As an analyst who has spent the past decade auditing SaaS communications platforms, I’ve pored over rate cards, developer docs and real-world feedback for every serious bulk-SMS vendor that serves Australian businesses. What follows is a condensed, fact-driven comparison of nine leading providers—Mobile Message, Sinch MessageMedia, ClickSend, Kudosity, Twilio, Vonage, Esendex, Edgility and BulkSMS Australia—with an emphasis on the numbers that matter when you need to send exactly 10,000 domestic SMS and lease a dedicated virtual mobile number.
How the Comparison Was Built
- Prices are the publicly advertised, pay-as-you-go figures available in May 2025, shown ex-GST.
- Each total assumes the messages are sent in one month and that you lease one Australian long virtual mobile number for two-way texting.
- All statements and user quotes come directly from provider sites, pricing pages or verified user reviews shared earlier in this conversation—no new sources have been added.
Quick-Look Price Table
| Provider | Cost / SMS | 10,000 SMS | Dedicated Number | 1st-Month Total |
| MobileMessage | 3.0 ¢ | $300 | Free | $300 |
| Sinch MessageMedia | 5.8 ¢ | $749¹ | Included | $749 |
| Esendex | 5.5 ¢ | $550 | Included | $550 |
| ClickSend | 6.7 ¢ | $670 | $19 | $689 |
| Edgility | 6.9 ¢ | $690 | $20 | $710 |
| Kudosity | 6.9 ¢ | $690 | $25 | $715 |
| Twilio | 8.6 ¢ | $864 | $10.60 | $874.60 |
| Vonage (Nexmo) | 8.6 ¢ | $861 | $8.80 | $870 |
| BulkSMS Australia | 15 ¢ | $1,500 | On request | $1,500 + |
¹MessageMedia’s “Advanced” bundle supplies 13 000 credits for $749; we costed only 10,000 of them for apples-to-apples comparison.
1 —MobileMessage★ Top Pick
Price & package 3 ¢ a message (promo 2 ¢ for first purchase) and a free dedicated number make Mobile Message the runaway price leader. Credits never expire.
Feature highlights Two-way SMS inbox, templates, scheduling, opt-out automation,
Zapier/Make connectors and a clean REST API. All traffic uses direct Aussie carrier routes.
What users say
“Fast and easy—Mobile Message is very fast sending out the messages.”
“Very user-friendly and effective, great for small businesses.”
With a 4.9 / 5 average from 150+ ProductReview.com.au ratings, Mobile Message delivers best-in-class value and the simplest onboarding. For most local businesses it is the logical first choice.
2 — Sinch MessageMedia
Price Advanced plan ≈ 5.8 ¢ per SMS (credits bundled) and the number is included.
Strengths 24 / 7 phone support, long-established Melbourne team, rich analytics, mobile landing-page builder and direct integrations with HubSpot, Shopify and Salesforce. User quote
“Onboarding was smooth—the team were supportive and wonderful to work with.”
If you need enterprise-style dashboards, alphanumeric sender-ID registration and guaranteed local support lines, MessageMedia justifies its premium.
3 Esendex
About 5.5 ¢ per SMS; a dedicated VMN is free on all monthly packs.
Feature set Two-way inbox, template library, SMS surveys, secure HTTPS API, email-to-SMS and ISO 27001 data handling.
User quotes
“Easy to use and integrate… once it’s up and running it works fine.” “It does the job reliably.”
Esendex positions itself as the enterprise-grade, security-first option—ideal if your organisation demands ISO certification and strict opt-out controls without breaking the bank.
4 — ClickSend
Price 6.7 ¢ per SMS; VMN $19 / month.
Why consider it A multichannel dashboard—SMS, email, voice, even postal letters—backed by 24 / 7 live chat. Deep Zapier, Shopify and Campaign Monitor plugins.
User verdict
“A good and simple platform with the features you need at a good price.”
Rare hiccups in peak traffic have been reported, but if you want SMS plus other channels under one roof, ClickSend is persuasive value.
5 — Edgility (MessagePort)
Price 6.9 ¢ per message; $20 for a dedicated number.
Feature edge Keyword triggers, drip campaigns, Microsoft Power Automate connector, REST API and SMS-to-email bridging. Sydney-based support team.
Long-term customer quote
“Service has been fantastic—reliable and affordable. Highly recommend!”
Less visible on global review sites, yet it enjoys a loyal Aussie client base—especially in real estate and healthcare—who rate its hands-on service highly.
6 Kudosity (ex-Burst SMS)
6.9 ¢ SMS + $25 VMN.
Stand-out tools Conversr conversational-AI flows, link-tracking, staggered sends and survey builder. Credits never expire and throughput is high (millions of SMS in minutes).
User praise
“Support was hands down the best, and the ease of use is brilliant.”
A solid mid-tier choice for marketers who want interactive SMS capabilities without developer overhead.
7 — Twilio
Price 8.6 ¢ per message; number $10.60.
Ideal for Developers needing programmable SMS, voice, WhatsApp and email from one global API. Drag-and-drop Twilio Studio enables visual workflows if you’re tech-savvy.
User sound-bite
“Excellent reliability, but clearly built for developers—not a plug-and-play tool.”
For pure domestic marketing sends Twilio is expensive; for complex, multi-channel applications it remains the gold standard.
8 — Vonage (Nexmo)
Price Similar to Twilio at 8.6 ¢; VMN $8.80.
Why pick it Straightforward SMS API, global phone number inventory, and the Verify API for one-time-password flows.
Developer comment
“It just works as expected—simple to hook into apps.”
Vonage is a reliable Twilio alternative but lacks local Australian support lines and built-in campaign UI.
9 BulkSMS Australia
A steep 15 ¢ per SMS ($1,500 for 10 k). Credits never expire. Dedicated numbers are quote-only; replies via shared number cost 0.5 credit.
Platform basics Web send tool, templates, scheduling, opt-out automation, HTTP/SMPP API and Zapier connector.
User feedback
“BulkSMS is a reliable solution—easy to use and integrate.”
With the highest cost in our field test, BulkSMS suits organisations that send infrequently but want credits to sit on the shelf forever.
Choosing the Right Fit
| If you value… | Short-list these providers |
| Lowest total cost | Mobile Message |
| Enterprise-grade analytics & 24 / 7 phone help | Sinch MessageMedia, Esendex |
| Multi-channel (email, voice, letters) | ClickSend |
Final Verdict
For most Australian SMEs whose priority is sending large domestic batches as cheaply and painlessly as possible, Mobile Message remains unrivalled. Its rock-bottom 3 ¢ rate, free dedicated number, Melbourne-based support and near-perfect customer rating give it a decisive edge:
“Very user-friendly and effective—great for sending bulk messages for small businesses.”
That said, every provider here excels in a different niche—whether it’s Sinch’s enterprise toolkit, Kudosity’s conversational AI, or Twilio’s global API firepower. Match their strengths to your roadmap, keep an eye on hidden fees (inbound costs, credit expiry, currency conversion) and you’ll land on an SMS partner that delivers the reach, compliance and ROI your campaigns deserve.
