simhook

SimHook turns an Android phone with a SIM into an SMS gateway and API for sending and receiving texts. API messages go through the paired phone's SIM, while incoming texts can be forwarded to an account as webhooks. Signed webhooks report sent, delivered, and failed states; they are retried for two days and paused if an endpoint keeps failing. The service supports scheduled sends, multiple recipients, and dual-SIM phones, with a SIM selectable for each message. A TypeScript SDK supports Node and edge runtimes, and an MCP server provides eight tools for AI agents. API keys can be limited by scope, including send-only access. The Android app requires Android 8.0 or newer and is distributed as a signed APK. The full stack can be self-hosted from one Compose file under AGPL-3.0; the maker says this option is free without limits. Hosted accounts remain on Free for now, despite listed paid plans. Free is free and allows 30 messages daily and 500 monthly, one phone, and 25 recipients per send.

SimHook connects an Android SIM to an API, with inbound forwarding and delivery reporting. Its hosted paid plans are not yet open, while self-hosting is available under AGPL-3.0.

SimHook suits developers who want to send and receive SMS through an Android phone's SIM, or operators able to self-host its stack. The maker advises using a business SIM for real volume and says it is not for bulk marketing or unsolicited messages.

SimHook turns an Android phone and its SIM into a route for sending and receiving SMS through an API. It suits developers connecting text messaging to apps or automated workflows. Its self-hosted option has no limits, but hosted paid plans are not open yet.

Overview

Messages sent through the API go out over the paired phone’s SIM, and incoming texts can reach an account as webhooks. That phone-based approach is useful when a workflow needs to exchange texts through a mobile line. Two-way messaging and delivery reports support reply handling and status-aware automation.

SimHook is not meant for bulk marketing or messages to people who have not asked to receive them. The maker recommends a business SIM for real volume. Its batch feature can address many recipients, but that capability does not make it a fit for unsolicited campaigns.

Key features

Signed webhooks report sent, delivered, and failed status changes, as well as forwarding incoming texts. SimHook retries webhook delivery for two days and pauses an endpoint that continues to fail. This helps integrations recover from temporary outages; a persistently failing endpoint still needs attention before delivery resumes.

Scheduled sending and multiple recipients suit reminders and other planned communications. Per-send recipient limits rise from 25 on Free to 500 on Pro and 2,500 on Scale. Those higher ceilings can accommodate broader operational messages while remaining a poor match for bulk marketing.

Dual-SIM phones are supported, and each message can select its SIM. API keys can be restricted to sending, reading, device access, or webhooks; a send-only key lets an integration send without broader account access. The TypeScript SDK supports Node and edge runtimes, and an MCP server offers eight tools for AI agents, with setup documented for Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Claude Code.

The Android app requires Android 8.0 or newer and comes as a signed APK. It updates itself after the user approves installation, so updates still require that approval. The hosted service runs on Hetzner behind Cloudflare and keeps nightly database dumps; Firebase Cloud Messaging pushes contain no message content.

Pricing

Free costs nothing and allows 30 messages a day, 500 a month, one phone, and 25 recipients per send. It is a practical way to start with light traffic, but the monthly cap and single phone leave little room for sustained use or multiple lines.

Pro costs $12 a month, billed at $12 / month or $120 / year. It includes 10,000 messages a month, three phones, and 500 recipients per send. This is the hosted tier for developers who need more capacity and devices than Free provides. Scale costs $39 a month, billed at $39 / month or $390 / year; its 50,000 monthly messages, 10 phones, and 2,500 recipients per send suit larger workloads.

The annual plan entries are Pro (annual) at $120 a year and Scale (annual) at $390 a year, with the same respective quotas and phone and recipient limits as their monthly counterparts. Self-hosted costs nothing and includes the whole stack with no limits of any kind, under AGPL-3.0. That removes hosted plan caps for operators prepared to run the stack themselves.

Although the paid tiers and their prices are shown, the maker says they open soon and every account remains on Free until then. Hosted paid capacity therefore is not currently available. The free self-hosted edition is the option for immediate use without those hosted quotas.

Platforms

SimHook spans Android, API, web, and self-hosted deployment. The Android app needs version 8.0 or newer; the Compose-file deployment offers a route for teams that want to host the full stack themselves.

Who it's for

SimHook is best for developers and small teams building opt-in SMS workflows around an Android phone, especially when they need inbound replies, delivery status, scheduled sends, or per-message SIM selection. It is less suitable for users who need hosted paid capacity right now, campaign-scale marketing, or a service that does not depend on a paired phone.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Incoming texts and delivery-state changes can feed signed webhooks, making two-way integrations possible.
• Pros: Scoped API keys, including send-only access, limit what an integration can do.
• Pros: Self-hosting includes the whole stack at no cost and without stated limits.
• Cons: Hosted paid plans are not yet open, so Free is the only hosted tier users can access for now.
• Cons: Free is capped at 500 messages monthly, one phone, and 25 recipients per send.
• Cons: Sending depends on an Android phone and SIM, and the maker advises a business SIM for real volume.

Alternatives

For another Android, API, and web option, Android SMS Gateway has a free plan with 300 SMS for the life of the account and a 300-contact limit, plus a Starter plan at $19 a month. Consider it if that lifetime allowance and its listed paid tier better match your requirements.

Telerivet offers a free plan capped at 50 messages a day, 50 stored contacts, and two automated services, plus a Starter plan at $49 a month. Its free daily allowance may suit a low-volume user who needs those contact and automation caps.

playSMS is free and open source under GPLv3 or later, but requires a separate SMS gateway to send and receive messages. Choose it if you want open-source software and are prepared to provide that gateway.

Textmagic is a paid service with a free trial and per-message pricing that varies by destination country; its listed Essential rate is $0.05 a month, billed 100% prepaid, with 160 plain-text characters per SMS part. It may suit readers comparing a paid service with a trial and destination-dependent rates.

FoxText is a free option for personal use.

SMSGatewayCenter lists a transactional plan for India with 10,000 SMS units, one year validity, and an added GST charge. Consider it when that India-only transactional route fits the job.

BulkGate offers pay-as-you-go SMS pricing, with a listed United Kingdom rate of €0.03, paid once and country-dependent rates. It is an alternative for readers comparing destination-based SMS charges.

Ozeki SMS Gateway is another option to consider.

Browse more options in SMS Gateway Software.

Verdict

Choose SimHook if you are a developer who wants to route opt-in, two-way SMS through an Android SIM and can work within Free’s caps or self-host the stack. Its webhooks, scoped keys, and unrestricted self-hosted edition make it a focused tool for software-driven messaging. Look elsewhere if you need hosted paid capacity today or a service for bulk marketing.