# SMS service for Rails app alerts - recommendations for free/

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sms-service-for-rails-app-alerts-recommendations-for-free/85483>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [February 13, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sms-service-for-rails-app-alerts-recommendations-for-free/85483 "2007-02-13T23:56:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sms-service-for-rails-app-alerts-recommendations-for-free/85483/1 "2007-02-13T23:56:09Z")

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Hi,

I’m interested in triggering SMS alerts from my Rails app (hosted on  
Dreamhost) for key events or errors.

Any recommendations re whether there is a free SMS service to enable  
this?  
Or else a cheap service?

Also whether there is a rails plugin to make this easy?

Tks  
Greg

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**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 7:47am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sms-service-for-rails-app-alerts-recommendations-for-free/85483/2 "2007-02-14T07:47:44Z")

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Greg H. wrote:

> I’m interested in triggering SMS alerts from my Rails app (hosted on  
> Dreamhost) for key events or errors.
> 
> Any recommendations re whether there is a free SMS service to enable  
> this? Or else a cheap service?
> 
> Also whether there is a rails plugin to make this easy?

Hi, Greg.

I’ve haven’t either of these services, but here are some resources I  
have bookmarked on SMS integration:  
[http://www.teleflip.com](http://www.teleflip.com) - send them an email, they convert it to an SMS  
and send it for you (Free under 5k/mo - not live yet)  
[http://open.4info.net](http://open.4info.net) - more two-way communication. A user SMS’s 4INFO  
and they send it to your system. You respond back w/data and they send  
it over SMS to the user for you (not sure on price - could be free from  
what it looks like).

> **[SMS through E-Mail: Cingular, Nextel, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Virgin Mobile](https://www.tech-recipes.com/internet/instant-messaging/sms_email_cingular_nextel_sprint_tmobile_verizon_virgin/)**
>
> Sending SMS through email is very easy. The key is knowing the correct email format to use. Using this information you can send text messages to the major mobile providers. Sending text messages through email is free for the sender. The receiver will...

- formats for how to send emails through a mobile provider’s gateway  
(free - you just have to figure out what provider. I’m sure you can find  
info on that somewhere on the 'Net.)

Hope that helps. I’m interested in what else you find out. I’m also  
looking at integrating SMS into a Rails app. If you don’t mind, I’d  
appreciate it if you’d post back to the list anything else relevant you  
find.

I like the idea of using email to SMS gateways just because there is  
already so much in Rails that makes working with email easy.

-JT

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**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 8:37am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sms-service-for-rails-app-alerts-recommendations-for-free/85483/3 "2007-02-14T08:37:47Z")

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Hi,

There are maybe some free SMS services available or you can use  
clickatell  
com  
If you want we can write a rails clickatell plugin for you.

Kind Regards,

Lennie De Villiers

OpenMind Connections

Email: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid  
Website: [http://www.openmindconnections.co.za](http://www.openmindconnections.co.za)