Should I Build It Should I Build It
02 Jul 2025
Customer Communication Messaging

A platform that will enable you to mass message your contacs and or ...

...customers using sms

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Freemium

People love using similar products but resist paying. You’ll need to either find who will pay or create additional value that’s worth paying for.

Should You Build It?

Build but think about differentiation and monetization.

Your are here

You're entering a crowded space with your mass SMS messaging platform. The existence of 21 similar products indicates a proven market, but also significant competition. Given the 'Freemium' category, users are likely to be price-sensitive and potentially resistant to paying. You'll need to find a niche or value-add that justifies a premium offering. The medium engagement (average of 6 comments) suggests that while there is interest, capturing and retaining user attention will be key, i.e. you need to create something that can be easily and quickly adopted but at the same time will keep users engaged. There's no clear signal for user intent to buy or use among the existing alternatives, which could be due to the fact that many similar solutions operate on a freemium basis already. Ultimately you have to find out whether enough people will pay for the premium features to sustain your business.

Recommendations

  1. Start by deeply understanding the existing free SMS messaging platforms. Identify their limitations, especially in features, user experience, or integrations. Focus on addressing these pain points to attract users initially. Several similar products have received positive feedback on their UI and ease of use.
  2. Instead of directly competing on price with the established players, focus on a specific niche. For example, you could target small businesses needing automated SMS marketing campaigns, or non-profits requiring mass communication for event updates. Tailor your features and messaging to this niche.
  3. Based on the 'Freemium' categorization, you should identify which users get the most value from the free version. Then, create premium features that significantly enhance their experience and justify a paid subscription. This might include advanced analytics, personalized support, or integrations with other business tools.
  4. Offer features tailored to team collaboration, such as shared inboxes, role-based permissions, and reporting on team performance. Consider pricing plans based on the number of team members or messages sent, making it attractive for businesses with multiple users. This could be a pathway toward team adoption and eventually monetization.
  5. Given the criticisms around potentially unsexy interfaces, invest in a modern and intuitive user interface that is easy to learn and use. Highlight the ease of use and the efficiency gains users can achieve with your platform. A compelling user experience can be a significant differentiator.
  6. Incorporate multimedia messaging (MMS) to enhance user engagement. SMS-based messaging may be deemed unsexy, but including MMS could significantly increase engagement with the platform.
  7. Focus on compliance with regulations, particularly around data privacy and SMS marketing best practices. Offer built-in tools for managing opt-ins and opt-outs, and provide guidance on staying compliant with relevant laws and regulations. This is especially relevant since some products have been praised for that.
  8. Consider an open-source approach or integrate with existing open-source SMS solutions. This will enable greater control and customization but might also be perceived as a marketing ploy without real community support.
  9. Given the competition, create content that helps users effectively use SMS as a channel for various purposes. Create content (blog posts, case studies, webinars) to educate your target audience and demonstrate the value of your platform. If you can position yourself as a source of information around SMS best practices, then you can use your platform to convert new users and businesses.

Questions

  1. Given that similar products have faced criticism for unclear pricing and difficult self-hosting, how will you ensure transparency and ease of use for both free and paid users?
  2. Many similar solutions received specific feature requests in the comments (upselling via text, mobile number availability, analytics, and CRM integration): How can you ensure that you will capture these requests into your product roadmap?
  3. Several similar products are getting praised for a good and user friendly UI, how will you differentiate yourself from the others?

Your are here

You're entering a crowded space with your mass SMS messaging platform. The existence of 21 similar products indicates a proven market, but also significant competition. Given the 'Freemium' category, users are likely to be price-sensitive and potentially resistant to paying. You'll need to find a niche or value-add that justifies a premium offering. The medium engagement (average of 6 comments) suggests that while there is interest, capturing and retaining user attention will be key, i.e. you need to create something that can be easily and quickly adopted but at the same time will keep users engaged. There's no clear signal for user intent to buy or use among the existing alternatives, which could be due to the fact that many similar solutions operate on a freemium basis already. Ultimately you have to find out whether enough people will pay for the premium features to sustain your business.

