I Built an SMS Gateway with a $20 Android Phone – Jonno.nz
11 hours ago
- #Cost-Saving
- #Next.js Integration
- #SMS Gateway
- Twilio costs ~$0.05–0.06 per SMS, adding up quickly for MVPs, leading to the use of a cheap Android phone with SMS Gateway for Android as a cost-effective alternative.
- The guide sets up an Android phone as an SMS gateway with a REST API, reducing costs to mobile plan rates (often free on prepaid plans), and integrates it into a Next.js app with provider abstraction for flexibility.
- SMS Gateway supports local server mode (on the same network) and cloud server mode (via a relay), with steps for installation, configuration, sending SMS, and registering webhooks for inbound messages.
- Next.js integration includes a provider interface (SmsProvider), implementations for SMS Gateway and console logging, a webhook route for handling inbound SMS, and environment variable setup.
- Production considerations cover phone setup (dedicated device, battery optimization), local vs. cloud mode trade-offs, cost savings (~80%+ vs. Twilio), and alternatives like httpSMS and textbee.