BulkSMSOnline

Hey IndieHackers 👋

I’m the founder of BulkSMSOnline, a lean, self-funded bulk SMS platform I built to fix the headaches I kept hitting with existing SMS gateways.

The problem:
Every time I needed to add SMS (OTPs, alerts, marketing blasts) to an app, I’d end up wrestling with bloated SDKs, 200-page PDFs, opaque “enterprise” pricing, and support that only answered when I was ready to spend $500/month. Sending an SMS is fundamentally an HTTP POST. It shouldn’t be that hard.

What I built:
BulkSMSOnline strips everything down to its simplest form:

• A clean REST API (JSON in, JSON out, single header auth)

• A no-code web portal for non-technical teams

• Global reach (200+ countries)

• Real-time delivery reports, scheduling, Unicode/emoji, webhooks

• Pay-as-you-go pricing no setup fees, no monthly minimums, credits never expire

• Ready-to-run code samples in Python, PHP, C#, and Java on GitHub

Behind the scenes, it’s just a small team of 2–9 engineers. We answer every support request ourselves. No ticket queues, no bots. When a message fails, we know about it as fast as you do.

The journey so far:
I’m bootstrapping this entirely. No VC, no outside funding. We’re profitable and growing slowly but steadily. The focus has been on reliability, clean docs, and being the kind of SMS platform I’d want to use as a developer.

Some quick numbers (if you're into metrics):

• Sending millions of SMS per month

• Consistent 98%+ deliverability across major routes

• Churn is near zero once someone integrates, the API just works

Biggest lessons learned:

1. Simplicity sells. Developers stick around when they can integrate in 10 minutes, not 3 days.

2. Transparency builds trust. No hidden fees, no contracts, people stay because they know what they’re paying.

3. Small team ≠ small impact. Automate ruthlessly, stay close to users, ship fast.

4. Carrier routing is the real product. The hardest technical problem is reliable global delivery, not the API itself.

What’s next:
I’m working on deeper delivery analytics, more ready-made integrations, and possibly a free tier for tiny projects. I’d also love to get the API listed on more marketplaces (already on APILayer).

I’d love your feedback:

• If you’ve used SMS APIs before, what’s your biggest frustration?

• What would make you switch providers?

• Anything you’d want to see in a lightweight SMS gateway that’s missing today?

AMA about SMS deliverability, bootstrapping a SaaS as a small team, or dealing with telecom carriers. Happy to share what I’ve learned. And if you need a simple SMS API, give BulkSMSOnline a try, free test credits are waiting.

I’ll stick around to answer all questions. Thanks for reading!