Free Text Messaging -- Via the Web

Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:23PM EDT

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We told you how to make free 411 calls so you never have to pay for directory assistance from your cell phone. Well, Giga Om has some recommendations on web-based SMS services that allow you to send text messages for free.

If your text-crazy kids are hitting their plan limit, it's time to try one of these plans that allow you to send text messages from the web to a cell phone. Some require registering for an account and typing in an access code to send a message. Some link to ads. Giga Om's Katie Fehrenbacher recommends carefully checking out the services and to make sure they are free. She points to this list of what to look for in a good web-based SMS on De Gardener, and this list of web-based SMS services to check out:

• Peekamo - Both receiver and sender don't pay for text messages using Peekamo, which makes that possible with ad-sponsored messages. (Note: In the United States, message receivers will be charged a per-message fee from phone carriers.)

• TeleFlip - A new service expected to start this month will forward email messages to your phone, but receiving text fees would still apply.

• txtDrop.com - You can send messages via a web page to a friends' phone with this service.

• Gizmo SMS - Same idea.

• Check your carrier - Verizon and Sprint offer the ability to send other carrier customers text messages from a web site, such as Verizon's vtext.com.

Free is definitely worth trading the cell phone keypad for a PC keyboard to text message every now and again, no? 

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  • 1 Posted by inkman on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    Isn't a web based text message just e-mail? We've been doing this for years and hand held devices have been email capable for years. What's the big deal?

  • 2 Posted by nizamw@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    Its in the costs. Here in Canada, if you want to receive email on your phone, you need a data plan - much more $. A good thing here is that SMPP based txt messages are free to receive on your mobile, unlike the USA. I do beleive the only service listed in this article that uses SMPP is Peekamo, the rest use SMTP (email to sms). SMPP is much more reliable as a method of delivery. The reason people like Peekamo is it doesn't charge the recepient of the message (in the US this is not the case as the Carriers double dip in their charge! - all the more to use free services from the web like Peekamo!). I also use Peekamo when I am in the USA to text back to Canada, and since I am messaging a local long code, there are no long distance text messaging charges. The Group messaging is pretty cool too.

  • 3 Posted by rivashugo@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    AIM lets you text to a phone for free also. well...the receiver is still charged but the sendee isn't.

  • 4 Posted by dbucaling on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    hope we could have an on line free texting any where so that we can enjoy using PC as well as texting in our friends............

  • 5 Posted by samtom111 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    I heard Yahoo has a software that cellphone users can use to send text message to cellphone instead of using the phone.How do I get this software?

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