Best Email Marketing Platforms with SMS

Email and SMS are stronger together than either channel alone. Email excels at delivering detailed content, nurturing relationships, and driving considered purchases. SMS suits time-sensitive messages: Brevo’s SMS page says texts are typically read within 3 minutes. The combination creates a multichannel communication strategy that reaches customers wherever they are most responsive.

The challenge has traditionally been managing two separate platforms, one for email and one for SMS. This creates fragmented customer data, disconnected automation workflows, and double the management overhead. The platforms in this guide solve that problem by providing native email and SMS capabilities in a single tool, with unified contact profiles, combined automation workflows, and consolidated reporting.

The five platforms below were compared on email and SMS feature depth, automation integration, and how SMS is priced and which plans allow it. SMS pricing changed at several vendors in 2026, so check each vendor’s page before you buy. Figures here were last checked on 5 October 2026.

Why Combine Email and SMS

Using email and SMS from the same platform delivers advantages that go beyond convenience:

• Unified customer profiles. Every email open, click, SMS response, and purchase is tracked in a single contact record. This gives you a complete view of each customer’s engagement across channels.
• Cross-channel automation. A single workflow can start with an email, wait for engagement (or lack thereof), and follow up with an SMS. Cart abandonment sequences are the usual first use, with an email followed by an SMS.
• Channel preference optimization. With both channels in one platform, you can identify which customers respond better to email versus SMS and route messages accordingly. Some platforms offer tooling for this.
• Simplified compliance. Managing opt-in and opt-out preferences across channels is simpler when both are in the same system. Customers who unsubscribe from SMS can still receive email, and vice versa.
• Cost efficiency. Maintaining one platform instead of two reduces both subscription costs and the time spent managing integrations between separate systems.

When to Use SMS vs. Email

Understanding when each channel is most effective helps you maximize the value of a multichannel approach:

SMS is best for: Flash sales and limited-time offers, appointment reminders, order status updates, two-factor authentication, cart abandonment nudges (as a follow-up to email), and any message that requires immediate attention.

Email is best for: Detailed product information, newsletters and content, welcome sequences, post-purchase follow-ups, educational content, and messages with rich media or complex formatting.

Both together work best for: Cart abandonment recovery (email first, SMS follow-up), product launches (email for details, SMS for urgency), seasonal promotions (email for the catalog, SMS for the deadline reminder), and re-engagement campaigns (start with email, escalate to SMS for non-responders).

Our Top Pick: Omnisend

Omnisend has the tightest email and SMS integration of the platforms in this guide. Both channels are treated as first-class features, with SMS steps available in every automation workflow, shared segmentation, and a unified reporting dashboard that shows the combined impact of multichannel campaigns.

Why Omnisend Leads for Email + SMS

Omnisend’s automation workflows natively support email, SMS, and push notifications as interchangeable steps. When building a cart abandonment sequence, you can configure it as email at one hour, SMS at four hours (only if the email was not opened), and a push notification at 24 hours. The workflow builder visualizes the entire multichannel sequence in a single view.

SMS personalization goes beyond inserting a first name. You can include dynamic product information, discount codes, and short URLs that track click-through to your store. For ecommerce specifically, abandoned cart SMS messages can reference the exact products left in the cart.

Omnisend’s pricing page lists SMS opt-in collection through its forms. Building an SMS subscriber list is often the biggest obstacle to SMS marketing, and doing it inside the same platform keeps consent records next to your email data.

SMS Pricing

Omnisend sells SMS as a pay-per-message add-on, and its pricing page offers it on the Pro plan ($59 per month at 2,500 contacts). The Standard plan ($16 per month at 500 contacts) is not offered SMS credits on that page. Our September 2026 check of Omnisend’s changes notes that new Standard subscribers have been unable to buy SMS credits since 4 May 2026.

For US recipients, the page shows a per-SMS rate that falls with monthly spend: $0.009 at $10 to $49.99, $0.0085 at $50 to $999.99, $0.008 at $1,000 to $9,999.99, and $0.007 at $10,000 and up. Rates differ by country. MMS is available only for recipients in the US and Canada. Omnisend’s FAQ also lists “bonus SMS credits equal to your monthly bill” as a reason to choose Pro, but the plan cards show SMS as a separate add-on, so confirm at checkout whether credits apply to your account.

Read the full Omnisend review for our complete analysis, or see Omnisend pricing for details at every tier.

Brevo — Best SMS Value

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) has offered integrated email and SMS since its founding, making it one of the most experienced multichannel platforms on the market. Its SMS is available on every plan, including the free tier, as prepaid credits.

Where Brevo Excels

Brevo sells SMS credits separately from its plans, and prices vary by country. You can send SMS from the same automation workflows that handle email, with conditional branching based on which channel the contact has opted into. The platform supports both promotional SMS and transactional SMS (order confirmations, shipping updates) from the same account.