Recommendations

  1. Start by deeply understanding the existing free SMS messaging platforms. Identify their limitations, especially in features, user experience, or integrations. Focus on addressing these pain points to attract users initially. Several similar products have received positive feedback on their UI and ease of use.
  2. Instead of directly competing on price with the established players, focus on a specific niche. For example, you could target small businesses needing automated SMS marketing campaigns, or non-profits requiring mass communication for event updates. Tailor your features and messaging to this niche.
  3. Based on the 'Freemium' categorization, you should identify which users get the most value from the free version. Then, create premium features that significantly enhance their experience and justify a paid subscription. This might include advanced analytics, personalized support, or integrations with other business tools.
  4. Offer features tailored to team collaboration, such as shared inboxes, role-based permissions, and reporting on team performance. Consider pricing plans based on the number of team members or messages sent, making it attractive for businesses with multiple users. This could be a pathway toward team adoption and eventually monetization.
  5. Given the criticisms around potentially unsexy interfaces, invest in a modern and intuitive user interface that is easy to learn and use. Highlight the ease of use and the efficiency gains users can achieve with your platform. A compelling user experience can be a significant differentiator.
  6. Incorporate multimedia messaging (MMS) to enhance user engagement. SMS-based messaging may be deemed unsexy, but including MMS could significantly increase engagement with the platform.
  7. Focus on compliance with regulations, particularly around data privacy and SMS marketing best practices. Offer built-in tools for managing opt-ins and opt-outs, and provide guidance on staying compliant with relevant laws and regulations. This is especially relevant since some products have been praised for that.
  8. Consider an open-source approach or integrate with existing open-source SMS solutions. This will enable greater control and customization but might also be perceived as a marketing ploy without real community support.
  9. Given the competition, create content that helps users effectively use SMS as a channel for various purposes. Create content (blog posts, case studies, webinars) to educate your target audience and demonstrate the value of your platform. If you can position yourself as a source of information around SMS best practices, then you can use your platform to convert new users and businesses.

Questions

  1. Given that similar products have faced criticism for unclear pricing and difficult self-hosting, how will you ensure transparency and ease of use for both free and paid users?
  2. Many similar solutions received specific feature requests in the comments (upselling via text, mobile number availability, analytics, and CRM integration): How can you ensure that you will capture these requests into your product roadmap?
  3. Several similar products are getting praised for a good and user friendly UI, how will you differentiate yourself from the others?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 21
  • Engagement: Medium
    • Average number of comments: 6
  • Net use signal: 7.7%
    • Positive use signal: 10.7%
    • Negative use signal: 3.0%
  • Net buy signal: -3.0%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.8%
    • Negative buy signal: 3.8%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

Similar products

Relevance

AmplifySMS - The premier text message platform for your business

27 Dec 2023 SaaS Customer Communication Messaging

AmplifySMS is a SaaS solution that empowers businesses to reach their customers conveniently, effectively, and innovatively through text message. If direct communication with your customers is a priority, this product is tailor-made for you.

AmplifySMS received positive feedback on its Product Hunt launch, with users congratulating the team and praising its potential as a game-changing SaaS solution and handy business tool for effective communication and marketing. Several users inquired about specific features like upselling via text, mobile number availability, analytics, and CRM integration. One user expressed interest in how AmplifySMS measures and improves customer engagement. Another user shared past experience with a similar app and congratulated the developer, while others conveyed excitement to try the product.

The primary criticism revolves around the lack of multimedia messaging integration. Users suggest this addition to enhance the interactive experience, as multimedia messaging will increase engagement.

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95
16
18.8%
16
95
18.8%
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TopSMS - SMS made simple

19 Jul 2023 SaaS Marketing

Fed up with complicated SMS systems? We get it! TopSMS is here to make your life easier. We stripped away all distractions so you can create and send your SMS campaign in seconds. Simple!

The comments congratulate TopSMS on its launch and express that it is very impressive. There is also a good luck wish for the team.

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82
2
2
82
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Textla - Business texting, simplified

11 Jan 2024 SaaS Customer Communication Marketing

Textla is a no-code SMS messaging platform for SMBs, startups and high-growth companies. Schedule SMS campaigns, set up keyword opt-ins, communicate 1:1 via shared inbox, track analytics, and view deliverability with one affordable and intuitive platform.

