SMS verification price index 2026: October edition

What are the headline numbers?

• $1.50Median US WhatsApp code (6 providers, $0.30–$3.65)
• $0.75Median US Telegram code (5 providers, $0.25–$2.18)
• $0.48Median US Google code (5 providers, $0.08–$2.60)
• 2Large providers closed since December 2025 (SMS-Activate, DaisySMS)

What do US single-use codes cost, provider by provider?

List prices for one code on a US number, read on 2026-10-18. "—" means the price was not published in a form we could read.

The spread is wide: the highest WhatsApp price ($3.65, PVAPins) is more than ten times the smallest ($0.30, Tiger SMS). Two things explain most of it: whether the provider states its numbers are SIM-based, and how often the target service rejects the number. Among the four providers that state a non-VoIP or SIM origin on their own pages, the WhatsApp median is $1.07.

What does a 30-day US number cost?

Rentals keep one number for a period. Two products exist and are priced very differently.

How do prices differ between countries?

Least expensive public price of one code by country, from two providers that publish country prices in a readable form.

Western European WhatsApp codes are dearer than US ones: Italy and Spain sit at $3.60 or more at SMSPool, against $1.56 for the United States. Google codes go the other way and are often cheaper in Europe. Prepaid SIM registration rules, which require an ID in most of the EU, limit supply in those countries.

Which terms change the real cost?

Almost every provider applies "no code, no charge". The differences are in the window (5 to 20 minutes where stated) and in deposits: TextVerified does not refund crypto payments and Tell A Bot calls deposits final, so a balance should be sized to what you will use.

Which providers closed?

• DaisySMS (2026-03-26): Its website states that DaisySMS "has shut down on March 26, 2026"; the notice says the shutdown was announced on February 24, 2026, when new registrations and funding stopped.
• SMS-Activate (2025-12-22): Its website shows "SMS-Activate service is closed" and says operations "ceased … since December 22" without a year; a third-party article dates the announcement to late December 2025. HeroSMS says it is "powered by SMS-Activate technical infrastructure".

Both closures left customers with balances to move elsewhere. Whatever provider you use, top up only what you expect to spend.

How was the index built?

• Providers: SMS verification services selling US numbers with a public website, found through search and listings on 2026-10-18. Closed services are listed separately.
• Prices: list prices on each provider's own pages or public price endpoints, without promo codes or volume discounts.
• Medians: computed only from prices we could read; providers without a readable price are shown with "—".
• Our own prices are shown for comparison and excluded from every median. RealSIM Numbers publishes this index and sells the product it measures.
• Next edition: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions