Pros and cons of phone number types

Short codes, long codes, toll free... Why choose one over the other? What circumstances are best for each of them? Consult the following table for a breakdown of all phone number types.

Phone number type Pros Cons
Short code
  • Supports high sending speeds
  • Overall best use case for promotional messaging
  • Easy number to remember for TTJs (text-to-join)
  • Costly (~$500/month)
  • Time to acquire is 4-6 weeks
Long code
  • Quick to acquire (<1 day)
  • Works internationally
  • Slow sending speeds
  • Not compliant (US market does not use long codes)
Toll free
  • Quick to acquire (1 day)
  • Slow sending speeds (especially on MMS)
  • 800 number branding / long phone number (compared to short codes)
10DLC
  • Quick to acquire (1 week)
  • Compliant long code option
  • Phone number type is very new and lots of unknowns
  • MMS capabilities coming soon
  • Subject to daily message caps and throughput limitations

Articles in this section

Was this article helpful?
0 out of 0 found this helpful