Textla's Product Hunt launch received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with users praising its ease of use, affordability, and compliance with regulations. Many highlighted its superior customer support, pricing, and overall product quality compared to competitors. Users are excited about its potential for solopreneurs, small businesses, and social media marketing. The platform is perceived as a game-changer, with some anticipating its dominance in business texting. Several comments congratulated the team on the launch and wished them success.

The primary criticism revolves around the "unsexy" medium employed by the solutions. This suggests that the presentation or delivery method lacks appeal or excitement for users.

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156
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8.9%
56
156
8.9%
Relevance

Laudspeaker – Open-source mobile push, SMS and email automation

05 Jun 2024 Marketing

Hey HN, we are sharing again, after a year of updates!Laudspeaker (https://laudspeaker.com/) is an open source customer engagement suite (also called marketing automation software). If you've used tools like Braze, One Signal, Airship, Iterable, Customer.io or some others, Laudspeaker is an alternative to these. Here is a quick demo: https://www.loom.com/share/4b309390ee274ea491981e1394e9abc4. And here is a link to sign up and try free (no cc needed): https://app.laudspeaker.com/signup.Or if you prefer to just jump in, go to https://app.laudspeaker.com/login and use this test account: email: test94@laudspeaker.com pw: test93@laudspeaker.com The main things Laudspeaker lets you do are:1. Define 'segments': which of your users should receive messages.2. Define 'messaging journeys': when, where and with which channels you want to reach users. Right now we support push, email, SMS, and soon we'll also include in-app messages and WhatsApp.For example, one customer of ours runs a journey like this: "Wait for a user to complete onboarding on our mobile app, then send a welcome push. If they complete an action the next day on the app, stop sending messages, otherwise send a followup email."There are quite a few big updates since our last Show HN (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34835559):We now have a mobile SDK for sending and receiving push notifications. We have revamped the journey builder, and made our segment builder much more comprehensive. Our application is also a lot more battle tested - we are deployed with a major fintech in Asia and are sending XX million messages a week to more than x million users.We've seen a lot of demand from consumer focused apps and websites who find most of the existing solutions' pricing models prohibitively expensive so please reach out if that sounds like you. We have successfully migrated people over from Braze, customer io and others.If you're interested in the mobile SdK, see our tutorial: https://laudspeaker.com/docs/getting-started/setting-up-mobi...,and sample apps: https://github.com/laudspeaker/android-sample-app, https://github.com/laudspeaker/ios-sample-app.Our Github is https://github.com/laudspeaker/laudspeaker. Try it out for free at https://app.laudspeaker.com/signup.We'd love to hear your feedback and comments!

Users expressed confusion about pricing, self-hosting options, and the product's cost-effectiveness. There's interest in the 'free to use, pay for support' model, but concerns about incentivizing unnecessary complexity. Questions arose about the need for multiple databases and SMS integration capabilities, with some support for Twilio and webhooks. The UI received praise, and there's curiosity about recent updates and self-hosting details. Comparisons were made to Customer.io and Chatwoot, and the use of AGPL license and NestJS were noted. Some see it as just another competitor, while others appreciate it post-Customer.io price hike.

Users criticized the product for unclear self-hosting options, particularly for non-enterprise users, and a setup process perceived as intentionally difficult to promote support services. The CRM was deemed incomplete and too expensive for business use. Documentation was found to be non-discoverable with inconsistent demos, and there was a call for more pricing tiers. The need for multiple databases and SMS gateway options was unclear, and the last release being outdated was a concern. The evaluation period was considered too short, and the open sourcing was seen as a marketing ploy without real community support. The requirement for a powerful machine and the AGPL license were also seen as deterrents for corporate use. There was a general sentiment that it lacked unique features and was just another competitor in the market.

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193
28
-10.7%
-14.3%
28
193
3.6%
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Treply:AI Enabled SMS Marketing Platform - Boost Engagement and Drive Customer Loyalty with Treply

20 Sep 2024 SaaS Messaging Marketing

Treply is an AI-assisted SMS platform that enhances customer engagement with personalized real-time campaigns. Automate messages to drive growth and gather insights through customer surveys, helping you redefine your marketing strategies.

Users praise the product's good UI and user-friendly platform, particularly its intuitive design and automation features that enhance SMS audience engagement. The combination of SMS capabilities with advanced analytics is noted as a comprehensive solution. Several comments highlight its effectiveness for SMS marketing. There's also a question about availability in Asia, and specific instances of SMS boosting local business (coffee shop) traffic and customer loyalty are mentioned.

