Dialpad SMS: How texting works, pricing, and its limits in 2026

Whether you’re an existing Dialpad customer or considering it as an option, you may not know if its text messaging services will meet your needs.

Dialpad supports business texting, but with real limits. SMS works in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia, while MMS is limited to numbers in the US and Canada. Texting is included from the $15 per user Connect plan, but only includes a 250-outbound-message monthly allowance per user. Beyond that allowance you pay per message, and messages stop sending until you add credits. Toll-free numbers can’t text at all. As with any VoIP phone system, you need to complete A2P 10DLC registration to text US numbers.

Here’s everything you should know about Dialpad SMS, including its prices, features, and limitations.

Can you send text messages with Dialpad? 

Dialpad supports SMS messaging, but only in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. Keep in mind that text messaging in the UK requires an add-on, with the exact cost requiring a sales quote.

Notice that we only mentioned SMS here — because MMS is only supported for US and Canadian numbers. So if you’re outside North America, sending SMS or MMS messages will be inconvenient or impossible. 

Related: Pros and cons of Dialpad businesses need to know

How much does Dialpad charge for SMS? 

Dialpad’s pricing plans start at $15 per user per month for SMS, MMS, and team messaging. But that doesn’t include unlimited texting. Dialpad to Dialpad messages are free and unlimited, but outbound SMS/MMS to non-Dialpad numbers require extra fees.

Here’s a quick look: 

So, for Dialpad users who haven’t registered for A2P 10DLC, their outbound messages will likely be blocked. A2P 10DLC is the registration system US carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon require for business texting from virtual, local phone numbers. The goal is to reduce spam for customers by pushing businesses to register their texting campaigns and numbers. 

If you’ve completed SMS registration and gotten approved, Dialpad will cover the first 250 outbound messages per month for each of your Dialpad Connect users. Once you exceed your limit, though, messages won’t be sent unless you add more SMS credits to your Dialpad account. These cost $0.008 per outbound SMS and $0.024 per outbound MMS.

This is a fairly steep price for basic messaging services, especially if you plan to send more texts as your business grows. And considering VoIP providers like Quo offer unlimited texting on every plan, it feels like an unnecessary expense.

How to send a text message with Dialpad

Here’s how to send a message in Dialpad once your number is registered for A2P 10DLC: 

1. Go in the Dialpad app and select the Message icon in the left-hand navigation.
2. Enter the recipient’s name or number. 
3. Type and send the message.

If texts are not going out, the two most common causes are hitting the 250-message monthly allowance without added credits, or not having completed A2P 10DLC registration.

5 key reasons businesses move on from texting with Dialpad

Here are five other Dialpad texting limitations to keep in mind:

1. Toll-free numbers can’t send or receive text messages

Dialpad allows you to purchase 1-800 numbers for phone calls, but there’s no way to send text messages with toll-free numbers. This is a huge limitation if you want to make it easier for international customers to text your business.

Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg. While Dialpad offers one number per user on your account, this only applies to local numbers. This means you can’t purchase toll-free numbers unless you upgrade your plan, and even then, you’ll have to pay at least $15 per month for every toll-free number you add.

2. International texting requires plan upgrade

Like purchasing additional numbers, international texting with Dialpad requires the Pro plan, which costs $25 per user per month. Keep in mind there’s a three-seat minimum, though, which means the least you’ll pay is $75 per month billed annually.

This doesn’t include Dialpad’s international texting rates, which vary, depending on the country and number you want to reach. Check Dialpad’s rate card for specifics. And while Dialpad says it will attempt to send international texts, it can’t guarantee successful delivery. 

Keep in mind that it’s not supported for US numbers. This won’t do you any favors if you’re trying to build familiarity in international markets.

3. Limited ways to save time texting 

There aren’t many native texting automations available with Dialpad. There are tools like auto-replies available, but they come with a few caveats. For example, you can’t write anything longer than 320 characters. This isn’t ideal if you’re trying to send more information to your customers. 

You also can’t set up auto-replies based on triggers like a missed call or text message. On a direct line, you can only activate it for outside of personal working hours or when you’re in Do Not Disturb mode. On a shared line — a main line, department, or contact center — you can only schedule them to send during specific hours you set.

4. You can’t add more than one phone number unless you upgrade

Having a local and toll-free number for your business can help you build a local presence and provide a way for customers to contact you without long-distance rates. But as we mentioned, Dialpad doesn’t let you purchase additional numbers unless you upgrade to the Pro plan.

This isn’t the best deal, considering Dialpad alternatives offer the option to purchase additional numbers on every plan.

5. Bulk text messages require Enterprise plan

Dialpad lets you send bulk text messages to up to 50 recipients at once, but only on the Enterprise plan. Even then, eligibility is limited. You need a US-based office or an account that’s more than a year old and 50-plus licenses. It’s also strictly for transactional messages like reminders and confirmations — not marketing. Every message must include your brand name and opt-out language, and each A2P campaign is capped at 5,000 outbound messages per day. 

For lower-tier plans, there’s no native bulk sending; you’d need the API or a third-party tool.

How Dialpad texting compares to alternatives

Here’s how Dialpad’s approach to business texting lines up against two common alternatives.

For the head-to-head comparison, check out Quo vs Dialpad or Dialpad vs RingCentral directly. 

See our guide to the best Dialpad alternatives for the wider field breakdown. 

Verdict: Is Dialpad SMS worth it for your business?

Dialpad’s texting is functional rather than generous. You can text from the $15 plan, the per-message rates are reasonable once you’re registered for A2P 10DLC, and one-to-one follow-up works fine inside the 250-message allowance. For a US- or Canada-based team where texting is a secondary channel, that’s usually enough, and the cost stays predictable.

It’s a poorer fit when texting is how customers actually reach you. There’s no toll-free texting, international texting is locked behind the Pro plan and its three-seat minimum, bulk sending is Enterprise-only, and you’ll pay per message once you pass the 250-message allowance. If that’s your use case, price the overages and weigh the limitations before you commit.

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