The SMS editor includes personalization variables, link shortening with tracking, and message preview with character count. For international sending, check Brevo’s per-country SMS price list, since both the price and the credits used per message depend on the destination.

Brevo’s unique pricing model charges based on emails sent rather than contacts stored, which is advantageous for businesses with large contact lists but moderate send frequency. SMS is bought as pay-as-you-go credits with no monthly minimum or contract, starting at $0.0109 per message credit in the US.

Considerations

Brevo’s automation builder is functional but less sophisticated than Omnisend’s for multichannel workflows. The visual workflow editor handles basic email-then-SMS sequences well, but complex conditional branching with channel-specific logic can feel cumbersome. The email template editor, while improved, is not as polished as Klaviyo’s or Omnisend’s.

Brevo’s free plan includes 300 emails per day, and you can add SMS credits to it. Paid email plans start at $9 per month for 5,000 emails. See our Brevo review and Brevo pricing for complete details.

Klaviyo — Best for Ecommerce SMS

Klaviyo’s SMS capabilities are deeply integrated with its ecommerce-focused email platform. If you run an online store and want to add SMS to your existing Klaviyo email program, the experience is smooth. SMS and email share the same customer profiles, the same segmentation engine, and the same automation workflows.

Why Ecommerce Stores Choose Klaviyo for SMS

Klaviyo’s ecommerce data carries over to SMS, so abandoned cart and post-purchase messages can reference the cart or order. MMS (messages with an image or GIF) is available and costs more than SMS.

The Klaviyo SMS Consent flow makes it straightforward to collect SMS opt-ins from existing email subscribers. You can target email subscribers who have not opted into SMS with a dedicated campaign, or add SMS consent to your existing sign-up forms and pop-ups.

Smart Sending skips profiles who recently received a message, but it works per channel: the default window is 16 hours for email and 24 hours for SMS, and the two do not affect each other. To avoid hitting someone on both channels at once, build the delay into the flow.

SMS Pricing

Klaviyo changed mobile pricing on 13 July 2026. The former “Email + SMS” plan is now “Email + Mobile” and starts at $35 per month for 251 to 500 active profiles. Credits were replaced by per-message dollar rates that depend on channel (SMS, MMS, WhatsApp), destination, and for US and Canada SMS, number type, and fall as your plan size grows. Klaviyo does not publish a rate table, so check the rates inside your account. The free plan includes $5 of mobile messages per month. The value lies in the ecommerce data integration rather than the per-message cost.

Compare Klaviyo’s multichannel capabilities in our Klaviyo vs Omnisend analysis, or see the full Klaviyo review.

ActiveCampaign — Best for B2B SMS

ActiveCampaign added SMS capabilities to complement its powerful automation and CRM platform. For B2B companies that need to combine email nurturing with timely SMS notifications (appointment reminders, event follow-ups, deal stage alerts), ActiveCampaign’s SMS works within its broader automation ecosystem.

Where ActiveCampaign’s SMS Fits

ActiveCampaign’s SMS is an add-on that requires the Plus plan or higher; Starter cannot buy it. It works inside the automation builder, so you can add SMS steps to any workflow, trigger SMS based on CRM deal stage changes, and send personalized messages that reference custom fields from the contact record.

For B2B use cases, SMS serves a different purpose than in ecommerce. Appointment reminders before sales calls, follow-up messages after webinars, event reminders, and time-sensitive deal notifications are the primary use cases. ActiveCampaign handles these scenarios through its automation builder, where SMS is one step in a larger relationship management workflow.

The CRM integration means you can trigger SMS based on pipeline activity. When a deal moves to the negotiation stage, an automated SMS can prompt the sales rep to follow up. When a customer’s renewal date approaches, an SMS reminder ensures it does not slip through the cracks.

Considerations

ActiveCampaign’s SMS is less suited than Omnisend’s or Brevo’s to high-volume promotional messaging. Its pricing page lists SMS broadcast campaigns for the US, UK, and Australia only, and MMS for the US and Australia only. For B2B notification-style SMS, it works well. For ecommerce promotional SMS at scale, Omnisend or Klaviyo are stronger choices.

SMS is billed in credits, and the number of credits per message varies by destination country. See ActiveCampaign pricing for current rates, or read the full review.

GetResponse — Broad Toolkit, SMS on Enterprise Only

GetResponse combines email marketing, marketing automation, landing pages, webinars (on the Creator plan and up), and conversion funnels in one platform. SMS is the catch: GetResponse’s pricing page lists SMS marketing only on the Enterprise plan, which has custom pricing and a demo booking, not on Starter, Marketer, or Creator.

Where GetResponse Stands Out

On the Enterprise plan, GetResponse lists SMS marketing, mobile push notifications, and AI product recommendations alongside email and web push. On Marketer and above, the automation builder is unlimited and includes abandoned cart recovery, sales funnels, and unlimited web push.