Users questioned if the product will be exclusively US-focused.

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60
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16.7%
6
60
16.7%
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Dittofeed v0.5.0 – Self-host SMS and email customer messaging

05 Oct 2023 Messaging

Hey HN, we’ve just released Dittofeed v0.5.0, with the primary change being the addition of SMS as a messaging channel. Dittofeed is an open source (MIT licensed) omnichannel customer engagement platform, similar to Customer.io and Iterable. We added:- Twilio-based SMS messaging. You can create SMS templates and customer journeys within Dittofeed.SMS is a great channel for B2C software companies, looking to engage with their users. For example, e-commerce businesses commonly use SMS to support checkout flows.We'll be making further enhancements to Dittofeed's SMS support in the coming weeks!- We added a new "Trait Exists" segmentation option, which can be used to create a segment of all users with phone numbers, for example.- We made some fairly large improvements to our settings UI. Big shout out to our contributor! https://github.com/promisetochiThe full feature release blog post can be found here: https://dittofeed.com/blog/release-0-5-0.Looking forward to your thoughts and feedback!Github Repo - https://github.com/dittofeed/dittofeedDemo - https://demo.dittofeed.com/dashboard/journeysDocs - https://docs.dittofeed.com/getting-started

Users are excited about the release and the potential of the Dittofeed platform, especially with the addition of SMS. There is also anticipation for more messaging channels to be open-sourced soon.

The SMS unsubscribe process is unclear.

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14
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Sent.dm - Text your customers on the messaging apps they use the most.

01 May 2024 Marketing automation Developer Tools Messaging

Sent is a single API and platform for messaging across SMS, WhatsApp, iMessage, RCS, and more. It auto-detects and stores each contact's primary messaging channel, enabling global customer communication and marketing at a fraction of the cost of SMS alone.

The product launch received congratulations from users, with one user expressing that the product seemed amazing and interesting. The positive feedback centers around the launch itself and initial impressions of the product.

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SMS-Magic Mobile App - Converse anywhere, connect everywhere with conversive app

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SMS-Magic Strengthen customer connections on-the-go. Respond to leads, engage across SMS, WhatsApp, and Messenger, assign tasks, automate updates, and sync seamlessly with your CRM. Elevate your mobile customer interactions now!

The comments express congratulations and encouragement to continue the good work. One comment highlights SMS Magic's function of centralizing SMS and WhatsApp, making customer follow-ups easier. The overall sentiment is positive and supportive.

Currently, the product is still being explored, and no concrete criticisms have been voiced by the user. Further feedback may be provided upon more thorough evaluation.

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Title not found - Subtitle not found

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A cost-effective bulk messaging tool combining SMS and RCS. It ensures seamless communication by sending carrier SMS to offline users and switching to RCS for online recipients. Perfect for businesses and institutions.

Time complexity?

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Bulk Sms Provider In India - Seamless SMS Solutions for Your Business In India

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Reliable, scalable bulk SMS platform to power your communications, backed by a team of experts and India's largest SMS network.

SMS Local is a game-changer with user-friendly interface and reliable delivery.

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AmplifySMS – Text Message Platform for Your Business

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Over the past 6 months. I've been working on a platform that allows businesses to send text messages. Not for marketing purposes but to engage their customer.Meet AmplifySMSKey Features:- Personalized SMS to build strong connections. - 98% open rate within 3 mins for seizing every opportunity. - Global reach to 5 billion effortlessly.AI Delight:Sentiment Analysis and Knowledge Assistant for intelligent interactions.Get Started:- Sign up instantly. - Choose your business number. - Import customer info effortlessly.Let's redefine the future of customer engagement together!

More expensive than Twilio

More expensive than Twilio

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Mobiniti - Home

30 Jul 2024 Customer Communication Messaging Marketing

Mobiniti is an SMS marketing platform that boosts customer engagement and sales through campaign creation, automation, and detailed analytics. It integrates with other marketing tools, supports segmentation, and ensures compliance with SMS marketing regulation

Mobiniti is a powerful SMS platform designed for mass texting and personalized 1-to-1 messaging. Users highlight its smooth integrations and ability to facilitate personal connections.

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