account on their website to access your address book, create contacts/groups, and send one-off or bulk messages. You can even set up automated messaging workflows.

Textedly

This free SMS messaging platform allows up to 150 texts per month. Use their web app to manage contacts, create and schedule broadcasts, and track performance. Textedly is based in the UK but can send to international numbers.

FreeTextSMS

As the name suggests, FreeTextSMS lets you sending bulk text messages from computer free right from their website. You can send up to 150 texts per month across US & Canadian numbers. Just type in the mobile numbers and message, customize the sender ID and then hit send.

SMSto

SMSto offers a basic free plan that includes sending 100 texts per month. To send messages, you simply enter the phone numbers and text content into the web app. Delivery receipts allow you to see which messages were successfully received.

SMSPVA

This free SMS platform gives you access to send 100 texts per day. messages are limited to 160 characters. To send bulk messages, you can copy/paste up to 1000 numbers at a time into the web app. Delivery receipts help track results.

TextBelt

TextBelt allows you to send bulk text messages from a computer free per day right from their website. There’s no registration required. Just enter the phone numbers and message content, choose US or Canada, and hit send. Delivery confirmations let you know the status.

Voteremote

Primarily an SMS voting service, Voteremote also provides some free SMS messaging capability. You can send up to 100 texts per month across US numbers. Bulk messaging options are limited, but suitable for small campaigns.

Sending Free Bulk SMS from Email

Most major email providers — including Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo — allow you to sending bulk text messages from computer free your email account. Simply email the mobile number to the carrier’s SMS gateway. While convenient, this method is best for small numbers of texts due to limitations. You can only send to one number per email, and some carriers block emails from free accounts. Still, it can work in a pinch!

Sending Bulk SMS from Spreadsheets

For larger contact lists, you can use the power of spreadsheet software to send bulk messages from your computer. Both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets provide ways to generate SMS messages.

Microsoft Excel

The CONCAT, TEXTJOIN, and HYPERLINK functions in Excel allow you to assemble SMS URLs that, when clicked, will launch the messages. You can link each number on your list to the carrier’s email gateway.

Google Sheets

Install the Sheetgo add-on for Google Sheets. Choose “Send SMS” as the action, then map your columns to the destination numbers and message text. Sheetgo connects to various SMS providers to send texts. The free plan allows 300 messages per month.

Sending via Email-to-SMS Services

For more robust bulk SMS messaging directly from your email box, leverage an email-to-SMS service. These tools give you a custom email address that you send your messages to. The service then converts them and delivers them as SMS.

Popular options like EZ Texting, Mailshake, and Send SMS Online have plans starting at $10/month for up to 1000 texts. This can be much cheaper than traditional bulk SMS services.

Using an API to Send Bulk SMS

For developers, a simple API (Application Programming Interface) provides an automated way to send mass text messages programmatically. Services like Twilio, Clickatell, and MessageBird offer APIs to integrate SMS capabilities into your app.

The API handles the SMS sending on the backend. You just build the integration to trigger messages under certain actions. Most offer generous free tiers of low-volume testing. Paid plans start around $1/month thereafter.

Building Your Own Bulk Sender App

With some technical know-how, you can build your own bulk SMS web or desktop app. Python, Javascript, C#, and other languages provide SMS capabilities through standard or third-party libraries. You would essentially craft a front-end to feed contacts and messages to the SMS functions.

Popular options include:

• Nexmo — SMS API for Python, Node.js, Java, Ruby, PHP, C#, and more
• Twilio — SMS sending library for Python, Javascript, C#, Ruby, Java, PHP
• SignalWire — SMS toolkit for Javascript, iOS, Android, C#, Python, Java

This professional developer approach delivers the most flexibility and customization for automated SMS sending from a computer.

Tips for Successfully Sending Bulk Texts

When leveraging any free platform to send bulk SMS messages, follow these tips:

• Scrub your contact list — Remove inactive numbers, duplicates, landlines, etc. to maximize the deliverability.
• Personalize messages — Use first names, locations, interests, etc. to make texts more relevant. Avoid fully generic blasts.
• Split large batches — Send big blasts in smaller chunks of ~1000 each. Avoid getting flagged as spam.
• Obey opt-out requests — Honor and remove contacts who reply STOP or opt-out to avoid issues.
• Follow best practices — Identify yourself, avoid all-caps, over-messaging, etc. to increase open rates.
• Check deliverability — Use status receipts and reports to confirm your texts are reaching recipients.
• Stay within limits — Don’t go over monthly allotments to avoid being cut off or charged. Upgrade if needed.

Get Started Sending Free Bulk SMS from your Computer

That covers the top services, tools, and techniques for sending bulk text message campaigns directly from your desktop or laptop without expensive SMS software.

The free online platforms make it easy to upload contacts and quickly blast out texts through an intuitive web interface. For large lists, use Excel or Google Sheets constructs to generate messages. Or leverage email-to-SMS services from your existing mailbox.

Developers can tap SMS APIs to build custom bulk messaging solutions. And remember to always follow best practices that ensure your texts get delivered and opened.

With the right free platform for your needs, you can start sending hundreds or thousands of SMS messages to drive engagement and results for your business or organization without breaking the bank.