Funnels let you chain a landing page, lead capture, and email follow-up in one flow. That suits campaigns with a defined start and end, such as product launches, course enrollments, or event registrations.

Considerations

SMS is not GetResponse’s focus, and gating it behind Enterprise makes it the hardest platform here to start with. If you want to test SMS at small scale, Omnisend, Brevo, or ActiveCampaign Plus are easier entry points.

The Starter plan is $19 per month for 1,000 contacts with 1 automation workflow. The Marketer plan ($59 per month at 1,000 contacts) adds unlimited automation, but not SMS. See the GetResponse review and pricing page for full details.

Comparing the Top Email + SMS Platforms

How We Chose These Platforms

We judged these platforms on how SMS is built into email workflows, not just whether SMS exists:

• Automation integration. Whether SMS steps work inside email automation workflows, with conditional branching and cross-channel triggers.
• SMS feature depth. Personalization, MMS support, opt-in collection, and country coverage.
• Unified reporting. Whether the platform shows combined email and SMS results.
• SMS pricing transparency. Whether the vendor publishes per-message rates, which plans allow SMS, and any country limits.
• Plan requirements. The lowest plan that can send SMS, since several vendors gate it.

SMS Best Practices for Email Marketers

Build Your SMS List Ethically

SMS requires explicit opt-in consent that is separate from email consent. Never assume that an email subscriber has consented to SMS. Use dedicated opt-in forms, add SMS consent checkboxes to existing sign-up flows, and consider offering an incentive (discount, exclusive content) for SMS subscribers.

Respect Frequency

Keep frequency low, because over-sending drives unsubscribes. Reserve SMS for your highest-impact messages: flash sales, abandoned cart recovery, back-in-stock alerts, and order updates.

Keep Messages Concise

SMS messages are limited to 160 characters per segment. Messages exceeding this length are split into multiple segments, each charged separately. Write tight, action-oriented copy with a clear call to action and a trackable link.

Time Your Messages

SMS has a much narrower acceptable sending window than email. Avoid early morning and late evening in the recipient’s time zone, and use the quiet-hours settings your platform provides.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does SMS marketing cost?

SMS pricing varies by platform and country, so use the vendor’s own price list. Published US rates we found: Omnisend from $0.007 to $0.009 per SMS depending on monthly spend, and Brevo from $0.0109 per credit. Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign do not publish a rate table on their pricing pages. MMS costs more than SMS wherever it is offered. Multiply the rate by your monthly volume, and add the plan price, to estimate your cost.

Do I need a separate phone number for SMS marketing?

Yes. You send from a dedicated number, and US carriers require registration of business texting numbers (10DLC for local numbers, or a toll-free or short code number). Number types, fees, and registration help differ by platform, so ask what is included before you commit.

Can I send SMS internationally?

Coverage differs. Omnisend sells SMS globally but MMS only to the US and Canada. ActiveCampaign lists SMS broadcast campaigns for the US, UK, and Australia. Brevo publishes a per-country SMS price list. GetResponse offers SMS only on Enterprise. Compliance rules differ by country, so check the vendor’s country list before you plan a campaign.

What SMS open rate can I expect?

Platforms usually report delivery and link clicks for SMS rather than opens. Brevo states that texts are typically read within 3 minutes. Over-sending raises unsubscribes, so frequency management matters more than any single benchmark.

Summary

For most businesses adding SMS to their email marketing, Omnisend provides the tightest integration and a published US per-SMS rate that falls from $0.009 to $0.007 as spend grows, though SMS requires the Pro plan. Its ecommerce-focused features and multichannel automation make it the default recommendation for online stores.

Brevo is the easiest place to start for businesses on a budget: SMS credits start at $0.0109 in the US, with no monthly minimum, on any plan including free. Klaviyo is the premium choice for ecommerce stores that want deep product-aware SMS personalization. ActiveCampaign serves B2B companies that need SMS integrated with CRM and sales automation, from the Plus plan. GetResponse offers a broad marketing toolkit, but SMS is limited to its Enterprise plan.

For email-only recommendations, see our best email marketing platforms guide. For ecommerce-specific comparisons, explore the best email marketing for ecommerce.

Sources

1. Omnisend — Email & SMS Pricing Plans (incl. SMS volume pricing) — accessed 2026-10-05
2. Brevo — SMS Marketing Software — accessed 2026-10-05
3. Brevo — Pricing Plans — accessed 2026-10-05
4. Klaviyo — Pricing and Free Plan — accessed 2026-10-05
5. Klaviyo — Understand mobile messaging billing — accessed 2026-10-05
6. Klaviyo — Understanding Smart Sending — accessed 2026-10-05
7. ActiveCampaign — Pricing and SMS add-on availability — accessed 2026-10-05
8. GetResponse — Pricing — accessed 2026-10-05